For more than two decades, Danny Boyle has been plagued by one question: What would happen after a zombie apocalypse?

The famed director's 2002 movie "28 Days Later" broke conventions of the zombie genre and helped launch a digital video moviemaking revolution in the early 2000s. But as years and then decades passed — and Boyle went on to earn a best director Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire," do a Steve Jobs movie, and make a "Trainspotting" sequel — he could never crack a continuation of his original "28 Days."

Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland missed out on the sequel, 2007's "28 Weeks Later," because they had already committed to making the sci-fi thriller "Sunshine." And pitching their own continuation around Hollywood never got any traction. Maybe it would be one of those things that would never come to fruition.

It wasn't until the British Film Institute invited him to do a Q&A at a "28 Days Later" 20th anniversary screening in 2022 that Boyle realized just how much audiences appreciated the film.

"I showed up and it was a packed theater," Boyle told Business Insider during a recent trip to New York City. "I was shocked. You could feel the audience's energy watching it. I texted Alex after, and I told him there's still an appetite for this. So he then came up with an idea."

Garland's idea would become "28 Years Later," which opens in theaters June 20. The film focuses in on a small island community in England that's learned to survive in relative isolation 28 years after the country was ravaged by the Rage Virus. But when Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his 12-year-old son Spike (Alfie Williams) venture to the mainland, they discover new mutations of the virus and survivors with their own fearsome methods for staying alive.

Though the "28 Years Later" cast is entirely new — and there are no glimpses of original "28 Days" star Cillian Murphy, despite the rumors — Boyle is just getting started. He's also a producer on a sequel set for release in January, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," which was shot by director Nia DaCosta ("Candyman") right after "28 Years" wrapped. And Boyle will return to direct a third movie, which will indeed star "28 Days Later" star Cillian Murphy. That is, if Sony will greenlight it.

So how did Boyle crack the code to continuing his zombie franchise? His trick is to think limited, not expansive. Though he has big aspirations for a trilogy, it all came about by keeping "28 Years Later" as grounded as possible.

"I love limitations, because I can bash against it and that gives energy and inventiveness," Boyle said with a wide smile. "So the third movie is in many ways an original film."

For the latest edition of Business Insider's Director's Chair series, Boyle discusses returning to the zombie genre, how he used Cillian Murphy as leverage to pursue his other creative ideas, and if he'd ever take on another James Bond movie.

Business Insider: Take me back to that "28 Days Later" 20th anniversary BFI screening. Where was your head at then about doing a third movie?

Danny Boyle: By that point, Alex had developed one script, which we decided not to do: weaponizing the virus, a traditional type of sequel. It was a good script, but we just didn't get any traction. After the BFI screening, he came up with the idea of confining the story to an island, and that was a really good decision.

How much of the COVID pandemic influenced how you wanted the characters to navigate the Rage Virus 28 years later?

It would be that people would become accustomed. You can take risks and know when the back off them. There's a kid in this movie who has no knowledge of the virus — it has been passed on to him; he's never seen any of it. This is his first trip to the mainland. He's heard stories.

You can see that the kids draw pictures of the stories they've been told. They have mythologized the virus. So we talked about all that. And then we delve into the culture before the apocalypse, and it's distorted. How reliable is it? We don't know. But that's an element that goes into the second film, "The Bone Temple."

The visuals have always been a hallmark of your filmography, but especially this franchise. "28 Days Later" ushered digital cameras into the mainstream. Now with this movie, you're shooting with iPhones. It's been done a lot on the indie side with filmmakers like Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh, but I believe this is the first time camera phones have been used at the studio level. Why did you want to do that?

I felt an obligation to take the spirit of the first movie, but be aware that the technology has moved on so much. Phones now shoot at 4K, which is what a lot of cameras shoot at anyway. And the advantage of using the phones is we were able to be very lightweight.

