Synopsis

Six months after the rage virus has annihilated the British Isles, the US Army declares that the war against the deadly infection has been won. All those previously infected have died due to starvation, Britain is now disease-free and reconstruction of the country can begin. Under the strict supervision of the US Military, the first wave of refugees is allowed back into the city. Don, who lost his wife during the original infection, has been given the reponsibilty of building supervisor. He finds himself reunited with his children Andy and Tammy. All seems under control until a new carrier of the virus makes their way within the quarantined area. As the only living specimen, they have become a vital tool to the scientists who hope to learn from their discovery. Medical Officer Scarlet believes that the persons genertic immunity should be tapped. Unfortunately it's too late. The virus is about to spread again.

What The Critics Say

"28 Weeks Later, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo (Intacto), is blistering and nihilistic—a vision to reduce you to a puddle of despair. The prologue plays like the film’s predecessor distilled into a few ferocious minutes: dark, boarded-up farmhouse of survivors; malignant daylight as zombies break through doors and windows; and the rocking, pixelated frenzy of snarls and blazing eyes and showers of blood. These are not Romero’s loping dead, who now seem rather quaint. Is the movie a classic? I don’t think so, but it’s terrifying, and a necessary gross-out." David Edelstein NEW YORK MAGAZINE "Spanish filmmaker Fresnadillo (Intacto) takes the bracing originality of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's uneven "28 Days Later" and generates one of the most exciting action thrillers in years. It's even better than the first film, generating more consistent characters and keeping us thoroughly entertained from grisly start to creep-out finish. The cast is very good, even if they don't have much to do as far as character development is concerned. Most intriguing are Byrne and Renner as officials caught between their ruthless orders and their internal compassion (yes, the political undertone is unambiguous). Meanwhile, Carlyle is a terrific bundle of energy from start to finish." Rich Cline SHADOWS ON THE WALL "Four years after "Mission Accomplished," 28 Weeks Later reminds us that the mission, whatever the hell it was to begin with, is now officially, apocalyptically fucked. Fresnadillo has a fine sense of scale, shifting from a God's-eye perspective of mushrooming chaos to subjective, street-level reportage, and an uncompromising commitment to unrelenting dread." Nathan Lee THE VILLAGE VOICE

"No less gut wrenching than its take no prisoners Danny Boyle sci-fi panic spree "28 Days Later", the followup disease devour-fest "28 Weeks Later" is predicated on the greatest dread summoned from the most familiar fears all around us. A toxic fusion of worst case scenario environmental hazards gone out of control and contemporary social crisis, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's "28 Weeks Later" also takes heed of lethal psychological tendencies potentially poised to erupt just beneath the veneer of civilization. Truly disturbing hard edge heavy metal laced scenes, however simulated, of the mass slaughter by military helicopter gunships of a mix of healthy and infected fleeing humans by their own government, really confounds as to who the actual monsters may be." Prairie Miller LONG ISLAND PRESS "28 Weeks Later starts, as you'd expect, 28 weeks after the initial outbreak, when all the Infected have died due to starvation and Britain is now disease-free. The US Military is moving in to reconstruct the island and have started to bring civilians in as well. The original movie was directed by Danny Boyle, UK director-supreme ... he served as executive producer on this film, which was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who tries to mimic Boyle's bleak, drab UK-style to give the same sense of futility and desperation. Within minutes of the film opening, we are treated/subjected to one of the most gripping, heartwrenching sequences to have graced a horror film, including the wicked opening of the Dawn of the Dead remake. Robert Carlyle plays an incredible role as a survivor who manages to outlast the Infection." 20/20 FILMSIGHT "The whole "28 Days Later" phenom gets a classy makeover -- and the birth of a potentially endless franchise -- in "28 Weeks Later," a full-bore zombie romp that more than delivers the genre goods. Helmed by Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who debuted with the impressive 2001 fantasy thriller "Intacto". Production design makes inventive use of existing locations, and visual effects are just fine, with a unfussy snap and crackle. High-gore quotient makes this not for fainthearted auds, though there's a straight-faced humor to all the bloodletting that finally breaks the surface in the pic's witty coda." Derek Elley VARIETY

