Summary

• 28 Years Later has reportedly started filming on Holy Island in North East England.
• "Hundreds" of locals have been cast as extras, seemingly to play citizens afflicted with the Rage Virus.
• 28 Years Later features the return of original trio Danny Boyle, Cillian Murphy, and Alex Garland, and the England filming continues a franchise trend.

28 Years Later is confirmed to feature Boyle back as director with a script from Garland, and Murphy is set to reprise his role as Jim opposite Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

A new report from the BBC reveals that 28 Years Later is now filming on Holy Island, a picturesque island off the coast of North East England. According to the report, film crews have also been spotted in Newcastle and Kielder Forest. "Hundreds" of locals have reportedly been cast as extras in the film, with the production looking for "athletic types" to play people afflicted with the Rage Virus, which turns its victims into zombie-like monsters.

England Is Crucial To The 28 Days Later Franchise

28 Years Later Could Stay True To The Franchise's Roots

28 Years Later's filming in England continues a trend for the franchise. The first film memorably opens with Jim waking up in London, which is seemingly completely empty. After some intense London chase scenes showing off the effects of 28 Days Later's Rage Virus, Jim ends up in Manchester, and the film ultimately concludes in Cumbria, a county in North West England. In addition to taking place in England, the first film was also entirely shot there.

28 Weeks Later largely continues to tell a very English story. The sequel opens with an intense action sequence in rural England before then returning to the streets of London. While most of the characters are once again British, the sequel mixes this up somewhat by revealing that NATO forces have taken control of Britain. Jeremy Renner, an American, plays Doyle in the film, but the two main characters of 28 Weeks Later are Tammy (Imogen Poots) and Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton).

The end of 28 Weeks Later sees the infection spread to Paris, but the latest filming announcement for 28 Years Later suggests the third film will continue to stay true to the franchise's roots and tell a story largely contained to the UK. This would ultimately be fitting given that the three main pillars of the first film, Murphy, Boyle, and Garland, are all returning. Many questions remain about 28 Years Later, but the start of filming certainly suggests that more information could be coming over the next few weeks.

Source: BBC