When thanks to The Walking Dead television series and the movies that tried to play into similar storylines. However, Train to Busan made things more personal. Instead of following groups of hardened warriors trying to survive the zombie apocalypse, this followed a man on a train trying to protect his young daughter.

This was similar to a movie that came out 14 years earlier. In 2002, the British zombie movie movie remake of Dawn of the Dead. However, while Train to Busan and 28 Days Later are innovative zombie movies, they also have a disappointing comparison.

Train To Busan & 28 Days Later Both Had Standalone Sequels That Weren't As Good

The Two Sequels Ignored What Made The Originals Great

Train to Busan and 28 Days Later were both highly praised zombie movies that received stand-alone sequels that never matched the level of their predecessors. For the Train to Busan sequel, there was an animated sequel that came out the same year, but the official sequel was titled Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula. However, the movie took what made the first movie so special and changed it to a more traditional action-packed zombie movie, disappointing anyone hoping it would continue to innovate and do something different in a crowded genre.

The first movie followed a father who wanted to protect his daughter at all costs on a train that was beginning to fill with zombies. However, the stand-alone sequel didn't have anything nearly as personal. Instead, Peninsula was disappointing because it replaced the story of a father and his daughter with a story full of action but light on anything personal. It still tried to deliver a gut-punch ending, but it was just all-out zombie, military action, and light on characters anyone cares about.

Critics agreed it lacked the humanism of the original, which was the exact problem with the Train to Busan sequel.

28 Days Later was also a franchise that had a stand-alone sequel, 28 Weeks Later. It ignored what made the first movie so great. When the film came out, critics said the opening was the best part, which makes sense because it was the only part directed by original filmmaker Danny Boyle. While not as critically derided as Peninsula, 28 Weeks Later was still disappointing. Critics agreed it lacked the humanism of the original, which was the exact problem with the Train to Busan sequel.

Will Train To Busan 3 Mirror 28 Years Later?

28 Years Later Narrows The Focus Again

In 2025, 28 Days Later received its second sequel, 28 Years Later. In this film, the survivors learn how to live in the world of the zombie apocalypse almost three decades after it wiped out most of humanity. The biggest thing to note about the new movie is that the primary focus is on a father and his son as they leave the safety of their island to go to the mainland, where the actual zombie threat lies. This relationship sounds very similar to the original Train to Busan. The most significant change is narrowing the focus on characters again.

Train to Busan 3 must do this if it wants to regain the critical and fan acclaim the first movie received. The Last Train to New York is in development, but a third movie in the South Korean series is supposed to follow the story of Peninsula. There is some good news. Yeon Sang-ho has said this third film will restrict things to smaller locations and not rely on action like the second movie (via Game Rant), and that is the best way to regain the magic of the original Train to Busan.