'28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' Cast Interview

Moviefone speaks with Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry about '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. "It's great to play a part over two films," Fiennes said.

(L to R) Chi Lewis-Parry and Ralph Fiennes star in '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'.

Opening in theaters on January 16th is ‘28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’, which is a follow up to last summer’s ’28 Years Later’ and is the fourth installment of the '28 Days Later' franchise.

Written by Alex Garland (‘Civil War’), produced by Danny Boyle (’Steve Jobs’) and directed by Nia DaCosta (‘The Marvels’), the film stars returning franchise actors Ralph Fiennes (‘Conclave’) as Dr. Ian Kelson, Alfie Williams (‘His Dark Materials’) as Spike, Jack O’Connell (‘Sinners’) as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, and Chi Lewis-Parry (’The Running Man’) as Samson, as well as new addition to the series, Erin Kellyman (‘Eleanor the Great’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry about their work on '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple', reprising their characters from ’28 Years Later,’ working together to create their characters unusual friendship on screen, and director Nia DaCosta’s unique vision for this world.

Related Article: Movie Review: '28 Years Later'

Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in Columbia Pictures' '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Photo: Miya Mizuno. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Moviefone: To begin with, Ralph, can you talk about having the opportunity to play this character over the course of two films and what were some of the aspects of this character you were excited to explore this time around that you didn't get a chance to explore in the last movie?

Ralph Fiennes: Well, yes, it's great. Look, it's great to play a part over two films. I don't think I've done it before. No, of course I have with Voldemort (in the ‘Harry Potter’ series) and M (in the James Bond movies), I suppose. But this narrative is more in favor of Kelson's story and Samson's story together. Alex (Garland) has written a great part. We understand he's a doctor, he takes palliative care of Jodie Comer's character in the last film. We understand he has that doctor's instinct for care but he's in a situation where he's reliant on survival techniques. But I think this heightens his medical curiosity, which is also a human curiosity, isn't it? If I want to cure someone, it's because I believe in the value of mending a fellow human being. I think that's totally innate to Kelson. His desire to mend, heal, and where he must accept death, it's a recognition of the life that has been lived by the person who has died. I think he's profoundly connected to the human experience and what it is to have lived and died. He's got a mixture of the medic and the philosopher, and I think that's explored in this. We see his goodness, and in the end, he puts himself on the line to protect young Spike (Alfie Williams). I think he's a good guy.

Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) in Columbia Pictures' '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Photo: Miya Mizuno. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Chi, what was your approach to playing Samson and what are the challenges of portraying a character who is infected?

Chi Lewis-Parry: The cold, that was a big challenge. Dealing with the cold while being mostly naked, I found that the cold can really zap your energy. Samson is a very high energy character, and if he's not high energy, he's sitting or lying down, and again, exposed to the cold. It's a mental state. Once the mind gives up, I feel like the body follows and then you're in an uncontrollable shiver and that's not good on camera. There was a mental stamina that I had to have to still appear like this big physically imposing destroyer in Samson. It was tough but manageable.

Nia DaCosta (director, '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple') at CinemaCon 2025 for Sony Pictures at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on March 31, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Stewart Cook/Sony Pictures via Getty Images.

MF: Ralph, what was it like working with director Nia DaCosta and can you talk about her unique vision for this world?

RF: Well, she was intent to come with a different filming approach. I think she made that clear to Danny (Boyle) and Alex, she didn't want to ever attempt to imitate Danny's directorial style. She came with a forensic delicacy. She loves the closeups and what's going on inside the face of someone. The closeup is a great magnifier of human thought in a life and I think she's edited the film to allow the closeups to breathe and I like that.

(L to R) Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in Columbia Pictures' '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Photo: Miya Mizuno. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Chi, can you talk about Samson’s unusual friendship with Dr. Kelson and what it was like working on the relationship with Ralph?

CLP: It was a complete dream come true. The relationship on screen is very much the relationship we have in real life because I have an affection for the man. I don't hide it. If anything, I celebrate it. I think to have discovered a friend in this medium, I suppose, is odd and rare, especially one with such affection because I adore him, and he knows that. I'm so proud of being a part of this wonderful experience, and this wonderful film. I can't wait for the universe to see it.

Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in Columbia Pictures' '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

MF: Finally, Ralph, what was your experience like working with Chi on this project?

RF: Working with Chi was wonderful. He's generous. He's committed. He's always present, ready to go, and ready to give of himself in the moment. That's what you want with a good screen partner is that we dance together literally but we also dance together in our energies. He doesn't speak much but all these scenes, he was transmitting feelings and thoughts and interior impulses which I could see in his face. That's stuff just emerged between us. He comes onto the set with this wonderful generosity of spirit, and that's rare.

(L to R) Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) in Columbia Pictures’ '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

What is the plot of '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'?

Taking place after the events of the previous film, Spike (Alfie Williams) is inducted into Sir Jimmy Crystal's (Jack O’Connell) gang of acrobatic killers in a post-apocalyptic Britain ravaged by the Rage Virus. Meanwhile, Dr Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) forms a new relationship with potentially world changing consequences.