Summary
In the new sequel 28 Years Later, the Infected may have become more intelligent beings given three decades to evolve.
Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland are set to return for the highly anticipated 28 Days Later sequel.
The Infected in the previous films have shown signs of increased intelligence, hinting at major changes in the upcoming trilogy.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
The third chapter in the ground-breaking 28 Days Later franchise, 28 Years Later, will feature a version of the Infected far different from those seen in the two previous films. Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later revitalized the zombie horror subgenre with the introduction of “fast zombies”, which represented a major departure from their ambling counterparts of the past. The movie established the concept of a rage virus, which destroyed the host’s humanity but left all of their functions mostly intact. 28 Years Later’s trilogy plans should include a brand-new version of the Infected.
It’s possible that 28 Years Later brings back a cut Infected idea from the original, but even if not, it’s clear that the individuals infected by the rage virus will have changed in some way in the nearly three decades since it was first released into the world. The significant time jump between the new sequel and the first two movies offers a lot of freedom as to what level of change the Infected might have undergone. Fortunately, the previous sequel provided some insight into exactly what direction 28 Years Later might move in regard to its Infected.
Related 28 Years Later’s Cillian Murphy Return Was Set Up By The Original Movie’s Ending Change The selected ending to 28 Days Later may not have been the first choice, but it left the door open for Cillian Murphy’s return in 28 Years Later.
The Infected Started Changing In 28 Weeks Later
The sequel saw the Infected become more advanced.
The virus introduced in 28 Days Later destroyed almost all of an individual’s personality, leaving nothing but rage, some basic problem-solving skills, and a never-ending motivation to hunt the uninfected. While the young boy that Jim encountered in the diner showed that the Infected were still capable of some limited speech, they didn’t seem capable of real communication. There was little other evidence to think that the Infected were capable of further advancement in the original movie.
28 Years Later
will feature the return of both director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, the two men who were behind the success of
28 Days Later
.
That changed in 28 Weeks Later, specifically with the character Don Harris. Once infected, Don showed remarkable levels of intelligence for an Infected individual, proving that he recognized his family and may have even had broken memories of them. He also escaped from a cell he was being held in, theoretically by using a key card to unlock the door. Although it was just one instance, it’s clear that Don had advanced beyond the capabilities of the typical Infected, proving that they had already started to change.
28 Years Later’s Infected Could Be Way More Intelligent
In nearly three decades, the rage virus could have significantly mutated.
Across zombie media and in real science, viruses of all kinds can and will mutate over time. It’s possible that will be the explanation for how the Infected change in the 28 years between the virus’ initial release and the action of 28 Years Later. In just six months, the Infected had already begun to show signs of increased intelligence, as evidenced by Don Harris’ pursuit of his family. Given another three decades to evolve, the Infected could very well have changed back into intelligent beings, albeit ones still consumed by rage.
Related 10 Best “Fast” Zombie Movies Of All Time, Ranked Unlike their slow-moving and lethargic undead counterparts, fast zombies pose an even more deadly threat within the horror movie genre.
While 28 Years Later will certainly deal with how humanity has adapted to the global spread of the rage virus, it would be interesting to see what an intelligent Infected population looks like. While it seems like too far a stretch to suggest that the Infected would have developed a functional society of their own, it’s possible that there is some semblance of organization to the surviving Infected. A mutated virus could take on any shape over that long a time frame, so really there are no limits to what the Infected might be capable of.
Why 28 Years Later Needs To Change Its Infected Rules
28 Days Later broke new ground with fast zombies, but since then they’ve become commonplace.
28 Days Later is considered a landmark film in horror for introducing fast zombies, and predictably that kicked off a new trend within the genre. Some of the most well-known horror movies of the last 20 years are predicated on fast zombies, including World War Z, Zombieland, Train to Busan, and Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. That means that 28 Years Later needs to bring something fresh to the table if it’s going to have anywhere near the same impact as the original.
Strangely,
28 Days Later
is currently unavailable to stream/buy in the U.S. due to a rights conflict.
Intelligent zombies could very well be the answer that Boyle and Garland have in mind. With the tease already in place from 28 Weeks Later, it’s almost certain that the Infected will have advanced significantly. 28 Years Later and the subsequent trilogy will need to change the rules for the Infected to make sure that the movie achieves the recognition that a reunion between Danny Boyle and Alex Garland deserves.
28 Years Later
28 Years Later is the tentative title for the third film in the “28 Days Later” franchise, initially conceived by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. Originally expected to be titled “28 Months Later,” the film still hasn’t been officially confirmed, but preliminary work on a script has reportedly been underway.