Alex Garland is a machine (have you seen his filmography recently?)

THE 28 years later The trailer debuted to record numbers and served as a stark reminder of just how extensive Alex Garland's recent work is. The English screenwriter has evolved into one of cinema's most respected writers since his film debut with 28 days latera film that many consider one of the fundamental horror films of the last 30 years. Although he was only involved in the sequel's rewrites, 28 weeks laterGarland will return to 28 days later universe as the main screenwriter of 28 years later and its sequel in development.

Historically, Garland's writing and directing projects have been very evenly distributed, typically with at least two years between the releases of films he has worked on. However, that cadence changed in 2024, when Garland suddenly became involved with multiple projects seemingly at once. Part of this is certainly a result of the success of his projects, and as one of the main creators behind 28 days later franchise, the next trilogy certainly takes up much of his focus as a writer.

Alex Garland has been very busy this year

Garland worked on four major projects in just one year

Alex Garland has served as a writer and director since he gained fame as a novelist. Between 2014 and 2018, Garland delivered three diverse and highly regarded films as a writer and director: Ex-machine, Annihilationand Men. He returned to the director's chair once again in 2024 with the dystopian war film Civil Warafter which he declared that he would take a break from directing. That certainly didn't mean he would take time off; on the contrary, Garland participated in three future projects, in addition to Civil War in 2024.

Garland will once again collaborate with director Danny Boyle to 28 years laterof which Garland will be the main writer and producer. As the film approaches its 2025 release, Garland has already begun writing and developing the film's sequel, 28 years later, part II: The Temple of Bones. With a trilogy planned to lay the groundwork, the two 28 years later the projects were certainly a huge undertaking from a writing perspective.

As if that weren't enough, Garland served as co-writer and supporting director of Ray Mendoza's real-time Iraq War film. War. Mendoza, a true Iraq War veteran, was the military supervisor of Garland's group. Civil Warand will assume the role of director of War based on their real experiences during the war. Although the original plan was for Garland and Mendoza to direct together, Garland's desire to move away from directing led to a more supporting role, with Mendoza taking the lead as director. However, as head writer, Garland still had major involvement in the film's production.

Alex Garland has become Hollywood's go-to guy for dystopian stories

Garland is a master at dealing with elements that lead to broken futures

One of the most common elements of Garland's various films is the setting. Many of Garland's films are set in the very near future, but it's almost always a distorted, dystopian version of where humanity might be headed. THE 28 days later franchise and Civil War are perfect examples; one deals with the repercussions of a virus produced in a laboratory that ravages humanity, while the other deals with a corrupt political regime that perverts democracy to the point of provoking a new national conflict.

Both scenarios are fantastical yet disturbingly plausible, which is a hallmark of Garland's work. Their stories often force viewers to examine the world around them and recognize what elements could lead to the horrific futures portrayed in the films. The concept even extends to Warwhich takes place in a very real past, but deals with one of the characteristics of modern civilization that could overthrow society and produce a true dystopian future: war. 28 years later will act as the latest demonstration of Garland's mastery of this storytelling style.