Also, some of the locations we were shooting hadn't been disturbed for many years. It's an area of England called Northumberland, its sister county is Yorkshire, which is agriculture and manicured. In order to go there with a crew, you have to be light, so having iPhone cameras was good for that. We used a lot of drones, which had different camera lenses; we used a specific Panasonic camera for the night vision footage.

But the iPhone gave us a light touch and allowed us to use these rigs, which I'd been trying to use for a while. It's a poor man's bullet time. But you don't have to go to it, you can carry it. 

So now, instead of laying down dolly track and having all this gear in these very preserved locations, all you need to retrace are footsteps. 

That's right. 

How did you sell Sony on all of this?

[Laughs.] Um. I can't remember. 

Come on.

I will do and say anything to get the film made. There is a terrible side to directors where you will promise [studios] stuff and you don't mean it. They are nervous. They're a corporation. And you have to massage the vision. 

So what was the promise you gave that you weren't going to fulfill?

Cillian Murphy. 

What better promise could you make? That's quite a deflection of any technical concerns; they soon forget. Yeah, we nakedly used that to get our own way. But Sony knew what they were inheriting.

Did Nia DaCosta shoot "The Bone Temple" right after you wrapped on "28 Years"?

Pretty much. She visited the "28 Years" set a couple of times, but yeah, she was prepping her own film, she had her own cinematographer, and though she inherited the sets and some of the characters, she also had her own cast for a substantial part of it.

And she gets a bit of Cillian at the end. All I can say is you have to wait for Cillian, but hopefully he will help us get the third film financed. 

So where are things with the third movie?

We still need the money. I mean, we'll see how we do with "28 Years Later." It's so close to release that nobody wants to say anything; they just don't know what it's going to do. And I respect that. It's a lot of money, so we'll see. 

If there is a third movie, would you want to direct it?

Oh, yes. That's the idea. 

You famously walked off the last James Bond movie. Would you ever give Bond another try now that the regime has changed and Amazon is fully controlling it?

That ship has sailed. The thing I regret about that is the script was really good. John Hodge is a wonderful writer, and I don't think they appreciated how good that script was, and because they didn't, we moved on, and that's the way it should be. Whatever happens with Bond going forward now is what it will be. 

As someone who has done a Beatles movie with "Yesterday," what's your take on Sony's ambitious plan for four Beatles movies?

[Sony chairman] Tom Rothman — who I fight with a lot, and who I love very dearly — I do tip my hat to him, because that is backing a visionary filmmaker in Sam Mendes with a hard, big investment. That's a lot of vision to say, here ya go, there's four films. And they are all going to get released around the same time. 

All in one month! Just from the perspective of a director, would that scare you?

Sam clearly has an appetite to handle it all. I don't know what his vision is, but he's got terrific actors. I worked with Harris Dickinson, who is a wonderful actor, so he's got himself a very special cast. 90% of anything is casting; if you get it right, you're almost there. So I admire it. 

Now, one of the things we found, and they will have this issue, is that people don't know The Beatles' music. We just did a workshop on "Yesterday" and its long-term plans — like, should there be a stage production one day? We did a workshop with a bunch of actors, and lots of them just didn't know the songs. They are in their 20s or 30s, so why would they? They all can recite from memory something from Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, but The Beatles? So, we'll see.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

"28 Years Later" opens in theaters June 20.

Like his "White Lotus" character Saxon Ratliff, Patrick Schwarzenegger is a lover of smoothies determined to match his parents' stratospheric success.

While his arrogant and shallow character rubbed many viewers the wrong way, Schwarzenegger, however, is nothing but charming as we chat on the phone while he gets his steps in around LA. "I walk and talk," he explains.

I've discovered there are parts of Schwarzenegger's routine that Saxon would be positively allergic to, such as heading to the beach with his fiancée in the morning to say prayers and share a moment of gratitude.

For the latest installment of Business Insider's "5-9" series, which Schwarzenegger took part in to promote Venmo's new debit card, the 31-year-old actor shared how else he spends the hours of the day when he's not working.

