Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

28 Weeks Later

 
Movies:

28 Weeks Later

  • Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
  • AMG Rating: starstarstarstar
  • Genre: Horror
  • Movie Type: Sci-Fi Horror
  • Themes: Zombies, Post-Apocalypse, Plagues and Epidemics
  • Main Cast: Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau, Jr., Catherine McCormack
  • Release Year: 2007
  • Country: UK/US/ES
  • Run Time: 99 minutes
  • MPAA Rating: R

Plot

The devastating rage virus that annihilated the British Isles mysteriously resurfaces in Goya Award-winning director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's sequel to the Danny Boyle-directed horror hit that terrified audiences worldwide by offering a breathless new take on the familiar zombie mythos. Six months has passed since the rage virus caused British residents to indiscriminately murder and destroy everything in their paths, and now the U.S. military has declared victory in the war against the rapidly spreading infection. As the reconstruction process gets underway and the first wave of refugees return to British shores, a family separated by the devastation is happily reunited. During the initial outbreak, Don Harris (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) sat holed up with a small band of survivors in a remote farmhouse. Their kids well out of harm's way at a remote boarding school, Don and Alice's outlook for the future is decidedly bright until all hell breaks loose in the country and Don just barely manages to escape the clutches of the infected. The joy of later seeing his son Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton) and daughter Tammy (Imogen Poots) as repopulation efforts get underway in London is short-lived, however, when an innocent bid to reconnect with the past sets into motion a tragic series of events. Now, just as society struggles to sort through the rubble and rebuild London from the ground up, the virus that nearly destroyed a nation strikes back with a vengeance. Jeremy Renner, Rose Byrne, and Harold Perrineau, Jr. co-star in the frightful sequel, which highlights the dangers of declaring victory in the calm before the storm. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Review

The infected are back, and with them the core creative forces behind the surprise international hit 28 Days Later, as director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo picks up the torch originally sparked by Danny Boyle to offer a true rarity in the world of horror sequels -- a film that nearly eclipses its predecessor on all counts. While die-hard Boyle fans may initially balk at this sequel due to the fact that the visionary director opted not to reprise his role at the helm, a quick glance at the credits reveals that not only did he remain onboard as executive producer, but original producer Andrew Macdonald, original writer Alex Garland, original editor Chris Gill, and even original composer John Murphy -- whose swelling score effectively drives home the emotion of the smaller, quieter moments while seamlessly sweeping the viewer up in the action scenes -- all saw fit to remain on board in order to keep the machine running smoothly. Throw into the mix a promising young director whose debut feature Intacto drew impressive reviews from international critics, and you have the perfect recipe for a sequel that impressively maintains the aesthetics and intimate feel of the original while subtly expanding on the mythology in a manner that, while impossible to discuss without resorting to spoilers, feels both fluid and organic. Most fans of the original will admit that while they do indeed like the film it does have its fair share of problems -- a reality that Boyle himself seemed to acknowledge while laughingly dismissing some of his more far-fetched ideas in the DVD extras -- and though the sequel too has a handful of eyebrow-raising issues, the overall result is a thinking person's "zombie apocalypse" flick that maintains an impressive emotional core while never losing sight of its genre roots.

As a filmmaker Fresnadillo's abilities may not yet be honed to the fine point that Boyle's were by the time he took on the infected, though for his sophomore outing the Goya-winning director does display an impressive ability to conjure convincing performances from his players; Robert Carlyle in particular hits all the right notes as a survivor of the original outbreak whose fate is sealed by a particularly reprehensible act of cowardice, with Mackintosh Muggleton and Imogen Poots always convincing as his skeptical and fiercely independent children. Whereas Fresnadillo could be accused of relying too much on the eye-straining grand mal school of camera jostling when things take a turn for the worst and the infection reemerges, it's hard to argue that the technique effectively conveys the chaos that characters trapped between trigger-happy snipers and teeth-gnashing ragers would be feeling as bullets whizzed by their heads and adrenaline-fueled cannibals storm the streets killing anything that moves. Even when his technique is more restrained, however, Fresnadillo's uncanny ability to make viewer believe they have a grasp on the situation before pulling back to reveal that things aren't quite what they seem goes a long way in driving home the disorienting volatility of such an explosive scenario. In terms of screenwriting Fresnadillo (along with collaborators Enrique Lopez Lavigne, Jesus Olmo, and Rowan Joffe) do occasionally rely too much on exposition, though that fairly minor shortcoming is ultimately offset by the creation of characters that are identifiable and sympathetic, and unrelentingly tense situations that truly fray the nerves. Ever since Night of the Living Dead "zombie apocalypse" films have been rife with political subtext, and while it will be clear to many precisely what the screenwriters are getting at when the new arrivals pull into an eerily quiet London where U.S. soldiers stand at the ready on every street corner, 28 Weeks Later refuses to go for the obvious. The military forces in charge of reestablishing society more aren't evil, self-serving occupiers as much as they are inept, well-intending protectors who are ultimately consumed by a situation they just can't wrap their heads around. The subtle commentary on life within a "surveillance society," while never really explored in such detail, also provides compelling food for thought.

