28 Years Later: The Temple of the Dead – Nia DaCosta talks about this astonishing ending

How did the director experience this last scene, which was obviously a little special?

Warning, spoilers to follow if you haven’t seen it yet 28 Years Later: The Temple of the Dead. You have been warned.

“ More than a sequel, 28 Years Later: The Temple of the Dead is a great genre film, feverish and political, which transforms a zombie saga into a dizzying reflection on what it means to remain human when there are no more people to remind you “, we wrote in our review of Nia DaCosta’s film. We obviously did not dwell on the conclusion of this sequel, very exciting for those who have been waiting for more than two decades for news about Jim, the main character of 28 Days Laterplayed by Cillian Murphy. Between two became a superstar, both of television (Peaky Blinders) and cinema (Oppenheimer), the actor therefore returns in the shoes of this former bicycle delivery man who woke up after a coma in the middle of a devastated world. We discover him giving lessons on the Second World War and fascism to his daughter (where is Selena, played by Naomie Harris?) in an English cottage in the middle of nothing. Suddenly, infected come rushing into the distance, chasing Spike (Alfie Williams) and Jimmy Ink/Kelly (Erin Kellyman). Jim and the young girl then decide to go to their rescue.

Nia DaCosta tells IndieWire all the fun she had bringing this iconic character from the very first film back to life: “ It was great. As a big fan of him and also a big fan of 28 days later, it was great to be the person to bring him back » on the screen. “ It’s completely crazy. In terms of direction, I felt that the way the sequence was written – with a father teaching his daughter the history of the end of fascism while making her tea and toast, and then the outside world bursting in – should propel us straight into the third film. I had to respect that and not do something grandiose, like ”the return of the hero” “.

Indeed, the scene could not be more calm, when one might have expected something completely different. “ But this guy is first and foremost a former bike courier, you know what I mean? Except he’s a powerful character for us, because of his journey in the first film. So I wanted to pay homage to that, to what was written, and not make that scene too flamboyant. I wanted it to be peaceful, beautiful and almost nostalgic. Cillian was on the same page: he didn’t want anything too spectacular. It’s about finding the right balance between these different elements, because it’s very tempting, now that it’s a franchise, to say to yourself: ”I’m going to make a typical franchise film!” On the contrary, we must avoid that. »

A few months ago, for the release of the first 28 years laterDanny Boyle teased the third film: “ It doesn’t take a genius to understand that Cillian Murphy will have an important role. Yes, a significant role. All I can say is that I know the story idea, which has been worked out, and it’s clever. This is a very clever use of him. »

For now, 28 Years Later 3 has no release date.