What time do you usually get up, and what's your morning routine?

I've gone to a new state or country every week since "The White Lotus" came out, so it's been a whirlwind of not having a routine and waking up at the most random times.

This is my first full week in LA since the start of the year, and it's been great. I got up today at 6.15 a.m. — I never set an alarm clock, but I always wake up around 6 a.m. My fiancée and I went on a walk for our coffee and then down to the beach to say our gratitude and prayers.

Usually, I'd work out after, but I didn't today as my fiancée had to go to the airport. So we made some breakfast, I had a sauna, and then went to the office.

What do you have for breakfast?

This morning, I had egg bites and Greek yogurt with berries, which is what I have on most days: eggs, Greek yogurt, fruit, or oatmeal. I try to get 40 to 50 grams of protein and some sort of carbs and fat.

Do you eat before or after working out, or both?

Afterward, if I'm working out really early in the morning, but sometimes I'll have something light before, like some fruit and nuts or peanut butter and banana.

Much has been made of your character's love of smoothies on "The White Lotus." Are you a fan?

Oh yes, I am. I used to drink smoothies all the time. Now I don't drink them as much, but I do love them. This conversation is actually making me want to go get a smoothie.

If I'm gearing up for a role or a project and I need to gain weight, then I will bring in the smoothies because they help me get a lot of calories quickly. So I do love a peanut butter banana smoothie.

The best combo.

10,000 steps and recovering in the sauna

Tell me more about your approach to working out.

I work out in the mornings when I can and try to get my 10,000 steps in too.

Are you walking now?

I am. I walk and talk. I try to do five days of lifting a week, and some sort of cardio. I stay pretty active.

Do you follow a particular workout split?

I usually do a push day, pull day, and leg day, or a more cardio-focused full-body day. Sometimes I do typical weight training, other days more high-intensity interval style.

What are your recovery essentials?

Food, sleep, and hydration are the main things. I love the sauna, the jacuzzi, and massages, but they're less important.

When you're not working, how do you relax and have fun?

Working out is fun for me. It is part of my daily life and what I like to do, and I feel better. And the same with my eating.

I also like going on walks, hanging with my friends and family, hiking, biking, and watching movies and TV shows. I love cooking and baking and finding new coffee shops, and I use my new Venmo debit card for all of it.

Martinis and early nights

What do you like to have for dinner, and who cooks?

I would get in trouble if I said I always cook dinner. Abby cooks most of the time. I cook breakfast pretty much every morning, although she made the egg bites today.

We go out frequently, but try to cook as much as possible when we're in town because we're not often here.

What's your favorite thing to cook?

We cook sweet potatoes every night. We love Japanese sweet potatoes. We also make a lot of eggs and pancakes. Abby makes a really good chicken salad. She makes a bunch of good stuff for me.

Lucky you.

I know, seriously.

So what's your ideal evening when you're at home?

Well, last night Abby and I went and did a workout together. We did this hot Pilates class, and then we picked up some food, made dinner, had a little dessert, went on a walk afterward for the sunset, then watched a movie. If it's a date night, we go out, get some cocktails, and have fun.

Do you have a favorite cocktail?

I've been on a martini kick in recent years.

Nice. Do you have a nighttime routine?

No, I don't really. I kind of just get in bed, and I'm usually pretty tired from the day. I try not to watch TV in the bedroom, and I fall asleep pretty easily at around 10 p.m. I try to get eight hours.

I suppose when you're so active, you get into bed and you're exhausted.

Yeah, exactly … I'm always out in the sun and walking around, and I sleep better.

• Wall Street banks are proving that generative AI is here to stay, and the tech is not just a fad.
• Business Insider has reported on how some of finance's biggest banks are approaching generative AI.
• See how giants like Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan are weaving the tech into the fabric of their firms.

Wall Street bank leaders say generative AI is here to stay, and they're weaving the technology throughout the fabric of their banks to make sure.

