Danny Boyle returned to one of his most iconic cinematic universes in 2025 with 28 Years Later. The long-awaited sequel opened to mostly warm reviews but failed to make a major profit for the studio. Nevertheless, the second part will still hit movie theaters on January 16, 2026.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple will see Danny Boyle pass directorial duties over to Nia DaCosta, an emerging horror filmmaker known for Candyman. While this new phase of 28 Days Later movies was initially envisaged as a trilogy – with Boyle set to direct the third chapter – it seems there is something else on his creative radar that’s taking priority. So, here’s everything we know about Ink, Danny Boyle’s next movie.
What Is ‘Ink’ About?
Across his storied career, Danny Boyle has become known as a director who can take real-life stories and make them riveting to watch on the silver screen (127 Hours, Steve Jobs). And according to Deadline, he’s just found his next true story to adapt with Ink. Described as a “cinematic rollercoaster”, the film is based on a play of the same name by Emmy-nominated playwright James Graham. The Tony-nominated play saw Bertie Carvel take on the lead role of legendary business magnate and media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
Taking place in 1969, the story chronicles Murdoch’s mission to turn The Sun newspaper from a struggling outlet to a must-read news source. To help him on his path to triumph, Murdoch hires Larry Lamb, a man who would become knighted by the Queen in 1980. Reportedly, Graham has stayed on board to extrapolate the play into a screenplay for Danny Boyle. Cameras are expected to start rolling in October 2025.
Who Will Star in the Biopic?
Fresh off the success of The Brutalist (to which he received an Oscar nomination), Guy Pearce is reportedly in talks to take the lead as Rupert Murdoch. Pearce is an actor who has dipped in and out of the mainstream consciousness over the years, breaking through in 1997 with L.A. Confidential, gaining critical acclaim in 2000 with Memento, but fading in popularity slightly in the late 2000s. However, his rendition in The Brutalist has put him back on the map. If he enters into collaboration with Boyle, this would not mark his first portrayal of a real-life figure, previously starring as King Edward VIII in The King’s Speech, Harry Houdini in Death Defying Acts, and Andy Warhol in Factory Girl.
Rumored to star alongside Pearce is BAFTA-winning Brit, Jack O’Connell. This would mark his second collaboration with Boyle following on from 28 Years Later, where he plays the morally ambiguous Sir Jimmy Crystal. O’Connell is set to star in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, sharing top billing with Ralph Fiennes. He has also wrapped up filming for Godzilla x Kong: Supernova. Next he is reportedly circling the role of Larry Lamb.
Like Pearce, this would not be O’Connell’s first time playing a real person. Among many others, he took on the role of war hero Louis Zamperini in Unbroken, Formula One racing driver Peter Collins in Ferrari, and Czech soldier Jan Kubis in The Man with the Iron Heart. However, O’Connell’s role in Ink is not set in stone as his popular series SAS Rogue Heroes begun filming for a third season in September 2025, meaning it could clash with Danny Boyle’s filming process in October.
Why Is Danny Boyle Making ‘Ink’ First?
As mentioned, when Danny Boyle sat down with screenwriter Alex Garland to carry on the story of 28 Days Later, a three movie vision was born. 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple were filmed back-to-back, but a third chapter has not yet been greenlit. In fact, Garland explained in June 2025 that a script hasn’t even been written yet. However, the screenplay may be missing, but the story and overall premise is laid out.
Considering that the first movie wasn’t as major hit at the box office, the fate of chapter 3 seems to be hanging on the success of The Bone Temple. Garland and Boyle have stated themselves that it all depends on audience reception. Simply put, if The Bone Temple doesn’t get enough butts in seats, the concluding chapter may not ever get made. With that in mind, Danny Boyle has a gap in his schedule that he seems itching to fill, and Ink is the project he’s decided to move forward with.
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