London, four years after 28 days later

These are the first images from the new film 28 Weeks Later, the much anticipated follow-up to the cult hit 28 Days Later, which proved an international success four years ago.

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Survivor: 12-year-old actor Mackintosh Muggleton surveys the devastation in Crouch Hill in 28 Weeks Later. Scenes for the film were also shot in Hyde Park and on the Underground

In the original, Britain was laid waste after animal rights activists inadvertently released a virus that turned most of the population into flesh-eating zombies.

The sequel - which stars Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne and Catherine McCormack - explores what happened to those who survived.

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Escape: Robert Carlyle takes to the water to flee a horde of zombies

Jonah Coombes, the supervising location manager, said: "Following 28 Days Later, there is massive anticipation of how London is going to be portrayed.

"The city was a big part of the 28 Days saga and we're continuing that with 28 Weeks. It is a disaster movie in which we see London as we have never really seen it before."

The production team filled the Underground with rotten corpses, turned Crouch Hill into a scene of devastation and imported tons of greenery to turn Hyde Park into an overgrown wilderness.

"We wanted to use landmarks in London that are immediately recognisable and give them a twist," said Mr Coombes.

This is what London would look like with no life."

Some compromises had to be made when filming. One scene is set in the new Wembley Stadium, but construction work was not finished in time for the shoot so it was moved to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

However, Mr Coombes said he was delighted with the support his team received from Film London, the agency established in 2004 to encourage movie-making in the capital.

Film London's chief executive Adrian Wootton said 28 Weeks Later was important in showing how the capital was helping film-makers work here.

He said: "They had some extraordinary scenes they wanted to achieve. Getting the appearance of a deserted metropolis in one of the world's busiest cities requires lots of preparation. I think the results are thrilling."

• The film opens across the country on 11 May.