The third film in the current 28 Years Later trilogy has been given the go-ahead, with Cillian Murphy expected to return.

Following positive social media reactions to the second film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, earlier this week, Sony executives have given the go-ahead for the third instalment, which series scribe Alex Garland is writing.

According to Deadline, Oscar-winning actor Murphy is currently in talks to reprise his role as Jim - who he first played in the original 28 Days Later in 2002 - but is widely expected to be involved.

Danny Boyle, who directed 28 Days Later and 28 Years Later, has previously expressed an interest in directing the next instalment, but no official cast and crew have been confirmed at this stage.

While promoting 28 Years Later in June, Boyle revealed that Murphy's Jim would have a brief appearance in The Bone Temple and star in the third film if it got the go-ahead.

He explained that they deliberately saved Jim's story for the third film to ensure that the full trilogy got made.

"He's executive producer on this one, and of course, we were shameless, and he was understandably in approval about this, about using his name to try and get the financing and saying, 'You go with his story package, and you'll eventually meet Cillian, and it will become his film,'" he told IndieWire.

Boyle added to IGN that the Peaky Blinders actor and his co-stars are "standing by" for when they get the money to make the third film, which he "would love to" direct.

When asked about the third chapter during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast in September, the Irish actor teased, "Listen, if everyone goes and sees the second one, we're in good shape."

28 Years Later, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Alfie Williams, was released in June. It was filmed back-to-back with The Bone Temple, which was directed by Candyman's Nia DaCosta. That film, which stars Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell and Williams, will be released in cinemas on 14 January.