{"id":28144,"date":"2025-12-31T03:01:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=28144"},"modified":"2025-12-31T03:01:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T03:01:10","slug":"cillian-murphys-dry-reply-to-viral-zombie-meme-leaves-fans-in-stitches-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/?p=28144","title":{"rendered":"Cillian Murphy\u2019s Dry Reply to Viral Zombie Meme Leaves Fans in Stitches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cillian Murphy is no stranger to haunting imagery on screen, but the actor recently found himself the subject of an unexpected viral moment. Fans convinced themselves that a gaunt, shirtless zombie in the trailer for 28 Years Later<\/em> was none other than Murphy himself, reprising his role as Jim from Danny Boyle\u2019s 2002 cult classic 28 Days Later<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The speculation, however, took a comical turn when Murphy\u2019s own sons showed him the meme making the rounds online. His reaction? A characteristically dry 12-word quip:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThat\u2019s great people think I look like a zombie cadaver. It\u2019s very flattering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The response, published in an interview with The Observer<\/em> on September 6, quickly lit up the internet, with fans applauding Murphy\u2019s understated wit.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Viral Case of Mistaken Identity<\/span><\/h3>\n

The confusion stemmed from a blink-and-you\u2019ll-miss-it moment in the 28 Years Later<\/em> trailer, released earlier this year. The shot shows a skeletal zombie rising to its feet, prompting fans to theorize that the image was Murphy\u2019s Jim in undead form.<\/span><\/p>\n

Murphy, 49, who typically avoids online chatter, was amused but quick to set the record straight. The zombie, as it turns out, was portrayed by model Angus Neill, not the Oscar-winning star of Oppenheimer<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jim\u2019s Return on the Horizon<\/span><\/h3>\n

While Murphy wasn\u2019t the cadaverous figure in the teaser, fans won\u2019t be left wanting. The actor confirmed he does appear briefly in 28 Years Later<\/em>, the first in a planned trilogy from Boyle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m only in it for a little bit,\u201d Murphy told The Observer<\/em>. \u201cBut that appearance sets up a much larger role for the third installment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The second film in the series, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple<\/em>, is already slated for release in January 2026, though the third has yet to be officially greenlit.<\/span><\/p>\n

From Cult Classic to Cultural Touchstone<\/span><\/h3>\n

When 28 Days Later<\/em> debuted in 2002, few could have predicted its long-lasting impact. The image of Murphy\u2019s Jim wandering through a deserted London became emblematic of the post-apocalyptic genre \u2014 and resonated anew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when real-world empty streets echoed the film\u2019s eerie visuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople still love that movie,\u201d Murphy reflected. \u201cIt\u2019s the same with Peaky Blinders<\/em> \u2014 we didn\u2019t realize it would become as beloved as it was.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Legacy of the Living Dead<\/span><\/h3>\n

If Murphy\u2019s wry humor is any indication, his return to the franchise promises more than nostalgia. For fans, his upcoming role offers the possibility of revisiting one of horror\u2019s most iconic survivors, proving that two decades later, Jim \u2014 and Murphy \u2014 are far from finished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cillian Murphy is no stranger to haunting imagery on screen, but the actor recently found himself the subject of an unexpected viral moment. Fans convinced themselves that a gaunt, shirtless zombie in the trailer for 28 Years Later was none other than Murphy himself, reprising his role as Jim from Danny Boyle\u2019s 2002 cult classic…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28144\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cnews.topnewsource.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}