Danny Boyle’s Sunshine may not have scorched the box office when it landed in 2007, but the film’s dazzling visuals, existential themes, and tonal boldness earned it a slow-burning reputation as a sci-fi cult favourite. Now, nearly two decades on, Boyle has revealed the project was originally meant to be far more expansive — part one of a full-blown trilogy.
Speaking to Collider, the 28 Days Later... director said that screenwriter Alex Garland had penned outlines for two additional instalments.
"Originally, when we were doing it, Alex wrote two other parts," Boyle said. "It was supposed to be a trilogy… a planetary trilogy. It was to do with the sun itself, with two other stories."
While Boyle confessed that he can no longer recall the full plotlines, one idea in particular has stayed with him: "an extraordinary idea… involving looking outside and moving." Whatever that means, it clearly made a lasting impression.
Sadly, audiences in 2007 weren’t quite as spellbound. Despite a starry cast featuring Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans, Michelle Yeoh and more, the film failed to make its mark financially — a result that effectively snuffed out any sequel hopes.
Still, the director remains deeply proud of the film and its legacy. "Some of that film, I just think, 'wow, did I do that?'" he reflected. "I meet a lot of people… and Sunshine is one they really, genuinely think about and really love." The sun may have set on its cinematic future, but Sunshine continues to glow in memory — a curious, luminous 'what if' in the sci-fi universe.
