28 Days Later didn’t need a sequel. The quasi-zombie movie had a wonderful ending that left the story open for viewers interpretation but sealed things up nicely. In fact, it had two if you consider the original, more dismal ending that appeared briefly in theaters and is on the DVD. Regardless, we got 28 Weeks Later earlier this year which, as people who saw the sequel know, set up the possibility for the Rage Virus to spread even farther so there could be more sequels.
Sadly, without creator Danny Boyle’s involvement (regardless of what Fox Atomic wants you to believe), the future wasn’t too promising for the franchise. In fact, the box office take for 28 Weeks was lackluster to the point that Fox Atomic has wiped the potential sequels off its current slate. No 28 Months Later, no sci-fi spectacular 28 Years Later. The Rage Virus has run its course and the studio appears to be done with it.
What’s more disconcerting is that Bloody Disgusting has discovered that Fox Atomic seems to be getting out of the horror business altogether – a strange move considering that’s what the subsidiary of 20th Century Fox was created to make. According to Bloody Disgusting, the only horror movie Fox Atomic has in the works right now is a PG-13 remake of The Entity.
As we all know, DVD sales can always change things. If 28 Weeks Later sells enough DVDs, there could be a continued franchise, although it might just be continued on DVD. Of course, Fox hasn’t announced a DVD release date for Weeks yet, so there’s no telling where things might lead. For now, however, it looks like the virus zombie threat ends at 28 Weeks Later and Fox Atomic just might be getting out of the horror business altogether.
