28 Days Later's 4 Different Endings Explained (And Which One Is Canonical for 28 Years Later)

28 days later is undoubtedly one of the best zombie movies of all time, but it could have had a total of four different endings. Although the film does not involve the dead coming back to life 28 days later is generally considered a zombie film as it has many tropes found in the zombie apocalypse genre. Still, while many zombie films have a large cast, one of the strengths of 28 days later is its minimal cast and character-driven plot. The story revolves around Selena, Hannah and Jim, who woke up from a coma to find the world destroyed.

28 days laterinspired by Ebola”rabies virus“is the agent of the apocalypse. It is a laboratory-created disease that transforms normal human beings into furious, animalistic creatures. That said, the film's most disturbing moments come from the fact that the human survivors can often be more brutal than the infected people, known as “The infected.” Jim discovers this, to his horror, when he discovers that the film's military antagonists have a dark secret. This results in him being shot and left fighting for his life. Major West's betrayal sets up three of 28 days laterIt has four different endings.

28 Days Later had three alternative endings

Theatrical ending mirrors the first scene of 28 Days Later

28 days later kept the audience guessing Jim's fate for some time. After he is shot, the screen disappears, suggesting for a moment that the film will end on a cliffhanger. Fortunately for the public, this is not the case. The caption “28 days later” appears on screen, and clips immediately after the shooting show Selena trying to resuscitate him. Jim then wakes up in bed before running out of the house to join Selena and Hannah in trying to attract the attention of a passing aircraft. Meanwhile The ending was well received, Danny Boyle considered three other endings.

It's a common saying that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. The theatrical final scene begins with several flashes of Jim's life and an ominous inverted shot of the word “HELL.” Jim wakes up in bed scared at the beginning of the film, and the ending reflects this in a different bed. This directive choice gave viewers a few more moments of ambiguity before it became clear that Jim survived. 28 days later used clips from this scene in two of its other alternate endingswhere Jim's fate is not so rosy.

Jim did not survive the climax of 28 Days Later in two endings

The 28 Days Later Freeze Frame Ending Wasn't Danny Boyle's Choice

Danny Boyle filmed two of 28 days lateralternative endings and did the storyboard for a third party. Two of the endings make it clear that Jim did not survive. Boyle filmed his original harrowing ending at the hospital, where Selena and Hannah, still in the red dresses the soldiers put them in, fight desperately to save Jim's life. Hannah calls the medicines for Selena, who was a chemist. Regardless, Jim dies on the operating table, and this ending is now known as “…and if?” ending. Boyle also filmed a much more ambiguous version, which was not his original plan.

28 days lateris”freeze frame“The alternative ending was not Danny Boyle's original choice. 28 days later it was filmed on a surprisingly low budget of just $8 million, and just as he was trying to finish the film, Boyle ran out of money. The ambiguous freeze frame ending was his solution. The action stopped when Hannah drove the taxi through the gates. Happily, when the producer and Boyle showed the final freeze frame to the studio, they received more money so that 28 days later It could have a proper ending.

The Dark Reason Audiences Didn't Like the Original Ending of 28 Days Later

Frank's infection is one of the most tragic moments 28 Days Later

28 days later is one of the darkest and most tragic zombie apocalypse films ever madeand it gets more and more disturbing. The audience is dealt several blows in quick succession, with Frank becoming infected just as salvation appears in sight, then Major West betraying Jim's group, and finally Jim being shot. Test audiences saw the original ending as hopeless, with Selena and Hannah heading towards their deaths. This was much darker than intended, and Danny Boyle made a controversial change to the ending, allowing Jim to survive. Likewise, the storyboard ending saved a different character's life.

28 years later may not be able to overcome 28 days laterThe most disturbing scene, in which Major West reveals that he sent a false message of salvation to attract women. That being said, 28 days later There is another tragic moment that shocked its audience. Frank becomes infected when a drop of blood falls into his eye, and within seconds he goes from a loving father to a snarling, clothes-ripping monster. This is one of the most tragic moments in the film, and when 28 days laterThe storyboard's alternate ending departed from the theatrical story.

28 Days Later We Almost Had a Wild Third Act

Danny Boyle scrapped the radical alternative ending because it didn't work

Boyle storyboarded a final act for 28 days later which was drastically different from the theatrical version. 28 days lateris”Radical Alternative“The ending replaced the disturbing military scenes with another horrific moment. In the final alternate ending, Jim knocks out the infected Frank and takes him to a laboratory. Hidden here is a scientist, who reveals that a complete blood transfusion will cure the rabies virus Jim sacrifices himself to give Hannah his father back, and after transferring his blood to Frank, Jim is left to die in the lab.

The radical alternative ending to 28 days later It would have been tragic, despite allowing Frank to live, but Danny Boyle decided not to use him once he finished the storyboard. The alternate endings were included as bonus material on the DVD, where Boyle explained why he changed it in a commentary. It was already established that the rabies virus was so contagious that just one drop could infect you. This would make a blood transfusion too simple and an unrealistic response.

Which ending of 28 Days Later is the Canon for 28 Years Later?

It's possible that 28 years later it will reveal what happened to Selena and Hannah

The plot for 28 years later was kept under wraps, with the highly disturbing trailer hinting at several different fates for its characters. As Cillian Murphy will be reprising his role as Jim, it has even been suggested that Jim would be a cult leader in 28 years later. Although it is possible that 28 years later could show Jim in flashbacks and retell the original theatrical ending, the most likely option is that Jim survived. If yes, it means that 28 days laterThe theatrical ending of will be the canonical ending of 28 years later.

So far, it doesn't look like Naomie Harris and Megan Burns are reprising their roles as Selena and Hannahwhich means that 28 years later has some important questions to answer. Selena was a love interest of Jim in 28 days laterso her role in his life may have affected the person he becomes 28 years later. While it is possible that both women survived and thrived elsewhere, the dark nature of both 28 days later franchise films suggests that this will not be the case.