28 Days Latermarked the second collaboration for director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland after 2000’sThe Beach. While the latter isn’t widely seen as a seminal work for either creative, the former certainly is. The 2002 zombie thrillerstars Cillian Murphyas Jim, a survivor who attempts to traverse London in search of sanctuary following the outbreak of the Rage Virus in the U.K.
Boyle and Garland returned as executive producers for the sequel,28 Weeks Later(2007), but Boyle is now back as director and Garland as screenwriter for the upcoming28 Years Later, which marks a reunion after 18 years of working on their own projects. In those 18 years, Boyle directed movies likeSlumdog Millionaire(2008),127 Hours(2010), andSteve Jobs(2015), while Garland moved into directing with projects likeEx Machina(2014),Annihilation(2018), andCivil War(2024). Now, it’s been revealed why the pair didn’t work together for so long.
Murphy serves as an executive producer on28 Years Laterand he is expected to reprise his role asJim for28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, the already-shot sequel.
Danny Boyle & Alex Garland Recall Falling Out While Making Sunshine
The 2007 Sci-Fi Created A Rift Between Them
Prior to reuniting for28 Years Later, Boyle and Garland had a major disagreement while makingSunshine, with both creatives now revealing what went wrong. Released in 2007,the sci-fi thriller chronicles one crew’s mission to restart the dying sun, which is complicated by the discovery of the previous ship sent to accomplish the job.Sunshinestars Murphy, Chris Evans, Rose Byrne, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Michelle Yeoh, with the movie marking a reunion for Murphy, director Boyle, and screenwriter Garland after the success of28 Days Later.
Every Cillian Murphy Sci-Fi Movie Ranked From Worst To Best
Cillian Murphy is no stranger to sci-fi. From A Quiet Place: Part II to Inception, here are his films from the genre ranked from worst to best.
During a recent interview withEmpireto promote28 Years Later, Boyle and Garland reveal that a key creative disagreement emerged between them while makingSunshine. “We had a falling out,” says Boyle. “It was my fault.“This falling out, they explain, stemmed from Garland’s desire to leave “space” for audience interpretation, something he tries to do in all of his scripts. “I’m constantly being upbraided for it [in reviews],” Garland says. Boyle, however, wanted more of an explanation inSunshine. As he explains:
“Sci-fi. F—ing Christ. You are really inventing the world in every single precious detail. I remember becoming obsessed with that.I wrote a prologue to try to explain it all and [Alex] said, ‘If you f—ing put that on the film, I’m off.”
The falling out, though, was purely creative, with Boyle clarifying that “It wasn’t a grudge.” Still, Boyle explains, Garland eventually apologized by way of a thoughtful letter:
“You wrote a very sweet note, saying, ‘I’m sorry we had such a miserable time together and I hope you have a much better time on the next film. I’ve still got the note.”
Several years afterSunshine,Boyle and Garland reconnected as Garland was makingEx Machina, his first film as a director. “I thought, ‘I need to show this to Danny. I need to know what Danny thinks’… Then I remember reaching out,” Garland recalls. This quickly led to talk of how they could continue the28 Days Laterfranchise.
What Boyle & Garland’s Reunion Means For 28 Years Later
Sunshine’s Reception Explained
Together, Boyle and Garland have a strong track record.28 Days Laterand theRage Virusmarked a crucial evolution in the zombie horror sub-franchise with its introduction of fast zombies, whileSunshineis now a highly-regarded work of science-fiction. Reviews for the 2007 film were somewhat lukewarm at the time and the film was a box office disappointment, butit now has a cult following for its inventive mix of epic sci-fi and claustrophobic horror. Both of these two movies bode well for the eventual reception to28 Years Later.
Sunshinehas a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed only $34 million at the box office.
Sunshine
Cast
Sunshine, directed by Danny Boyle, follows a team of astronauts on a critical mission to reignite the dying Sun and save Earth from an impending freeze. Set fifty years into the future, the film explores their journey and the challenges faced in their attempt to restore solar life.