The Inside Story Four years after the enormous international success of "28 Days Later", the director/producer/writer team of Danny Boyle, Andrew Macdonald and Alex Garland felt the time was right to make a sequel. "We were quite taken aback by the phenomenal success of the first film, particularly in America," recalls producer Andrew Macdonald. "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. The hard bit was to try and find a story which would live up to the power and depth that Danny and Alex brought to the first film." But making a sequel posed some questions for the filmmakers and they would have to be answered before they could even get off the ground. Questions such as: Should the film involve the original cast? Should it go further into the future? Should it be a prequel? "Alex came up with a lot of ideas and eventually we agreed upon a concept about what would happen to the UK after the disease had been eradicated and the quarantine was lifted," explains Macdonald. "What would happen if there were only five hundred people populating the UK? Who would be there to organize the survivors and refugees coming back from overseas, and what would happen to the Brits who survived? All those questions seemed interesting to us and it was out of them that the story evolved." Screenwriter Rowan Joffe ("Gas Attack" and "Last Resort"), was hired to craft a first draft of the script. With Joffe working on the script, the team went in search of a talented, young director. "We were looking for a filmmaker of some individuality who could bring something different to the film," says Boyle. "London was such a big part of the first film we thought that getting somebody from outside the UK to come in and direct would be an interesting approach as they would give the Capital a fresh look." As luck would have it, Boyle had recently seen "Intacto", the feature film debut from Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. He recommended Macdonald and Garland check it out. After seeing Intacto Macdonald and Garland were as convinced as Boyle that Fresnadillo was the man for the job. He came with a bonus. His producing partner Enrique López-Lavigne. "Juan Carlos and López-Lavigne, they're a fantastic double act. Juan Carlos is very thoughtful, very much about the detail," producer Allon Reich explained. "While Enrique is a ball of energy, a film geek, and he’s seen every film of this type. And I think there's definitely a yin and yang in their energy, and the way they approach life that leads to a very kind of a creative whole." As it turns out, Fresnadillo was a big fan of "28 Days Later". He and López-Lavigne with the help of Spanish screenwriter Jesus Olmo joined Joffe on the script. "I'm a big fan of "28 Days Later". It was such a big honor to receive the invitation to direct the second film, but at the same time it was something really scary. I didn’t understand what I could do, you know, to improve on the first one or to follow that landscape," says Fresnadillo. "But DNA chased me for one or two months and from the first time we met I was very comfortable with them, because they were open to my ideas." The story they came up with was centred around a family and what happened to them in the aftermath of the original film. "The family was a good idea for us, and we wanted to develop this into something. But there is always a problem with this kind of structure in which you are looking at the new world through four different eyes, instead of one. That's why we had to find a really strong concept for the actual storyline. And what we came up with is a storyline, that we really believe; it’s about the idea that no one is unaffected from his past," López-Lavigne explained. "We worked on the screenplay for almost one year, and at the end we reached a screenplay that I really love. But I was concerned about if the producers were going to like it because it was very special and different from the first one. Obviously following the same landscape and the same situation about this apocalyptic vision of the world, but to my surprise they liked it a lot", Fresnadillo recalls. Now it was time to cast the film. Well known internationally for his outstanding performance in "The Full Monty" and "Trainspotting", Scottish actor Robert Carlyle was approached to play the pivitol role of Don. "We felt that Bobby was the kind of actor we needed to really hold the film together and give it strength", says Macdonald. "Bobby is just such class", adds Boyle. "The standards he internally sets for himself in his work are so high you know he will always deliver a performance of a certain standard. You know the film is going to deliver on an intense personal level." But Carlyle, a fan of the first film, had his reservations. "I was kind of worried at first because the first film was very good, so I was hoping that it was going to live up to it. But then there were a couple of moments in the script, in which I thought, actually, this is brilliant." Fresnadillo turned to renowned actress Catherine McCormack to play the role of Don's wife Alice. "Catherine McCormack, the actress who plays the mother in the story, it was a kind of love at first site," says the director. "I watched all her movies, and thought she was amazing. Her role is limited, so we needed somebody who you can’t forget as an audience. Catherine, played the role very well. The way she played in the story is, in my view, absolutely astonishing. She’s a menace, but at the same time she is a mother and I think Catherine played both sides, and introduced something into the story that was really real, really honest." While not a fan of horror films, McCormack had seen "28 Days Later". "I thought it was really edgy and innovative and had a real energy to it. That alone made me more than interested. On top of that I had seen Intacto and thought it was stunning. I was very excited to meet Juan Carlos," McCormack said. On working with Robert Carlyle? "Bobby is a wonderful actor. I have been a fan of his work for a long time. He is just the nicest, kindest and most intelligent man and I hold him in very high regard. It’s been a real pleasure working