In the end 28 Weeks Later is a film that's likely to be as polarizing for many viewers as it's predecessor was due to its outspoken politics and unique experimentation with genre standards, yet for those seeking out a stripped down summer frightener that doesn't take three hours to make its point, impressively expands on the ideas of the original while upping the scale and terror ante, and actually attempts to stimulate thought rather than insulting the viewer's intelligence, there's quite a bit to like about this vicious little summer screamer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Cast

Mackintosh Muggleton - Andy; Imogen Poots - Tammy; Idris Elba - Gen. Stone; Emily Beecham - Karen; Shahid Ahmed - Jacob; Garfield Morgan - Geoff

Credit

Dennis Schnegg - Art Director, Patrick Rolfe - Supervising Art Director, Shaheen Baig - Casting, Bernard Bellew - Co-producer, Bernard Murphy - Co-producer, Jane Petrie - Costume Designer, Toby Ford - First Assistant Director, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo - Director, Masahiro Hirakubo - Editor, Chris Gill - Editor, Danny Boyle - Executive Producer, Alex Garland - Executive Producer, John Murphy - Composer (Music Score), Konnie Daniel - Makeup, Dave Bonneywell - Makeup Special Effects, Anthony Parker - Makeup Special Effects, Mark Tildesley - Production Designer, Enrique Chediak - Cinematographer, Andrew Macdonald - Producer, Enrique Lopez Lavigne - Producer, Allon Reich - Producer, Enrique Lopez-Lavigne - Producer, Glenn Freemantle - Sound/Sound Designer, Simon Hayes - Sound/Sound Designer, Enrique Lopez Lavigne - Screenwriter, Rowan Joffe - Screenwriter, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo - Screenwriter, Jesus Olmo - Screenwriter, E.L. Lavigne - Screenwriter, Sean Mathiesen - Visual Effects Supervisor, Framestore - Digital Effects, Animal Logic Film - Digital Effects, The Mill - Digital Effects, Rising Sun Pictures - Digital Effects, Prime Focus - Digital Effects, Rainmaker Animation and Visual Effects UK - Digital Effects, Senate Visual Effects - Digital Effects, Rushes Post Production - Digital Effects, LipSync Post - Digital Effects, Chocolate Lab - Digital Effects

Similar Movies

Land of the Dead; Invasion of the Body Snatchers; I Am Legend; The Return of the Living Dead; Doomsday
Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
Wikipedia: 28 Weeks Later
Top
28 Weeks Later

UK Promotional film poster
Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Produced by Andrew Macdonald
Allon Reich
Enrique Lopez-Lavigne
Co-Producer:
Bernard Bellew
Executive Producer:
Danny Boyle
Alex Garland
Written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Enrique Lopez-Lavigne
Rowan Joffe
Jesús Olmo
Starring Robert Carlyle
Rose Byrne
Jeremy Renner
Catherine McCormack
Imogen Poots
Mackintosh Muggleton
Harold Perrineau
Idris Elba
Music by John Murphy
Cinematography Enrique Chediak
Editing by Chris Gill
Studio Fox Atomic
DNA Films
UK Film Council
Figment Films
Sociedad General de Cine (SOGECINE) S.A.
Koan Films
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) 11 May 2007 (UK, US)
Running time 100 min.
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget 15,000,000
Gross revenue $64,227,835

£32,113,424

(worldwide)
Preceded by 28 Days Later

28 Weeks Later is a 2007 British post-apocalyptic horror film, and sequel to the 2002 film 28 Days Later. The film was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, and was released in the United Kingdom and in the United States on 11 May 2007. It was mostly filmed in London, England with some scenes also being filmed in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.[1]

Contents

Plot

Don (Robert Carlyle) and his wife Alice (Catherine McCormack) prepare dinner in the heavily-reinforced cottage they share with four others, somewhere in rural Great Britain. During their meal a boy bangs on the door, begging to be let in. After arguing amongst themselves Don lets the child inside, who says he is from Sandford and has been fleeing his infected parents. Moments later, a pack of the infected attack and enter the house, quickly overwhelming the group. Alice refuses to leave without the boy; Don abandons Alice and escapes in a boat, emerging as the sole survivour.

