It’s not quite been 28 years – but when Cillian Murphy returns as Jim in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, roughly 24 years will have passed since he last appeared as the character. Murphy was the star of the original 28 Days Later back in 2002, leading Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s rage-fuelled apocalypse story – and while he didn’t return in 28 Weeks Later or last year’s 28 Years Later, Boyle has been open about the fact that Jim will make an appearance in The Bone Temple, which continues the story of young Spike (Alfie Williams) as he ventures into the infected mainland.
For director Nia DaCosta – working from a Garland screenplay, with Boyle as producer – being the person to bring Murphy back to the screen as Jim was, she says: “So. Fucking. Surreal.” While the exact nature of the character’s return is yet to be revealed, DaCosta recalled just how seismic it felt to see the actor slip back into the role, especially in the wake of his Oppenheimer success. “I used to watch this man in a movie that was so important to me. And now he’s here in front of me, and I’m directing him. And he’s asking me what I thought of a take. And he just won an Oscar? What the hell’s going on?” she laughs, looking back on it all. It added to the surreality that DaCosta grew up a massive 28 Days Later fan. “I just thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen,” she remembers. “I watched it over and over again. I was so obsessed with being in that world, with those characters — having a big old crush on Cillian Murphy, wanting to be Naomie Harris.”
While Jim will appear in The Bone Temple, Boyle has also long stated that the character will have a more major role in the third film of the 28 Years Later trilogy – which recently was greenlit, with Garland currently writing the script, and Boyle expected to return as director. “I know some stuff,” says DaCosta of the final chapter, remaining tight-lipped except to say: “It’s gonna be really fucking good.” Rage on.
Read Empire‘s full 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple feature – speaking to Nia DaCosta, Jack O’Connell and Ralph Fiennes about shaking things up in the infected sequel – in the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man issue, on sale Thursday 18 December. Pre-order a copy online here. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple comes to UK cinemas from 16 January.
