If you’re a horror fan, you’ve probably been anticipating 28 Years Later for a long time. Now that the long-awaited movie is finally in theaters, fans have been flocking and trying to piece together how the new narrative fits into the larger universe of the 28 Days Later franchise. If you’re curious about where the film goes, how it sets up the forthcoming installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, and if there’s any post-credits activity, be sure to read ahead. We’ll be outlining the final moments of the movie, breaking down some of the key themes and implications and seeing what we can learn about the intentions of filmmaker Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland. With any luck, we’ll be able to make sense of the bizarre conclusion, parse through some of the social media noise surrounding the movie and lock in for the premiere of The Bone Temple in January.
Believe it or not, we’ll be covering some pretty disturbing stuff ahead, as the final scene of 28 Years Later alludes to the tale of a real-life serial abuser. Please consider this a former trigger warning for sensitive topics such as sexual assault, violence and child endangerment. With that in mind, let’s dive in and see how The Bone Temple has the potential to be one of the most chilling movies to ever grace the silver screen.
Does ’28 Years Later’ have a post-credits scene?
28 Years Later does not have a Marvel-style post-credits scene. This means you’re free to stand up and depart the theater as soon as the film cuts to the closing credits, as you won’t miss out on any new information. Still, some fans have noted the jarring tonal shift presented by the film’s epilogue, as the last two minutes take on an entirely different vibe than the rest of the film. Some have said that this final scene is so bizarre and divisive that it counts as a post-credits scene all its own, since it effectively serves the same purpose by looking ahead to the next movie in the franchise and setting up some future character dynamics.
For those that don’t know, the final moments of 28 Years Later see a gang of men called The Jimmies swooping in and saving a young boy named Spike from a horde of infected. These men, each named after their leader, seem to be part of some kind of cult, as demonstrated by their matching outfits, coordination and thin, shoulder-length platinum blonde hair. As the Jimmies descend onto the horde, they fight with what can only be described as the vigor of the Power Rangers. The film’s cinematographer seems to be in on this joke as well, as the presentation of this final scene is completely unlike the rest of the movie. Just before 28 Years Later cuts to the closing credits, Spike is introduced to Jimmy Prime, the gang leader, and inducted into their crew.
How does Jimmy Savile fit into ’28 Years Later’?
While the farcical nature of 28 Years Later‘s ending may seem like it’s being played for laughs, the themes and imagery behind The Jimmies actually harken back to one of England’s most horrifying true crime stories. The Jimmy characters, particularly the gang’s leader, are modeled after late television personality Jimmy Savile. For those not in the know, Jimmy Savile was a British TV personality who served as a mainstay in cozy children’s programming for decades before his death in 2011. Shortly after he passed away, however, Savile’s legacy was completely tarnished, as hundreds upon hundreds of victims came forward to confess that he had been sexually abusing them throughout his entire career. Savile’s crimes impacted children, the elderly and the disabled, and may have accounted for thousands of victims, along with a massive cover-up.
The actor was highly regarded in prominent social circles throughout his life, and even served as a close personal advisor to then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and then-Prince Charles. An investigation published by The Independent in 2016 revealed that at least five senior staffers at the BBC were aware of Savile’s crimes, and either did nothing to stop him or actively aided in sweeping the allegations under the rug. The same report articulated that there were numerous opportunities for the BBC and police officials to investigate credible accusations during Savile’s lifetime, though he somehow managed to slip through the cracks – perhaps as a result of his political connections.
The Jimmies will return in ‘The Bone Temple’
So, how does this all connect back to 28 Years Later? None of the Jimmies shown in the movie’s conclusion could be representations of the actual Jimmy Savile, as the timeline simply doesn’t add up. The rage virus initially unleashed in London in 2002, meaning this film takes place in the year 2030, when Savile would either be long dead or over 100 years of age. Though we have few answers about this now, director Danny Boyle has assured audiences that these connections will be made clearer in the forthcoming film 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
While speaking to BAFTA, Boyle stated “When I read the screenplay that Alex [Garland] sent, there were these characters that appeared at the end of the film called The Jimmies. And it is shocking. It returns you to the fact that this is a horror film, but not in a way you might be expecting. They go on to dominate the second film.”
In another press junket interview, screenwriter Alex Garland elucidated on his decision to utilize Savile’s likeness and iconography, explaining, “The whole film, and if we ever get to make it, the whole trilogy, is in some ways about looking back and looking forwards, and the relationship between looking forwards to better worlds or attempting to make better worlds… The thing about looking back is how selective memory is and that it cherry picks and it has amnesia… we are living in a time right now, which is absolutely dominated by a misremembered past.”
In the same interview, Boyle then chimed in to say that Savile, “Is as much to do with pop culture as he is to do with sportswear, to do with cricket to do with the honors system. It’s all kind of twisting in this partial remembrance, clinging onto things and then recreating them as an image for followers.”
What viewers are saying about the ’28 Years Later’ Alpha scene
Though the polarizing ending scene has dominated online discussion of 28 Years Later, there is another viral moment in the film that has been turning heads. Specifically, there is a scene early in the movie where we are introduced to the so-called Alpha infected. This evolved form of rage zombie has the strength of an infected, but the intelligence of a human being, making it extremely dangerous. It is also, crucially, quite well endowed, shocking audiences everywhere with full frontal male nudity. The online reaction has predictably become rife with jokes and memes regarding the Alpha infected and his manhood, with users on X (formerly Twitter) expressing sentiments such as “Why was the Alpha zombie from 28 Years Later hung asf?”
Others have shared memes and reaction images referencing the creature’s anatomy, including unintentionally phallic images, wide-eyed women contemplating their allegiance to humanity and that one GIF of Rowley looking down and grimacing from the 2011 film Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. The Alpha infected’s naked presentation also begs a few questions within the context of the film. Questions like, “Is there a biological imperative for rage zombies to be.. equipped, like that?” or “How and why did this zombie get circumcised?” These questions are less likely to get answered than some of the narrative-specific parts of the film, but they certainly have helped to drive attention towards 28 Years Later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 28 Weeks Later a sequel to 28 Days Later?
Yes, 28 Weeks Later was the first sequel to the original 2002 28 Days Later film, offering a new and comprehensive look at the fall of London. The film concludes with the infection spreading across Europe, though this is largely ignored by the narrative of 28 Years Later. For one reason or another, it seems as though Europeans in this universe are capable of defeating zombies while England simply is not, despite being an isolated cluster of islands. Some fans have even viewed the new movie as an allegory for Brexit, though it’s an imperfect comparison.
Will there be another movie after 28 Years Later?
As confirmed by both Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, 28 Years Later was shot in tandem with an upcoming sequel titled The Bone Temple. The duo have also planned for a third installment in the new trilogy, though there’s been no active production for the untitled third film just yet. The Bone Temple is set to release in theaters in January of 2026, and will mark the first true direct sequel in the franchise. Cillian Murphy is confirmed to be reprising his role from the original 28 Days Later as well.
What is the bone temple in 28 Years Later?
The bone temple is more than just the title of the forthcoming film, it’s also a reference to iconography seen in 28 Years Later. Ralph Fiennes’ character, Dr. Ian Kelson, lives out his life as an eccentric mystic on the outskirts of a survivor village. There, he builds great bonfires and places cleaned and bleached human skulls atop an effigy tower, as a bizarre way of mourning the dead. This tower is expected to play a major role in the upcoming movie, as Fiennes will be reprising his role.
