One Amazing 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Scene Even The Director Wasn’t Sure Would Work: ‘It’s So Crazy’

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Spoilers ahead for 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

Continuing directly after the events of 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple follows Spike as he tries to adjust to life with the Jimmy family. Ralph Fiennes reprises his role as Kelson, who a murderous cult believes is Satan. The movie culminates in a surprisingly entertaining scene where the Harry Potter actor performs a fiery spectacle and dance routine to convince the cult he is the Dark Lord. Director DaCosta recently admitted she was initially hesitant about this sequence, and shared with me…

I was really worried about this – it seemed incredibly difficult. I thought if I could manage it, it would be amazing. The producers seemed concerned too. Alex, though, just seemed amused and pointed out he wasn’t involved, wishing me good luck.

The director of Candyman explained she was just kidding about how Alex Garland reacted. However, she was genuinely worried about Ralph Fiennes performing Iron Maiden’s “The Number of the Beast” with pyrotechnics. Thankfully, she had a strong team to help her pull off that unforgettable scene in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

The film The Bone Temple concludes with a vibrant musical scene, featuring a remarkable performance by Ralph Fiennes. Director Nia DaCosta initially worried about making the sequence work, but she shared how her team helped her achieve it. She explained:

I had a lot of faith in my team and how we worked. We began planning everything early on, and by the end of the pre-production phase, I was confident in how things would unfold. Our production and costume designer, Gavin Carson, was a perfect fit because of his experience with live performances, fashion, and theater.

She’s right – the final cut of The Bone Temple really worked. It delivered both exciting, large-scale scenes and genuinely funny moments. The Jimmys grew up in a world without technology or music, which explained their surprise at meeting Kelson. Audiences found it amusing because they knew the truth about Fiennes’ character – he wasn’t actually Satan!

Later on in our discussion, DaCosta explained why this scary scene in the horror movie actually worked well. She said to me:

I also worked with Shelly Maxwell, a choreographer I’d collaborated with before, to plan out the character Ralph’s physical movements. We developed those movements together, and it was a fantastic example of how all the different teams worked together to create something truly special.

Making a movie is a team effort, and this scene highlights how different departments work together to bring a vision to life. The planned fireworks display seemed challenging on paper, but director Nia DaCosta had faith in her team and designers, and they successfully pulled it off.

With The Bone Temple, Cillian Murphy returned to the series, paving the way for a third film that will complete a new story arc. We don’t know when production on the next horror movie will begin, but we’re hoping to hear updates soon.

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2026-01-21 00:11