28 Years Later Director Danny Boyle Reveals Meaning Behind That Truly Wild Twist Ending

Teen actor Alfie Williams plays Spike in the new film 28 Years LaterWarning: This article contains major spoilers for 28 Years Later.28 Years Later filmmaker Danny Boyle has spoken out about the inspiration for the twist at the end which truly no one could have seen coming.Much has already been made of the unexpected turn that the movie takes in its final moments, which sees its 12-year-old protagonist Spike, played by newcomer Alfie Williams, exploring the infected mainland by himself.He’s then taken in by an apparent cult group, led by a new character played by Jack O’Connell, referred to in the credits as Sir Jimmy Crystal.Jimmy and his followers can all be seen in matching white-blonde wigs and shell suits, in an apparent nod to Jimmy Savile, who in life was a beloved TV presenter and philanthropist, but after his death in 2011, was accused of committing hundreds of acts of sexual abuse, including towards children.Take a look at Jack and some of his co-stars in costume in the Instagram post below:View this post on InstagramA post shared by MT Management (@modelteamscotland)Speaking to Business Insider about why Savile would be someone seemingly idolised by the cult group, the Oscar-winning filmmaker explained: “[Savile is] as much to do with pop culture as he is to do with sportswear, to do with cricket, to do with the honours system.“It’s all kind of twisting in this partial remembrance, clinging onto things and then recreating them as an image for followers.”Danny BoyleScreenwriter Alex Garland then described Savile as a “sort of trippy, fucked up kaleidoscope”.A follow-up to 28 Years Later has already been filmed, and is due to hit cinemas next year.Business Insider noted that one of the film’s main themes is selective memory, which could explain the group modelling themselves on Savile.“The thing about looking back is how selective memory is,” Alex Garland noted. “It cherry picks and it has amnesia, and crucially, it also misremembers.“We are living in a time right now which is absolutely dominated by a misremembered past.”Jimmy Savile in 2006Meanwhile, Danny Boyle has also confirmed to The Independent that the “Jimmy Crystal” character is the same boy whose family are killed by the “infected” at the very beginning of 28 Years Later.“The role of Jack O’Connell’s character and his family, which is a replacement, really, for the family he loses at the beginning of the film, is to reintroduce evil into what has become a compassionate environment,” the Trainspotting director explained.“I asked Alex right at the beginning to just tell me what’s the nature of each of the films, and he said that the nature of the first film is about family. The second film is about the nature of evil. And you’re about to meet a lot more of them when it’ll be more appropriate to talk about them in the second film.”28 Years Later is in cinemas now, while the follow-up 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is slated for release in January.MORE FILM NEWS:Danny Boyle Says Slumdog Millionaire Is 'Cultural Appropriation' That Couldn't Be Made TodayAaron Taylor-Johnson Fuels Bond Rumours With This Awkward 28 Years Later Red Carpet MomentCritics Are All Saying The Same Thing About The Long-Awaited New Horror 28 Years Later

Comments

Breaking news

Ferry service to resume between Ardrossan and Arran

The Herald

<a href="https://www.skysports.com/tennis/live-blog/12110/13388164/wimbledon-2025-live-latest-news-and-updates-todays-schedule-scores-results-and-order-of-play-from-all-england-club">Wimbledon 2025 day two live: Jack Draper and Novak Djokovic in action</a>

about 4 hours ago

Mirror

'I dismissed symptoms as baby brain before I woke up to husband looking at me in horror'

about 4 hours ago

Comments

Similar News

Forgotten Blue Peter presenter tragically died at 28 after courageous health battle

28 Years Later: 17 Behind-The-Scenes Secrets You Probably Didn't Know

Loved 28 Years Later? Here's Where To Stream 28 Days Later And 28 Weeks Later

Today's horoscope for June 28 as Libra sets some relationship boundaries

Adult film star Kylie Paige dead at 28

James Norton says she's 'crazily grateful' for the pain of his split from 28 Weeks Later star Imogen Poots as he moves on with Lily Allen

Scots woman kept 28 animals in 'rubbish and excrement' in 'appalling' incident

28 Years Later Viewers Are Still In Shock From That Teletubbies Callback In The Wild Final Scene

Wireless earbuds with 'crystal clear' sound now £28 in limited time deal after £100 price cut

Glasto in style! The £28,999 tipi for glamorous festival goers with helicopters (to avoid the pesky traffic), cutting edge wellness space and IV infusions

28 Years Later Director Claims Bosses Were 'Worried' About This Surprising Part Of The Film

Tube passenger who killed 'gentle' engineer, 28, after he brushed past him on escalator to serve less than six years in prison

28 Years Later Director Explains Why New Film Reverses Major Plot Point

28 Years Later 'Alpha' Chi Lewis-Parry Answers Everyone's 1 Big Question About The Film

Incredible moment boat with £18m of cocaine crashes onto beach after being chased for 28 miles at sea by 'Britain's FBI'

