'28 Days Later' pioneered digital filmmaking. Now, its sequel '28 Years Later,' will reportedly be the first blockbuster shot on an iPhone.

'28 Days Later' pioneered digital filmmaking. Now, its sequel '28 Years Later,' will reportedly be the first blockbuster shot on an iPhone.
  • Wired reported, citing unnamed sources, that Danny Boyle is using iPhones to shoot "28 Years Later."

  • If true, it will be the first blockbuster to be shot on an iPhone.

  • Boyle could be pioneering the new form of filmmaking as he did with digital cameras in the 2000s.

"28 Years Later" could be the first blockbuster shot on an iPhone, Wired reported.

The publication, citing unnamed sources connected to the film, reported that adapted iPhone 15 Pro Maxes were the principal cameras used to film the "28 Days Later" sequel. Some scenes will also be shot with action cameras attached to farm animals.

If true, this could help boost the use of cell phone cameras in filmmaking.

A representative for the film's studio, Columbia Pictures, did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.

In the last two decades, the practice of using phones to shoot parts or the entirety of movies has become more common in the documentary and independent film industries.

It can be a way to cut costs, and phone companies like Apple can use the opportunity to promote the quality of their cameras.

A man wearing glasses, a zipped fleece, and black jeans is standing cross-armed in front of a BFI red carpet background.
Danny Boyle, the director of "28 Days Later" and "28 Years Later."Tim P. Whitby / Getty Images

Sean Baker's award-winning 2015 film "Tangerine" became the poster child for iPhone-shot movies. But even before that, a 2012 documentary called "Searching for Sugar Man," was partially shot on an iPhone and won an Oscar.

Sarah Atkinson, a professor of screen media at King's College London, told Business Insider via email that the use of iPhones in "28 Years Later" represents a "significant evolution in smartphone cinema."

"The utilization of iPhone technology in this context demonstrates its capacity to provide directors with unprecedented versatility and accessibility," Atkinson said.

Atkinson added that smartphones could rival the current conventional method of shooting films: studio-based virtual productions, which are often costly.

"This technological shift potentially democratises the filmmaking process, allowing a diverse range of creators to explore innovative techniques across various contexts and locations," she said.

Danny Boyle and Anthony Dod Mantle, who were the director and cinematographer of "28 Days Later" and are returning for the sequel, are no strangers to pioneering new forms of filmmaking.

"28 Days Later" was one of the first films to use digital cameras.

The film's opening scene of a deserted London was shot using digital camcorders because they were easier to set up than large film cameras, and they could only block off roads in the busy city for a limited time.

"28 Days Later" was a huge success — the film had a budget of $8 million but made $84 million at the global box office. The opening moment also became an iconic scene.

Less than a decade later, digital cameras overtook classic film cameras in Hollywood.

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