Over the course of 28 weeks following the original outbreak, the infected have all starved to death, Britain has been declared relatively safe, and re-population has begun.

An American-led NATO force, under the command of United States Army Brigadier General Stone (Idris Elba), begins repopulating the country with both old and new residents. The chief medical officer of District 1, Major Scarlet Ross (Rose Byrne), is surprised by the inclusion of adolescents and children, amongst whom are Tammy (Imogen Poots) and Andy (Mackintosh Muggleton), Don and Alice's children who were in Spain during the initial outbreak.

At 12 years old, Andy is the youngest person in Britain, and during their subsequent medical inspection, Scarlet notes Andy's differently coloured eyes (heterochromia iridis), a trait he has inherited from his mother. Andy and Tammy are subsequently admitted to District 1, a heavily-reinforced, fully functional section of London on the Isle of Dogs guarded by the US Army, including a detachment from Special Forces Operations Detachment-Delta acting as a rooftop observation team. With them are a Special Forces sergeant, Doyle (Jeremy Renner), and an 160th Special Forces Operation Detachment helicopter pilot, Flynn (Harold Perrineau). The children are reunited with their father Don, who is now head caretaker of the district. Don tearfully recounts his escape to them, saying that Alice was killed by the infected, but states that he witnessed Alice's death to hide the fact that he abandoned her.

The next day the two children slip out of the safe zone to return to their old home, where Andy discovers Alice, disheveled but alive. Andy and Tammy are recaptured by the US Army while Alice is decontaminated. A blood test reveals that she is infected with the Rage virus but displaying few symptoms, labeling her an asymptomatic carrier. Though Scarlet wants to keep Alice alive to seek a possible vaccine or cure, she is overruled by Stone, who wants Alice killed to prevent a possible further outbreak of Rage.

Don visits his children in a holding room, where they confront him about his version of Alice's death. He then makes an unauthorized visit to Alice in her isolation cell, using his caretaker passcard to bypass security, and asks for forgiveness. When they kiss, the Rage virus in her saliva immediately infects Don, who brutally kills her and goes on to attack and infect soldiers in District 1.

The outbreak forces the area into lockdown. All the civilians are quarantined in safe rooms, which Don forces his way into, and begins to infect them. Scarlet manages to rescue Tammy from containment but Andy gets separated from the group. Doyle and the soldiers are initially ordered to shoot the infected, but as the chaos escalates this is upgraded to a "Code Red": a general extermination of the populace. Doyle, unable to bring himself to comply with the order, abandons his post and escapes with Scarlet, the children, and others through an underground tunnel. Stone then orders that District 1 be fire-bombed. Although this causes massive devastation, large numbers of the infected, including Don, escape the bombardment and occupy the city.

Hoping to rendezvous with Flynn's helicopter at the derelict remains of Regent's Park, Scarlet informs Doyle that the children may have the same immunity as their mother, and must thus be protected at all costs. Flynn arrives by helicopter to pick up Doyle, but refuses to take anyone else as they would be shot down if in breach of the Code Red protocol.

Flynn tells Doyle to head to Wembley Stadium but to leave the civilians. Ignoring the former's instruction, Doyle heads to Wembley with the group, breaking into an abandoned car to escape the infected while chemical weapons are being used to blanket the city. In the process of push starting the car, Doyle is killed by soldiers with flamethrowers. Now pursued by an Apache helicopter, Scarlet drives into the London Underground where she and the children continue on foot. Although they are able to navigate using the night sight on Doyle's rifle the group become separated, whereupon Scarlet is ambushed and killed by Don. Don then attacks and bites Andy, but is shot by Tammy before Don can kill Andy. Although now infected with the Rage virus, Andy remains symptom-free like his mother. The children continue to Wembley Stadium and are picked up by a reluctant Flynn, who flies them across the English Channel to France as previously instructed by Doyle.

Another 28 days pass. Calls for help and people's screams can be heard over the radio of Flynn’s now abandoned helicopter, along with a note with the words, "For Dad," drawn in crayon on it. A swarm of Infected are shown running through a subway exit. As they arrive in the open, the Eiffel Tower comes into view, revealing that the Rage virus has spread to mainland Europe.

Cast

Actor Role
Robert Carlyle Don Harris
Jeremy Renner Doyle
Rose Byrne Major Scarlet Ross
Imogen Poots Tammy Harris
Mackintosh Muggleton Andy Harris
Catherine McCormack Alice Harris
Harold Perrineau Flynn
Shahid Ahmed Jacob
Emily Beecham Karen
Garfield Morgan Geoff
Amanda Walker Sally
Idris Elba Brigadier General Stone

Production

Pre-production

We were quite taken aback by the phenomenal success of the first film, particularly in America. We saw an opportunity to make a second film that already had a built in audience. We thought it would be a great idea to try and satisfy that audience again.
Danny Boyle on 28 Weeks Later., [2]

In 2003, plans for the film were conceived after the enormous international success of 28 Days Later. Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald and Alex Garland stated that they felt the time was right to make a sequel.[2]

In March 2005, Boyle said in an interview that he would not direct the sequel due to commitments to Sunshine, but he would serve as executive producer. He also revealed that the film would revolve around a great deal of the aftermath from the first movie.[3] It was also revealed that the film would include the "US Army declaring the war against infection had been won, and that the reconstruction of the country could begin."[4] Boyle hired Juan Carlos Fresnadillo to helm the project after seeing Fresnadillo's 2001 film Intacto.[5] Fresnadillo stated that he was "thrilled working on his first English language film alongside such an exciting international cast and talented production team."[6]

Both Fresnadillo and Lopez-Lavigne were involved in writing the script, which revolved around a family and what happened to them in the aftermath of the original film, which the producers "liked a lot".[7]

Casting details

Boyle said in March 2005 that the sequel would feature a new cast, since previous cast members Cillian Murphy and Naomie Harris were occupied with their own projects.[3] On 23 August 2006, Jeremy Renner was announced to portray Doyle, one of the principal characters for 28 Weeks Later.[8] On 31 August 2006, Harold Perrineau was announced to portray a US Special Forces pilot in the film.[9]

Filming

On 1 September 2006, principal photography for 28 Weeks Later began in London[10] with much of the filming taking place at Canary Wharf.[11]

Promotion

US theatrical release poster

Biohazard warning

On 13 April 2007, 28 days before the release of the film in UK cinemas, a huge biohazard warning sign was projected against the White Cliffs of Dover.[12] The sign contained the international biological hazard symbol, as well as stating that Britain was "contaminated, keep out!".

Graphic novel

In July 2006, Fox Atomic Comics and publisher HarperCollins announced that they were publishing a graphic novel titled 28 Days Later: The Aftermath in early 2007 to bridge the gap between 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later.[13]

Viral advertising

Removable graffiti was sprayed in locations around London and Birmingham featuring the web address 'ragevirus.com'. However, the web address was found to be unregistered and quickly snapped up by a cybersquatter. The advertising agency who made the mistake agreed to purchase the rights to the domain for an undisclosed sum.[14]

Prop giveaway

In April 2007, Bloody-Disgusting.com promoted the film by giving readers a chance to win a prop from the film. The props were included in a "District 1 Welcome Pack”, which featured an actual ID card and an Evening Standard newspaper with an evacuation headline. The giveaway was only open for North American residents and entries closed on 9 May 2007.[15]

Reception

The film opened in 2,000 cinemas across the United States.[16] Like the previous film, 28 Weeks Later garnered generally positive reviews. [17] View London called the film an "exciting, action-packed and superbly directed thriller that more than lives up to the original film"[18]. The New York Times wrote that "28 Weeks Later is brutal and almost exhaustingly terrifying. It is also bracingly smart, both in its ideas and in its techniques",[19] as well as "best horror film of the year".[20] The film has generated a rating of 71% on Rotten Tomatoes with 98 positive reviews and 42 negative ones.[21] The film made $9.8 million in its opening weekend, coming in second place at the box office, behind Spider-Man 3. The film has grossed $28,638,916 in the U.S. and $35,586,549 in other countries, bringing the worldwide total to $64,225,465.[22]

About 1,327,461 DVD units have been sold, gathering a revenue of $24,222,064 as of 2009.[23] The film has been released as its own DVD and as a double feature with 28 Days Later.

