28 Methods Later | Little White Lies

If Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s much-feted 28 Years Later taught us something, it’s that the UK has struggled to deal with being Floor Zero for a zombie apocalypse. Lower off from the remainder of the world, the nation’s infrastructure and tradition crumbled on the level of origin: someday in late 2001 (when 28 Days Later was filmed). With this in thoughts – plus the gonzo out-of-nowhere ending of the movie, largely indecipherable to non-British audiences with no data of who Jimmy Saville is – we’ve been pondering. How else may the trend virus and demise of the British Isles impacted the world? Till Alex Garland reveals extra lore in 2026’s 28 Years Later: The Bone Templepermit us to invest…

1. The last-ever Premier League desk is topped by Sam Allardyce’s Bolton Wanderers.
2. Primarily based on the streaming video capabilities of the circa-2001 web, it’s unlikely that any survivors, actually by the point of 28 Years Laterhad ever rubbed one out to on-line pornography. Previous copies of FHM and Loaded have turn out to be their very own type of forex.
3. The solid of recently-broadcast sitcom The Workplace tragically succumbed to the trend virus, guaranteeing that Ricky Gervais’ profession by no means took off and that the US was by no means actually uncovered to it in any significant capability. Mike Schur by no means remakes the present for a US viewers, thereby narrowly avoiding ruining community tv for years to come.
4. JK Rowling’s mind worms had been unable to struggle again the trend virus, and the ultimate three Harry Potter books had been by no means written. Not solely does this result in the anti-trans motion within the UK by no means actually taking maintain, it ends in the primary Harry Potter film by no means being launched in late 2001. Many years later, folks speak about it like The Day the Clown Cried.
5. With out music execs Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell residing lengthy sufficient to make sure Pop Idol​’s success, American Idol and The X Issue by no means exist, utterly altering the tv and music panorama of the 2000s. Extra tragically: One Course had been by no means fashioned.
6. Margaret Thatcher, who started to exhibit signs of reminiscence loss round 2000 however didn’t retire from public life till early 2002died not of a stroke however of being eaten by an contaminated, and was nearly actually lucid sufficient to know what was taking place.
7. Equally, Britain’s then-Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was eaten by a zombie whereas making an attempt to flee the capital on a chopper shortly after giving a radio broadcast urging the nation to keep up calm and dignity.
8. Charli XCX survives the trend virus as a youngster, however as a substitute of dedicating her life to music, she begins her personal Jimmy-style cult in Essex, by which she refers to all her friends as brats. As such, Brat Summer time nonetheless occurs. Simply with extra severed heads.
9. Banksy, who was in Mexico in 2001 working with an artwork activism collective, inadvertently survives by advantage of being in a foreign country. He turns into much more well-known, his artwork will get even worse, and he wins the Nobel Peace Prize for putting in a massive mirror towards the outside wall of the deserted British Consulate in New York, with a signal that reads ​‘The Actual Zombie’.
10. As a substitute of Love Island ever coming to go, a actuality tv sequence funded by a French manufacturing firm is briefly piloted. Entitled ​‘Peste Île’ (Plague Island) it sees a workforce of wilderness fans try to survive within the Forest of Dean for a fortnight. The undertaking is deserted in any case 20 contestants die inside a week.
11. The ultimate Quantity One single the UK ever skilled was Bob the Builder’s cowl of Mambo Quantity 5.
12. After phrase will get out in regards to the rage virus first creating in apes, animal testing is banned globally. Better consciousness and empathy in the direction of the good apes results in larger conservation efforts; not one of the species are endangered.
13. Paddington Bear by no means obtained a revival through Paul King’s charming movies. As a substitute, following world demand for British nostalgia merchandise, it’s Rupert the Bear who turns into the world’s favorite fictional ursine character.
14. With no web and restricted entry to energy, watching VHS tapes is a uncommon deal with for the folks of England. Principally they relay what they bear in mind of outdated movies and tv reveals by way of phrase of mouth. This results in some apparent gildings and alternate variations. Nobody can agree on what precisely Noddy was.
15. Elton John, who was in THE on the time of the outbreak, recorded one other charity model of ​‘Candle within the Wind’ devoted to all these misplaced to the trend virus. All of the proceeds go to survivors who made it out of the UK earlier than it was declared a no-go zone.