Story behind 28 Years Later's terrifying 'Boots' poem: How 110-year-old recording of Rudyard Kipling verses that scared viewers is used in US military training

How Ralph got ripped! Why 28 Years Later star dropped his suave, suited-and-booted image to become a rugged heartthrob at 62

28 Years Later Was Actually Filmed Using iPhones – Danny Boyle Explains Why

Danny Boyle Is Planning A Whole 28 Years Later Trilogy – Here's Everything He's Said So Far

Cillian Murphy stars in 28 Days Later

Breaking news

Ferry service to resume between Ardrossan and Arran

Greens civil war explained: The ‘Glasgow faction’ versus the Holyrood ‘centrists’

Appeal after teenage girl sexually assaulted onboard train

Historic theatre targets permanent reopening date as £10m vision takes shape

Predator former MoD worker jailed after sexually abusing teenage boy

Three arrested on suspicion of manslaughter at hospital where Lucy Letby worked

British volunteer who died ‘fighting bravely’ for Ukraine given final farewell

Over 143,000 pounds of popular US lunch meat recalled over ‘labeling error’

Everything we know so far about the welfare bill vote

Serial offender who abused young girls in Paisley given prison sentence

Man, 92, given life sentence for rape and murder of pensioner 58 years ago

Man stabbed through armour during historic re-enactment gone wrong

School and streets closed after ‘serious incident’ in South Wales

Terrifying moment six girls swept away by a sudden flood surge towards waterfall’s edge

Rosie O'Donnell Calls Out Oprah Winfrey For Attending Jeff Bezos' Wedding

How To Tell If You Have Heatstroke – And What To Do About It

'You Don't Have A Clue': Nick Ferrari Skewers Minister For Not Knowing Details Of His Own Announcement

28 Years Later 'Alpha' Chi Lewis-Parry Reacts To 1 Big Part Of The Film That's Got Everyone Talking

Critics have slammed Ed Miliband’s net zero policies after major UK oil refinery went bust

Pride group founder, 42, who raped 12-year-old boy he met on dating app Grindr is jailed alongside partner

Boy, 3, died in ‘ferocious’ dog attack ‘after parents allowed him to wander into pen unsupervised’

European heatwave creates towering ‘tsunami cloud’ which sweeps over beachgoers

First picture of teen shot dead after ‘running for his life’ in north London

Trump turns on Musk again, telling billionaire ‘no more rocket launches’

Black and minority ethnic workers are losing out on £3,200,000,000

Tourist almost run over while taking photo of train at popular sightseeing spot

Labour's 'Botched' Welfare Reforms Fail 1 Key Test, Ex-Bank Of England Economist Claims

Signs Of Heat Stroke In Children And Babies – And 4 Steps To Treat It

The Devil Wears Prada 2: Sequel Cast Includes Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway And New Oscar Winner

12 Rules Every Hay Fever Sufferer Should Follow When The Pollen Count Is High

Trump and Musk’s feud timeline: From Epstein allegations to clash over the Big, Beautiful Bill

Common cough medicine could slow dementia in Parkinson’s patients, study hints

Russia launches huge strikes on Ukraine’s fuel supply facilities

Kim Jong Un shown mourning North Korean soldiers he sent to die in Putin’s war in Ukraine

Australia bomb cyclone live: Coastal residents told to ‘evacuate now’ as powerful storm halts flights

No law change needed to send workers home in extreme heat – Reynolds

Trump bill latest: Musk threatens to form new party if megabill passes as Senate vote continues

Everything you need to know about Labour’s welfare reform U-turn

Everything travellers to Europe need to know about heatwave safety and your holiday rights

Search for British tourist who vanished in remote area of Greek island enters fourth day

Firefighters battle wildfires in Scotland for third day amid ‘danger to life’ warning

How Labour’s welfare bill will cut benefits

Final phase of ‘Not for EU’ food labelling comes into force

Rachel Reeves set to cut cash ISA allowance in blow to savers — here’s what you need to know

PHOTO ESSAY: Istanbul's ferries, a lifeline connecting continents and stories

Scientists developing AI tool to assess car repairs to aid insurance industry

Energy bills to rise £104 despite price cap drop

Grandmother and grandson swept 4km out to sea on inflatable mattress

Tree that killed child ‘was held up by supports for decades’

Hurricane warning for Mexico coast as Flossie rapidly strengthens

Villagers nervously watch a mountain peak after rockslide buried their neighbours

Dumfries motorists face lengthy delays due to 'urgent repairs' at key junction

Paisley musician honoured for decades of dedicated service

Renfrewshire personal trainer sets up free self defence classes for local mums and daughters

Johnstone thug tried to drag man with crutches out of his car

John Swinney raised 'concerns' with Donald Trump's son over vandalism attack at Turnberry

How do wildfires start as Turkey evacuates 50,000 people during monster blaze