28 Things You Should Know About 28 Weeks Later

Here are items #1-#7.

1. The director knows a thing or two about luck.

You'd have to be pretty fortunate to have producer Danny Boyle hand you the keys to the sequel of one of the most successful zombie movies of the modern era, but then Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo is pretty familiar with the concept of luck. His only other feature film, 2001's Intacto, is all about secret underground tournaments where people compete in games of chance, hoping to actually "win" the luck of their opponents through freaky games like running through a forest blindfolded and seeing who's the last man standing. (Cue Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake sound effect.)

2. The producers tried to quarantine the entire United Kingdom.

OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but 28 days before the movie premiered, the advertising team for 28 Weeks Later did project a gigantic "Contaminated: Keep Out!" biohazard symbol on England's famous White Cliffs of Dover.

3. Fox Atomic has nothing to do with Rupert Murdoch's plans for world domination.

Fox Atomic was created in 2006 as the studio's more youth-focused movie division, complete with a tricked-out web site that allows users to create their own trailer mash-ups. 28 Weeks Later is the third movie released by the new Atomic brand, following The Hills Have Eyes 2 and Turistas. Fox Atomic's next release, the football comedy The Comebacks, comes out on August 24.

4. Robert Carlyle probably didn't have to audition.

And that's not a bad thing. Carlyle's a fantastic actor, who's captivated audiences in such films as The Full Monty, Angela's Ashes, and Eragon. But, let's be honest, when it came to getting cast in the role of Don in 28 Weeks Later, it couldn't have hurt that Carlyle has collaborated with producer Danny Boyle before, most famously as the definitive Scottish bastard, Begbie, in Boyle's Trainspotting.

5. Harold Perrineau needs to stay away from islands.

In 28 Weeks Later, Perrineau, known for his work on HBO's Oz, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, and the Matrix sequels, plays Flynn, an American Special Forces pilot, who's trying to rescue the last edible humans from the rampaging hordes of English zombie hooligans. We're not saying that Perrineau is a jinx, but in his last job as Michael on the hit series Lost, he got stuck on an island filled with crazy polar bears and smoke monsters. Now he goes to England and the whole island goes undead. Coincidence? If he gets cast as Robinson Crusoe next and the island turns into a haven for vampires, we're going to have to have a talk with Mr. Perrineau.

6. The "Rage" virus started in a comic book.

Fox Atomic and HarperCollins released a prequel graphic novel last year, 28 Days Later: The Aftermath, that explored the origins of the UK contagion from its creation all the way up until Cillian Murphy woke up in that abandoned hospital. The comic was written by Steve Niles, who became a horror comic icon with his acclaimed "vampires-in-a-perpetually-dark-Alaska" series, 30 Days of Night.

7. Fox Atomic wants to make your nightmare come true.

No, they're not signing Joel Schumacher to direct The Hobbit. As an Internet promotion for 28 Weeks Later, FoxAtomic.com started The Nightmare Factory, a contest where users could submit stories of their worst nightmares ever, members get to vote for the worst of the bunch, and the best candidates get free swag and their stories turned into an Internet short film. The winners (i.e. the ones with the worst subconscious nocturnal emissions) will be announced May 11th.