Possible sequel

Well, I didn't want to do the second one, because I was involved in Sunshine. But I went out and I helped them [with 28 Weeks Later]. I did some second-unit shooting on it. And I really enjoyed it, actually. There's something about doing something trashy that's great. Where basically you just come in the door and you just kill them. That was rather refreshing.
Danny Boyle on directing., [24]

In June 2007, it was announced that if DVD sales of the film did well Fox Atomic would consider producing the third film.[25] In July 2007, while promoting Sunshine, Boyle revealed that he has a story formulating for the next film. "There is an idea for the next one, something which would move [the story] on. I've got to think about it, whether it's right or not." Boyle also revealed that he would return as the director.[24]

In October 2008, Boyle discussed with KarmaLoopTV the high possibility of a 28 Months Later.[26] As of November 2009, the movie website IMDB lists 28 Months Later as having a release date of 2011.[27]

Soundtrack

The trailer for this film featured the song "Want" by Witchman. "Shrinking Universe" by Muse (from the Hullabaloo Soundtrack album) was used in the second part of the trailer.

References

  1. ^ ""This is London - 28 Weeks Later"". http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/showbiz/article-23393642-details/London,+four+years+after+28+days+later/article.do. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  2. ^ a b "28 Weeks Later planned". Rotten Tomatoes. 2007-07-17. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_weeks_later/about.php. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  3. ^ a b "Boyle Talks 28 Days Sequel". Sci Fi Wire. 2005-03-14. http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue412/news.html. Retrieved 2006-09-01. 
  4. ^ "28 Weeks Later Plot Revealed". Coming Soon. 2006-10-01. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=16316. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  5. ^ "28 Weeks Later Director Hired". Rotten Tomatoes. 2007-07-17. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_weeks_later/about.php. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  6. ^ "28 Weeks Later Director Speaks". Coming Soon. 2006-10-01. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=16316. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  7. ^ "28 Weeks Later Script Approvied". Rotten Tomatoes. 2007-07-17. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_weeks_later/about.php. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  8. ^ Gardner, Chris (2006-08-23). "'Later' leading man". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117948922?categoryid=13&cs=1. Retrieved 2006-09-01. 
  9. ^ Crabtree, Sheigh (2006-08-31). "Perrineau hits a triple on film side". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/film/brief_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003085620. Retrieved 2006-09-01. 
  10. ^ "28 months Later". http://comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=16316. 
  11. ^ "28 British Waterways' Film Map: Canals and rivers on screen". http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-articles/films. 
  12. ^ News, BBC (2007-04-13). "'Biohazard' image on Dover cliffs". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6553503.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-04. 
  13. ^ Roston, Sandee (2006-07-19). "HarperCollins Publishers and Fox Atomic Announce Graphic Novel Publishing Imprint". http://www.harpercollins.com/footer/release.aspx?id=474&year=2006. Retrieved 2006-10-02. 
  14. ^ B3ta Newsletter 274
  15. ^ Roston, Sandee (2006-07-19). "Bloody-Disgusting Prop Giveaway". http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/8701. Retrieved 2007-07-17. 
  16. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes". 2007-05-11. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=419864. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
  17. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes". 2007-05-12. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=419864. Retrieved 2007-05-12. 
  18. ^ "View London". 2007-05-11. http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/review_3247.html. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
  19. ^ "New York Times". 2007-05-11. http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html&OQ=_rQ3D2Q26title1Q3D28Q2520WeeksQ2520LaterQ2520Q2528MovieQ2529Q26title2Q3D28Q2520WeeksQ2520LaterQ2520Q2528MovieQ2529Q26reviewerQ3DAQ252eQ2520OQ252eQ2520ScottQ26pdateQ3D20070511Q26v_idQ3D355446Q26partnerQ3DRottenQ2520TomatoesQ26orefQ3Dslogin&OP=1aaf792dQ2FQ2AAKeQ2AqQ5EiKQ5CnQ20Q2AZiVQ5C!!qGQ2A!fsiKZiKnQ2AQ20sEQ5EKqQ27GxxQ2FQ2AfKEQ5EKAQ23MiQ20P. Retrieved 2007-05-11. 
  20. ^ S l a s h e r p o o l . c o m
  21. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes". 2007-05-12. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/28_weeks_later/. Retrieved 2007-05-12. 
  22. ^ "28 Weeks Later at Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=28weekslater.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-30. 
  23. ^ http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2007/28WLT-DVD.php
  24. ^ a b "MTV". 2007-07-16. http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1564535/20070711/story.jhtml. Retrieved 2007-07-16. 
  25. ^ "Bloody Disgusting". 2007-06-27. http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/9228. Retrieved 2007-07-16. 
  26. ^ "Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire Director". Karmalooptv. 2007. http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1287040724/bclid1295326981/bctid1904707071. Retrieved 2009-04-08. 
  27. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1322885/

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Movies. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "28 Weeks Later" Read more