with him." Mackintosh Muggleton was selected from over six hundred children to play the part of Don and Alices son Andy. "I was amazed that they picked me out of all the other children", explains Muggleton. "I thought it was all going to fame and glamour but realize now that it is about ninety seven per cent hard work and only three percent fame and glamour. Juan Carlos has been very helpful and very nice to me and I have really enjoyed working on the film." Newcomer, seventeen year old Imogen Poots was cast for the role of daughter, Tammy. "We saw hundreds of girls before we met Imogen, who had had a small part in "V for Vendetta" and was put forward by her agent. As soon as we saw her we were in no doubt there was nobody better suited for the part," says Macdonald. "She was absolutely terrific in her audition and had in her that inner strength we were looking for. An inner strength to make the audience believe she could lead Andy to safety." Poots loved Tammy’s character and was overwhelmed to get the role. "I thought the script was very exciting and intense and I was so grateful for the opportunity to audition", she said. Australian actress Rose Byrne plays Medical Officer Scarlet. "We thought Rose would be absolutely fantastic for the role of Scarlet. She was brilliant to work with on Sunshine and she can immerse herself in any role. She completely transforms herself into the character the moment the camera turns over. We were very lucky to get her again," says Macdonald. "My character is a military doctor and she is stationed with the American army as they quarantine Britain. She is very assertive and smart, but she is also a bit of a renegade in terms of defying the army and the codes," explains Byrne. "I really enjoyed this kind of genre film. I love horror I remember begging my mum for me to rent out Nightmare On Elm Street when it came onto video when I was about 12. I have also always loved Halloween, Fright Night and Friday the 13th." For the casting of the infected, Movement specialist, actor, dancer, and gymnast Paul Kasey auditioned actors and performers with movement backgrounds ranging from gymnasts, dancers, actors, mime artists and circus performers. From those auditions Fresnadillo chose his sixty performers who were then invited back to attend a workshop with Kasey. "The workshop was to create the infected behaviors so that everyone understood the movement behind the performance so it was consistent," explains Kasey. "It was a fantastic day as everyone was so enthusiastic. As each person got what the performance was about I had to hold them back, their rage was becoming so powerful and so crazed. It was pretty scary to be opposite sixty people who were infected." But not as scary as sitting in a dark city and watching them on a bloddthirsty rampage, Kasey! The Verdict "Frantic! Phrenetic! Frenzied! Confronting! "28 Weeks Later" is a film about consequences. The consequence of man's stupidity. The consequence stemming from our failure to secure the environment. The shortcomings within humanity that ensure sooner or later, no matter how far advanced the human race becomes, scientifically and technically, we eventually fuck-up big time. There is nothing pretty about "28 Weeks Later". It is bloody! It is gorey! It is sobering! Worst of all, it is a senario that one day, may just come to fruition. "28 Weeks Later" is a confronting, fascinating, bloodfest in which no-one is spared. Like it's predecessor "28 Days Later" it is very much 'in your face' action made horribly realistic by superb camera work, excellent makeup effects and a soul-rocking soundtrack. If you can handle the sight of virus infected 'zombies' gorging themselves on their hapless, helpless, terrified victims, then you'll want to see this extremely well done sequel. If by chance you haven't seen the original, don't worry. The opening segment and early dialogue will fill enough gaps. Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "28 WEEKS LATER" stars .......
Robert Carlyle ["Angela's Ashes", "The Beach", "Black and White" and "Eragon"] Rose Byrne ["I Capture the Castle", "The Rage In Placid Lake", "Wicker Park" and "Sunshine"]; Jeremy Renner ["Fish in a Barrel", "S.W.A.T." and "North Country"]; Harold Perrineau ["Romeo + Juliet", "Woman on Top", "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions"]; Catherine McCormack ["Braveheart", "Shadow of the Vampire", "A Rumour Of Angels" and "The Moon and the Stars"], Amanda Walker ["A Room with a View", "The English Patient" and "Wimbledon"] and Idris Elba ["Spiders and Flies", "Behind the Mask", "Sorted" and "Buffalo Soldiers"] as General Stone.
"28 WEEKS LATER" was .......
directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo ["Linked", "Intacto" and "Psicotaxi"]; production design by Mark Tildesley ["28 Days Later", "Millions", "The Constant Gardener", and "Sunshine"]; costume design by Jane Petrie ["Captain Corelli's Mandolin", "Gosford Park", "Vera Drake" and "The Constant Gardener"]; cinematography by Enrique Chediak ["Remembering Sex", "Songcatcher", "The Safety of Objects" and "The Good Girl"]; original music by John Murphy ["All About the Benjamins", "Millions", "Miami Vice" and "Sunshine"] executive produced by Danny Boyle [Directed: "The Beach", "28 Days Later", "Millions" and "Sunshine"] and Alex Garland [writer of: "The Beach", "28 Days Later" and "Sunshine"]. Who's Who?

Rose Byrne Jeremy Renner Harold Perrineau Catherine McCormack Mackintosh Muggleton Idris Elba Imogen Poots Shahid Ahmed Stewart Alexander Emily Beecham Philip Bulcock Robert Carlyle Thomas Garvey William Meredith Garfield Morgan Meghan Popiel Matt Reeves Philip Scott Kish Sharma Jane Thorne Amanda Walker Raymond Waring

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Scarlet Sgt Doyle Flynn Alice Andy General Stone Tammy Jacob Military Officer Karen Senior Med Officer Don Major (Bunker) Medical Officer Geoff Soldier DLR Train Soldier (Bunker) Jason Man (Depot) Woman (Depot) Sally Receptionist

Run Time 100 minutes Rated MA 15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Fox Atomic - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.