28 Years Later filming ‘massive for Bradford’

Filming at a disused leisure centre in Bradford for a film starring Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy has started.

28 Years Later is the third instalment of the Danny Boyle-directed horror series that also includes 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, which was released 17 years ago.

The film crew has taken over the former Richard Dunn Sports Centre, which closed in 2019 and was later given listed status, saving it from demolition.

Local residents said they were excited to spot Hollywood stars on the set and said the location shoot was “massive for Bradford”.

Nathan Lamb, 27, who lives opposite the centre, said: “It’s massive obviously for Bradford when we’ve got the City of Culture going on.

“To have a big film here is just big for the city.”

He added: “I used to go as a kid, so it will be strange to see it on a film and think that’s where we used to go on the slides or play badminton.”

For others living in the area, watching 28 Years Later will be the first time they have seen inside the sports centre.

“It will be interesting because I’ve never seen the inside, so at least I’ll get to see one way or the other,” said Rehan Yousaf, 46.

Meanwhile, Shital Patel, 37, said: “We are just excited and we can’t wait for it to come out so we can watch it.

“And we’re excited to go down the road to watch the filming.”

The Richard Dunn Sports Centre first opened in 1978 and was named after the Bradford-born boxer best known for fighting Muhammad Ali in 1976.

The centre closed due to the prohibitive cost of heating the large building, which has been empty for five years, and a new facility opened nearby.

It was used as a morgue during the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent ideas for its future have included a suggestion to convert it into a skatepark.

28 Years Later also stars Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, The Last Duel), Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler’s List) and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Bullet Train).

Other filming locations in the UK have included Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire and Holy Island in Northumberland.

It is scheduled to be released in the United States next summer.

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