[Editor’s note: The following article contains major spoilers for “28 Years Later,” which is in theaters now.]
In “28 years later”, the aptly named continuation which occurs 28 years after the rage virus ravaged England in “28 days later”, we find lucky humans who have now survived in a common life again focused on agriculture, hunting, tools, customs and gender roles was torn off a century ago. While in the episode of this week of the Podcast Toolkit of the filmmaker of Indiewire (entirely below), the director Danny Boyle discussed the contradiction between these humans, protected against the zombies infected with life on an island and the raging virus itself.
“They learned to survive, but they haven’t really evolved. They have somehow regressed, [going] Back to a life of type of 1950s, “said Boyle on the Podcast.” The virus, however, has evolved more in a creative way. “”
The virus suddenly transferred to the continent, on the other side of the roadway connecting the new house on the island of humans.
“The path [the virus] appeared in the first film, he literally burned, [the zombies] Literally died in front of you, “said Boyle.” Fury, frenzy, the violence they have in them, who controls them, use so much energy, they were running out of malnutrition and dehydration fairly quickly. Now what they have learned to do is get around this. They learned to hunt to be able to eat, so that they can survive. »»
As Boyle explained, the ability to adapt by securing food has resulted in three distinct variants of zombies. The first variant we meet is the “low-show”, humans infected with heavy sets that do not work but strike along the soil of the wet forest on their stomach.
“There are creatures that live on the field, which have obviously decided not to spend energy, and they will reduce their energy expenditure and therefore their nutritional needs while they recovered the soil among the worms and the larvae and the berries,” said Boyle. “They are much more passive, but dangerous if they are provoked or alarmed.”
Like Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) demonstrates it to his 12-year-old SPIKE son (Alfie Williams), common lows are easy to kill, and with appropriate precautions, they are not a real threat to humans armed with arc and arrow. It is a lively contrast to the rarer and much more frightening variants called “alphas”.
“To hunt without arms, you would need to organize. It is a natural human instinct that we organize like a pack, which can then hunt and eat together. “The virus has had a kind of steroid effect on these creatures, and they are on a larger scale.”
Also known as Berserkers, the alphas are massive. The main threat in “28 years later” is the Alpha known as Samson, which is played by the 6-foot 8-inch actor Chi Lewis-Parry (photo below), an MMA fighter and a bodyguard. As muscular as Lewis-Parry is already, the supervisor of the special makeup effects John Nolan added even more muscles in addition to its massive frame, especially behind. In press notes, Nolan said they increased the “proportions of all about 40%” on Samson. Noted Boyle of the villain Alpha, which runs almost naked (and fairly well endowed) for most of the film: “He had added some supplements to him.”
“As these big guys are often, he is a sweet giant,” said Boyle about Lewis-Parry. “He is the sweetest man, but on the screen, he is absolutely terrifying.”
The ferocity with which Samson moves is made visceral by Boyle and the director of photography Anthony Dod Mantle, the use of the closure and the person on the iPhone cameras to capture the violent speed of the new breed of zombie, which are so strong that they tear the skull, with the vertebral column always attached, to the right of their victims.
“It was very scripted,” said Boyle, creditor of the scriptwriter Alex Garland with the disturbing way of the Alphas to finish their prey. “I remember reading this thought:” Oh yes! “Because it’s a horror film, so you want to horrify people, and people have to imagine that it really happens.
In “28 years later”, we also see an extremely thin zombie variant, almost almost skin and bone (photo at the top of this page), a slight return to the first victims of the rage virus in “28 days later”. Boyle issued a small explanation of this third variant: “There is a very thin man who clearly, for any reason, is not able to [hunting or gathering food like the others]. “”
“28 years later” was written as the first of a film trilogy. The second film, “28 years later: The Bone Temple”, has already been shot by director Nia Dacosta and is expected to be released next January. Stressing to the future, Boyle warned the public that we do not all know about the adorable and very normal (and apparently uninfectable) baby that Spike and Isla (Jodie Comer) look at a pregnant zombie giving birth before she dies.
“There is a fourth [variant]Of course, which is even more complicated, namely that the baby arrives from an infection, “said Boyle.” The question we do not deliberately answer is: “Is this woman a survivor who infected during her pregnancy, or is infected reproduction? Do they have sex and [this is] The natural consequences of this? It is therefore a little multiple evolutions, probably, in reality. »»
“28 years later” is now in theaters.
To hear the full interview with Danny Boyle, listen to the audio above or subscribe to the Podcast Toolkit Filmmaker on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform.