16. The lack of the UK actors delays the manufacturing of the tv adaption of George R. R. Martin’s Sport of Thrones much more than it already was, and the creator feels much less strain to fulfil expectations. On the identical time he additionally doesn’t turn out to be embarrassingly wealthy, which reduces his distractions. The ​’A Track of Ice and Fireplace’ sequence concludes in a well timed trend. Finally plans for a tv adaptation are deserted altogether as a result of they’ll’t discover sufficient actors who can do good Northern accents.
17. Boris Johnson is tragically killed making an attempt to show zombies are ​“completely innocent with the best dealing with” throughout a publicity stunt in an aborted mayoral marketing campaign for the London enclave.
18. As we see in 28 Years Laterthe Angel of the North stays standing – as do most of the UK’s landmarks, together with the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Folkestone White Horse. Large Ben, nonetheless, stops bing-bonging three years into the pandemic on account of lack of upkeep. The big crowd of zombies drawn in the direction of it each hour because of the noisy bing-bongs are most confused.
19. High Gear by no means aired, thus stopping a technology of males from constructing their complete sense of humour round it.
20. As a result of chaos of the virus, many animals escaped from zoos. Though most had been eaten by the contaminated or determined people, some survived and even thrived. Notable additions to the UK wildlife embody a herd of zebras operating free on Cannock Chase and Chester Zoo’s huge cat assortment, who thrive on the England/​Wales border.
21. Gorillaz solely launched a single, self-titled album, with the destiny of Albarn and Hewlett unknown to the broader world, elevated to legendary standing. However in actuality, they proceed to work on the undertaking properly into the tip instances. ​‘Demon Days’ by no means makes it out of the UKhowever turns into the stuff of legend inside the island, with bootlegs cassettes duplicated and shared round by travelling retailers.
22. The Oscars’ annual ​‘In Memorium’ phase was changed with a musical tribute to Nice Britain. There was a tasteful powerpoint that includes varied British actors who succumbed to the virvirus,ile Elton John carried out his new cowl of ​‘Candle within the Wind’.
23. Die One other Day was by no means filmed, and Pierce Brosnan’s time as Bond completed with The World Is Not Sufficient. After a decade of warring over the rights, Hollywood went forward with a reboot. It completely tanked.
24. A decade after the trend virus outbreak, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin teamed as much as make a tasteful drama about it known as ​‘The Viral Community’. It gained Greatest Image on the 2012 Oscars.
25. In the meantime, quite a few movie tasks are scrapped within the curiosity of fine style as a result of their disease-related plots are thought of to be ​“too quickly.” The zombie style is successfully useless for a minimum of a decade, whereas lecturers preach on how on reflection, it’s apparent that the popular culture about pandemics was a collective anticipation of Rage. George R. Romero retires and lives the remainder of his life in haunted disgrace for issues he actually has no management over. Nevertheless, within the early 2010s, an upstart filmmaker named Eli Roth (whose debut, Cabin Fever, was shelved because of the outbreak) makes the primary main zombie film in a very long time, drawing great controversy however a enormous field workplace take, reviving the style.
26. Prince William, on his hole 12 months in Africa, is the one surviving member of the Royal Household after the Queen Mom turned and contaminated everybody at Sandringham. He resettles in Cape City and in subsequent years haunts the European get together circuit, befriending the deposed Hapsburg and Bourbon claimants, and waving to an more and more detached crowd at F1 races (which Verstappen dominates to a tiring diploma within the absence of Lewis Hamilton). He’s referred to colloquially as ​“The Dauphin of Rage Island”.
27. The Nice British Excessive Avenue is frozen in time at its zenith. No vape retailers, no American sweet retailers, no Harry Potter memento retailers or Money Converters. On TikTok, youngsters publish grainy pictures of random British city centres with ​‘Take me again to this <3’ set to Robbie Williams’ ​‘Angels’.
28. For apparent causes, the 2012 London Olympics by no means occurred. Danny Boyle by no means directs the opening ceremony. Hold on…did Danny Boyle survive the zombie apocalypse?