From trading to payments to marketing, it's hard to find a corner of the banking industry that isn't claiming to use AI.

In fact, the technology's impact, made mainstream by OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022, is becoming cultural. Generative AI is changing what it takes to be a software developer and how to stand out as a junior banker, especially as banks mull over how to roll out autonomous AI agents. The technology is even changing roles in the c-suite. But it's also presented new challenges — bank leaders say they are struggling to keep up with AI-powered cyberattacks.

From supercharging productivity via AI-boosted search engines to figuring out the best way banks can realize a return on their AI investments, here's what we know about how Wall Street banks are embracing AI.

JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon is a "tremendous" user of the bank's generative AI suite. We have the story of how he and other bank executives use AI.

• JPMorgan's AI rollout: Jamie Dimon's a 'tremendous' user and it's caused some 'healthy competition' among teams
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Dimon also laid out his vision for how America's largest bank will win the AI battle against fintechs through data. Meet the leaders of that mission.

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Mary Erdoes, the boss of JPM's asset- and wealth-management business, used these slides to outline how she wants to get her people ready for the "AI of the future."

• Here's how JPM boss Mary Erdoes wants to use AI to eliminate "no joy" work

It's not just JPMorgan's in-house tech teams that have been gearing up for an AI future. Cloud partners, like AWS, also play an important role.

• AWS is helping financial giants like JPMorgan and Bridgewater with their AI ambitions

Goldman Sachs

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Goldman's top partners and CEO David Solomon are eager to see AI rev up their businesses. From realizing internal productivity gains to capturing more business as clients look to raise money in anticipation of AI development and acquisitions, here's what the top echelon is expecting.

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There is no AI without data, and there is no data strategy at Goldman without its chief data officer, Neema Raphael. Raphael gave BI an inside look at how his roughly 500-person team melds with the rest of the bank to get the most out of its data.

• Meet Neema Raphael, the data whiz key to Goldman's AI ambitions who's overseeing the bank's army of engineers and scientists

AI's impact has ripple effects that go far beyond technology. Goldman's chief information officer, Marco Argenti, predicts that cultural change will be critical to getting the bank to 100% adoption.

• Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti says Wall Street's 'next big wave' in AI will come down to culture, not just technology

Many dollars are being spent on Wall Street's AI ambitions. But how do you measure the return on the investment? Argenti offers some tips on the calculus that can help firms prioritize where to invest.

• As AI usage ramps up on Wall Street, Goldman Sachs CIO details how the bank analyzes return on investment for the tech

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley wants to turn employees' AI ideas into a reality. Here's an exclusive look at that process.

• Morgan Stanley has 30 AI projects in the pipeline. Here's how the bank sources employees' ideas for inspiration.

See how AI is transforming Morgan Stanley's wealth division and the jobs of its 16,000 financial advisors.

• Morgan Stanley is betting on AI to free up advisors' time to be 'more human.' Nearly 100% of advisor teams use it, and here's how.

Thanks to its partnership with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Morgan Stanley has ramped up its AI efforts. The exec in charge of tech partnerships and firmwide innovation opened up about how it all started.

• Morgan Stanley's new innovation head lays out his plan for more OpenAI-type partnerships
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Citi

Meet the new exec in charge of giving an AI facelift to Citi's lagging wealth business.

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Citi's top tech executive, Shadman Zafar, outlined the bank's four-phased AI strategy and how it will "change how we work for decades to come."

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Bank of America

Bank of America's chief experience officer, Rob Pascal, details how the bank's internal-facing AI assistant helps bankers collect, record, and review client data. Here are all the ways it's helping employees be more effective and efficient.

How Bank of America is using an AI-powered tool to help its bankers prep for client meetings more efficiently

AI hits the investment bank

Investment bankers are hopeful that corporate America's obsession with AI could kick off a new era of mergers, acquisitions, and IPOs. From execs stepping into recently created roles to accommodate the sector to industry veterans launching their own AI-focused M&A-advisory firm, meet 11 investment bankers poised to lead Wall Street's AI revolution.

