Nia DaCosta Talks About Adding Gore to ‘The Bone Temple’ Sequel and Reflects on ‘The Marvels’ in Crew Call Podcast
Filmmaker Nia DaCosta returns to the screen this Friday with her new horror film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which elevates the intensity of Danny Boyle’s original while presenting contrasts so stark that Ari Aster’s Midsommar appears almost whimsical by comparison.
Set in a dystopian UK countryside, Ralph Fiennes portrays Dr. Kelson, a character striving for stability amid chaos brought on by the infected—who, notably, are not referred to as zombies. His controlled existence is threatened by the arrival of Sir Jimmy Crystal’s gang, led by Jack O’Connell’s character. Initially, the Jimmys had appeared to be allies, but their true nature is far removed from camaraderie.
DaCosta elaborated on the thematic contrast between Kelson and Jimmy. “His way of attaining meaning is with the connection and believing in each other as humans, and Jimmy is the exact opposite. It’s sort of nihilistic and violent and horrific. And, so, I think to match the beauty of Kelson, you have to have the brutality on the other side,” she explained.
In a recent interview, DaCosta discussed stepping into the series following Boyle and how she secured the directing role. She also reflected on the struggles of her earlier release, The Marvels, which faced underwhelming box office results in the wake of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. Following a successful fan screening of Bone Temple last month, Sony has promptly fast-tracked the next installment of the 28 Years franchise, with Alex Garland confirmed as the writer. Boyle is likely to return to direct, while Cillian Murphy is reportedly in discussions to star.
Here’s our conversation with DaCosta:
