Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's highly anticipated sequel, 28 Years Later, could make another zombie franchise's abandoned movie trilogy plan look even worse. The franchise began in 2002 with 28 Days Later, which redefined the genre. The film stars Cillian Murphy as a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma during an epidemic caused by the "rage virus," turning people into homicidal zombies.

The standalone sequel, 28 Weeks Later, focuses on the NATO military's efforts to create a safe zone, but their attempts are undermined by siblings who reintroduce the virus. While not considered a zombie classic, it sets the stage for 28 Years Later to reinvigorate the franchise.

Meanwhile, The Walking Dead, which aired from 2010 to 2022, has had a cultural impact and spawned multiple spinoffs. Initially, the plan was for a movie trilogy centered on Rick Grimes, the show's protagonist. However, this idea was scrapped in favor of another TV series, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. The potential success of 28 Years Later could show that The Walking Dead relied too heavily on the series format.

Overall, 28 Years Later and The Ones Who Live represent new opportunities for the zombie genre and demonstrate that movie franchises can be successful alternatives to long-running TV series.