Nia DaCosta on Crafting Her Own Vision for 28 Years Later Sequel
Director Nia DaCosta opens up about shaping '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple', revealing how she put her own spin on the horror sequel with the support of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland.
When it comes to wild moments in the 28 Years Later saga, few top the closing scene with Jack O'Connell’s Jimmys flipping about and dispatching infected left and right. But in the follow-up, The Bone Temple, the Jimmys return in a much more menacing fashion—no acrobatics this time. Nia DaCosta, who helms this second chapter, sat down in London last November to chat about her approach to the much-anticipated sequel. With Alex Garland back on script duties, The Bone Temple picks up right after the chaos of the previous film, throwing Spike into a harsh initiation with the Jimmys’ cult before he sets off with Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal and his seven fingers.
DaCosta shared,
‘[The Jimmys] are mostly in my film. They weren't in the first script as much, actually, in the first draft, and then they were built in a bit more for that last scene,’
she said.
‘But it was funny because Danny [Boyle] and I would be like casting, and he'd be like, “Oh, I want people who are really physical, like backflips.” And I was like, “Why?!” I knew I wasn't going to be needing any of that [in The Bone Temple]. And then I saw it and said, “Oh my gosh, I love it.”’
Shifting the Focus: From Acrobatics to Atmosphere
While familiar faces like Spike (Alfie Williams), Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), and Alpha Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) make a return, the Jimmys are now at the heart of a story that’s all about the clash between good and evil. This time, the film leans into themes of fear and faith, setting it apart from the previous instalment, which was more about loss and mourning.
DaCosta explained,
‘The two scripts were quite different and had different characters. So I felt like there was a lot of liberty, actually, to make something that felt unique. The first thing I said when I met with the producers, including Danny and Alex, was: “I love this, but if you're looking for like a Danny Boyle-ish film, I'm not the right person; I don't know how to do that. He's an idiosyncratic genius, and I'm not Danny Boyle. But here's what I see and here's what I'd like to do, and if that's what you're into, then great.” And then they were into it, and so really I had the freedom to make the film as I saw it.’
Creative Freedom and a New Direction
After witnessing the Jimmys’ wild antics at the end of Boyle’s film, DaCosta was asked if she ever considered bringing back those over-the-top stunts for The Bone Temple. Was there ever a thought of a ‘Backflip Cut’? She laughed,
‘Absolutely not. No, no, no. There's no slow-mo backflips to metal music.’
With the support of Boyle and Garland, DaCosta was able to carve out her own path, steering the sequel in a direction that’s both fresh and true to her vision. The result is a film that stands on its own, with a tone and style that’s a far cry from the original’s acrobatic chaos.