28 Days Later is getting a 4K UHD release in September

This September, Sony Entertainment is releasing a 4K UHD version of the classic zombie movie 28 Days Later. Because of the handheld technology director Danny Boyle used to shoot the film (more on that below), a 4K version of the film always seemed unlikely. Still, Sony somehow found a way to make an upgraded version of the movie possible. Though preorders aren't live yet, the release is set for September 1.

28 Days Later stars Cillian Murphy in his breakout role as Jim, a bike messenger who suddenly wakes up in the hospital and realizes that the world has changed. The first 20 minutes of the film feature Jim wandering the lonely streets of London, as he realizes he essentially slept through an apocalypse. Through the duration of the movie, Jim meets Selene (Naomie Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson), and Frank's daughter, Hannah (Megan Burns). Together, they try to avoid the infected. They also have to deal with a brute military force that has anything but good intentions.

A 4K UHD upgrade of the film is controversial because the movie was famously shot on consumer-grade Canon XL-1 cameras. Their resolution is about the same as a regular DVD. Because of this, fans fear that any 4K transfer could use AI to alter the film's grainy look. If that's not the case, there's speculation about how good any upgrade can look, considering the initial technology.

In a press release about the upgrade, Sony sought to ease fears that the upgrade would use AI technology as part of the transfer. The company said, "To fully capture and correctly present the unique visuals of this movie for its 4K High Dynamic Range debut, the assembled original source video was used along with sections from the original camera negative, as used in the original theatrical release. These elements were then color-corrected to take full advantage of the wider available color gamut. The picture and Atmos mix were approved by Danny Boyle."

The forthcoming release will include several special features, listed below.

• Commentary by Director Danny Boyle and Screenwriter Alex Garland

• Deleted Scenes and Alternate Endings with Optional Commentary

• Pure Rage: The Making of 28 Days Later featurette

• Jacknife Lee music video

• Animated storyboards

• Still photo galleries

• Theatrical teaser and trailer

28 Days Later spawned several sequels, including 2007's 28 Weeks Later, 2024's 28 Years Later, and most recently, this year's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. A third film is planned in the new 28 Years Later trilogy, though no release date has been announced yet. Meanwhile, The Bone Temple saw Murphy return as Jim in the film's final minutes. Hopefully, the last film concludes his storyline.