• Wall Street is gearing up for an AI shopping spree. Meet 11 bankers poised to come out on top.

We spoke with four of those AI bankers about why 2025 is going to be all about AI pickaxes and shovels rather than pure-play AI deals.

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AI could save junior bankers time by automating tedious tasks known all too well by Wall Street's youngest ranks. But it can also make it harder to break into the industry by shifting the skills required for entry.

• How AI will change the job of the junior banker and raise the bar to entry

A former Goldman Sachs managing director built an AI-powered networking tool to spur dealmaking. The budding startup, Louisa AI, already has a few clients, including Goldman Sachs, Insight Partners, and a global exchange.

• See the pitch deck that helped a former Goldman Sachs exec raise $5 million for an AI-powered networking startup that feeds deal ideas to bankers.

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• See the pitch deck that helped former investment bankers raise a $7 million seed round for their generative 'AI consigliere' to bankers and analysts

• Over the past few years, I've attended at least nine weddings without giving a single gift.
• I typically have to travel great distances to attend my friends' weddings, which can get expensive.
• None of my friends have brought up not receiving a wedding gift from me.

My 20s and 30s have been riddled with invitations —  weekends booked with bachelorette parties, bridal showers, and weddings that stretch from one coast to the other.

Like many young people, I followed all the unspoken rules: show up, look good, and don't forget the gift. I felt obligated and, to be honest, wanted to give the impression that I, too, "had it all together."

Weddings are treated as a grand rite of passage into adulthood, and buying a gift felt like a way to show I was on the same page.

But as the invitations kept coming, so did the reality check. I wanted to be present for my friends, but the cost of attending, participating when asked, and buying a gift for weddings just wasn't compatible with my own lifestyle goals.

So, rather than resent my loved ones for the monetary burden, I opted out: no more wedding gifts. In the past six years, I've attended at least nine weddings without giving a single gift — and I have no regrets.

In my mind, the act of giving gifts at a wedding is outdated

Wedding gifts were originally intended to help newlyweds establish their first adult household. It made sense for guests to chip in on matching dishes or a set of good knives, but let's be real — times have changed.

Most of my partnered friends have built their homes and intertwined their lives long before saying "I do."

There's also a broader cultural shift to consider. Millennials and Gen Z are facing a different economic reality than previous generations.

Student loans, stagnant wages, and rising costs of living have made it harder for many of us to achieve the financial stability our parents had by the same age.

And yet, many expectations on how we spend our money for and at weddings have persisted.

I've chosen to be present instead of buying presents

Over the past six years, I've lived in three countries and five cities, including Washington, DC, Belgium, and now Mexico.

Even when I lived stateside, many celebrations required travel to nearby states or across the country. This demanded a lot of time, effort, and careful planning — not to mention money.

No matter the location, I made it a priority to commemorate my friends' milestones with my presence. Together, we reminisced, laughed, and made new memories. In my opinion, no material gift could ever top that.

Gift or no gift, I know my friends still love me

None of my friends have ever mentioned not receiving a gift from me, so out of curiosity, I recently asked a few how they felt about it.

The consensus was that they hadn't even noticed until I mentioned it. They were honored that I made the trip to celebrate with them and didn't care that I showed up empty-handed.

In fact, one friend only realized I didn't bring a gift because I wasn't on her list for thank-you cards. When pressed about the lack of a gift, she reiterated she was not offended, especially because I'd traveled from Mexico to New York for her wedding.

My takeaway is that people who care the most just want you there, standing by their side or leading the charge onto the dance floor.

Of course, when I can't attend, I will mark the occasion with a gift to share in their joy and demonstrate my support despite the distance.

I pride myself on being a good friend; however, I refuse to let societal pressure dictate that my love and friendship must come in the form of cash or a neatly wrapped box.

This story was originally published on February 20, 2025, and most recently updated on May 5, 2025.