Filmmaker Danny Boyle has teased the newly confirmed third part of the 28 Years Later trilogy following on from the ‘delight’ of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’s ending.
The bold and grisly new horror movie featured a gang of Jimmy Savile lookalikes led by satanist Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) as the franchise delved further into what was left of humanity after the Rage Virus swept the British Isles.
*Spoilers below for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple*
Their presence makes The Bone Temple a particularly dark and sadistic watch, but ultimately the film was able to end on a happier note after Spike (Alfie Williams) and Jimmy Ink/Kelly (Erin Kellyman) escaped the cult when Ralph Fiennes’s Dr. Ian Kelson outwitted Crystal – but was killed in the process.
Leaving Crystal crucified upside down and a pack of Infected about to finish him off, the film cuts to a remote cottage where Cillian Murphy’s bike courier Jim from the original 2002 film 28 Days Later is living with his daughter, setting a history exam for her.
They then spot Spike and Kelly through the window, running through the fields ahead of a pack of Infected and head outside with equipment and vow to help.
In the run-up to the release of The Bone Temple, which was filmed back-to-back with 28 Years Later, it was confirmed that Boyle and Alex Garland – who directed and wrote 28 Days Later respectively, before returning last year for 28 Years Later – were going ahead with 28 Years Later Part 3.
Discussing what fans can expect from the as-yet-untitled film, Boyle told Metro at the Bone Temple’s premiere: ‘I think the casting is obvious from the end of this one. You’re kind of like, oh right, I see! But that is lovely and delightful.
‘And it’s weird to end a horror film with delight, but you do feel delight because you think, oh, there’ll be another one, will there? And he [Murphy] might be in it.’
The director has previously confirmed Murphy’s return if 28 Years Later Part 3 was greenlit, explaining how he would briefly appear in The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta, before returning as a main role for the final film.
And while we’ve seen the main storylines from 28 Days Later and the 28 Years Later dovetail, this third film will hopefully also develop Alpha Samson’s (Chi Lewis-Parry) path towards a cure, as well as bringing back Spike’s dad Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), not to mention the baby born of the Infected female that Spike left on the doorstep of his island community in 28 Years Later, and the pregnant woman who managed to escape the Jimmys – and Spike – from the barn this time.
Many critics and fans have noted how unpredictable The Bone Temple is, and markedly different to 28 Yeas Later – and that’s one of the reasons Boyle was happy to pass directorial duties over to DaCosta.
What did you think of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple?
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I loved it – it’s my favourite in the franchise so far
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I enjoyed it but preferred 28 Years Later
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28 Days Later will always be the best in my opinion
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It’s too gruesome for me to watch!
Recalling her pitch, he told Metro: ‘She said, “I’m not going to make a Danny Boyle film, you know.” That was a really good moment because you think, well what’s wrong with a Danny Boyle film? But then you think, oh no, hang on a minute, she should make her own film.
‘And she has – despite her relative youth – that confidence that she knows she should step forward and make her own film. That’s exactly what we needed because we’re in the process, hopefully, of making three films, so to handover part of it to someone else with a slightly different sensibility – not least to say, a female sensibility – is a good idea. A good decision.’
Alfie Williams, who is the beating heart of the franchise’s reboot as Spike, also appreciated DaCosta coming in with a fresh take after the privilege of working with Boyle.
‘It was great [with] Nia, because she was seeing it with a new perspective, she was coming into this and she had a lot of ideas and a lot of experimental things she wanted to try,’ the 15-year-old told Metro on the red carpet. ‘Danny kind of knew what he wanted, he’s been doing this for a long time with this franchise.’
But both gave him a brilliant experience.
‘I’m really grateful to see these new directors and the different styles.’
Lewis-Parry was also thrilled to work with two different directors on the films, and spend more time with DaCosta as Samson became significant.
‘Nia is so brave because she’s taken something that was already heavily established. She’s respected and honoured it but said I’m gonna do it my way – and look what she’s done!’ he marvelled during a junket interview with Metro the day before the London premiere.
‘I spoke to her yesterday and I just said, man, you should be so proud. [They have] two very different styles, they’re different generationally.
‘I spent more time with Nia because obviously Samson is more prevalent in this film, but I am incredibly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to work with Danny and Nia DaCosta. I’m just a man full of gratitude and I’m proud beyond measure.’
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is in cinemas now.
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