Danny Boyle, 28 Days Later (2002) Prod: Fox Searchlight & Film Council of Great Britain (Lottery) Distribution: 20th Century Fox
Production DNA Pictures (Andrew MacDonald) with a budget from Fox Searchlight Pictures and Film Council of Great Britain (Lottery) Budget: $15million Producer Andrew MacDonald, grandson of Emeric Pressburger, and producer of Shallow Grave & Trainspotting, commissions Alex Garland, writer of novel and screenplay, to write a screenplay MacDonald: wanted a project that wouldn't involve the multi-million-dollar budget of The Beach (their previous film) or a megastar like DiCaprio. He wanted something that's based in a solid genre, like Shallow Grave and something shot in Britain, that offered a bit more comment on the times... Is this a formula for a commercially successful British film? Alex Garland: '1 wanted to do a zombie movie where the zombies ran, and the humour was like Starship Troopers' . MacDonald: 'Originally Alex's story was much more genre, with 747s taking off and zombie people hanging onto them.' Boyle attracted by animal rights activist idea and its social comment and making the escaping virus psychological as much as real. ..
Distribution 20th Century Fox Tagline: The Days Are Numbered Day 1 Exposure Day 3 Infection Day 8 Epidemic Day 15 Evacuation Day 20 Devastation 28 Days Later... 20th Century Fox: Teaser Trailer released on the studio's website MacDonald wants marketing, promotion and publicity to get balance right between scares of 'zombie' story and the seriousness of the subject matter. See FS2, Summer 03 for more on marketing campaign of 28 Days Later