Latest news with #28DaysLater
Montreal Gazette
2 hours ago
- Health
- Montreal Gazette
Letters: 28 Years Later offers lessons in humanity
The poster for the film 28 Years Later features what appear to be hundreds of human skulls stacked in a pyramid. Presumably, these are skulls of those who have fallen to the 'rage virus' first introduced in 28 Days Later in 2002. But this third instalment in the series is about far more than incredibly disturbing sequences of bloody mayhem. Surprisingly, characters like Dr. Kelson, played by Ralph Fiennes, have many poignant lessons to teach us about humanity. Physicians should watch this movie because it shows how to communicate with a patient in a respectable way. Politicians should watch it because it proves that beauty in the world trumps the ugliness of war. And people in general should enjoy it for the perfectly balanced action and horror tempered by genuine moments of affection. Nathan Friedland, Roxboro Sowing the seeds of peace We must be grateful to Allison Hanes for her column about the tragedy of genocide and mass killings and for shedding light on Heidi Berger's work in genocide education. Instead of subscribing to war, let us follow the inspiring example of the Green Legacy Hiroshima organization, which has distributed, worldwide, the seeds and saplings of trees that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. These trees have served as an inspiration for the rebirth of Hiroshima and are considered trees of peace. Montreal and Hiroshima are sister cities, and saplings from a surviving ginkgo biloba tree were planted in Montreal in 2018 in the name of peace. Let us plant trees instead of killing people with bombs. Shloime Perel, Côte-St-Luc Education is key to disease prevention In the 1950s, '60s and '70s, parents had their children vaccinated against serious and highly communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, polio and measles, for their own health and for society at large. Many parents today are ignorant of the harm such diseases cause or are misinformed about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. We need to better educate people about the science and importance of disease prevention and ensure all children are vaccinated against any communicable disease before they enter the school system. We do not want to repeat the tragic past of children dying from preventable diseases. Mary Armstrong, Montreal Call for vigilance in Côte-St-Luc Re: ' Côte-St-Luc mayor proposes measures Montreal could take to help Jewish community feel safer ' (The Gazette, June 10) As a resident of Côte-St-Luc, it was reassuring to read that our mayor, Mitchell Brownstein, urged Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante to take immediate action in response to rising security concerns for the Jewish community. Since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, there has been a spike in antisemitic incidents. In response to this grave situation, Brownstein proposed several measures Plante could take, including the creation of buffer zones around vulnerable locations. He also appealed to citizens to be vigilant and report anything suspicious. We all have a civic duty to protect our freedom and security. Vivianne M. Silver, Côte-St-Luc Submitting a letter to the editor Letters should be sent by email to letters@ We prioritize letters that respond to, or are inspired by, articles published by The Gazette. If you are responding to a specific article, let us know which one. Letters should be sent uniquely to us. The shorter they are — ideally, fewer than 200 words — the greater the chance of publication. Timing, clarity, factual accuracy and tone are all important, as is whether the writer has something new to add to the conversation. We reserve the right to edit and condense all letters. Care is taken to preserve the core of the writer's argument. Our policy is not to publish anonymous letters, those with pseudonyms or 'open letters' addressed to third parties. Letters are published with the author's full name and city or neighbourhood/borough of residence. Include a phone number and address to help verify identity; these will not be published. We will not indicate to you whether your letter will be published. If it has not been published within 10 days or so, it is not likely to be.
Tom's Guide
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
If you're hyped for ‘28 Years Later,' you should watch this sci-fi thriller from the same team — it's streaming on Hulu
With all the recent attention on their reunion for '28 Years Later,' it would be easy to forget that director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland have worked together on more than just the popular zombie franchise that began with 2002's '28 Days Later.' Their second collaboration was overshadowed by the movie they chose not to make, but 2007's 'Sunshine' is a highlight of both filmmakers' careers. Now that it's streaming on Hulu, fans of the '28' movies can check out another dark, uncompromising sci-fi thriller from Boyle and Garland. In deciding to forgo the zombie sequel '28 Weeks Later' (which was instead directed and co-written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo), Boyle and Garland indicated their interest in looking forward, and 'Sunshine' explores heavy themes about human existence within the framework of an exciting, futuristic space adventure. Like '28 Years Later,' it takes some bold swings in its final act, but it's a more cohesive piece of storytelling that comes to a grim yet strangely uplifting finale. I'd put 'Sunshine' on the same level as Garland's solo writing and directing efforts 'Ex Machina' and 'Annihilation' as a mind-bending sci-fi story, and it deserves just as much praise and attention as those popular, acclaimed films. 'Sunshine' joins a long tradition of movies about space madness, in which characters trapped together on long-haul deep space missions slowly lose their minds, sometimes because they're tormented by outside forces, and sometimes just because they can't handle the pressure and isolation. The crew of the Icarus II could be transplanted to a movie like 'Alien' or 'Event Horizon' and fit seamlessly into those similar stories, in which astronauts confront the terror of the unknown. Although one character jokes about the crew being picked off one by one by a killer alien, there are no extraterrestrials in 'Sunshine.' The danger comes from humanity itself, and also from the unforgiving nature of the cosmos — in particular from the sun, which is slowly dying out. As the sun cools, all life on Earth is threatened, and the Icarus II represents the final hope to save the planet. If they can drop a massive bomb directly into the sun and reignite it, then all the people they left behind will survive. Those are some high expectations to live up to, and as the name of the ship indicates, the Icarus II is already the second attempt to restart the sun, following a failed mission seven years earlier. No one knows what happened to the original Icarus, and as 'Sunshine' opens, the Icarus II is on the verge of encountering the same mysterious difficulties. '28 Days Later' star Cillian Murphy rejoins Boyle and Garland as the main character of 'Sunshine,' physicist Robert Capa, who designed and operates the Manhattan-sized bomb strapped to the Icarus II. Sixteen years before playing another haunted physicist in 'Oppenheimer,' Murphy makes Capa determined but fragile, as his fellow crew members insist on his survival at all costs, since he's the only person who can complete the mission. The ensemble cast includes future Marvel Cinematic Universe stars Chris Evans and Benedict Wong, along with Rose Byrne as the ship's pilot and resident conscience, Cliff Curtis as the ship's doctor, 'Shogun' star Hiroyuki Sanada as the captain, and Michelle Yeoh as the biologist responsible for generating the crew's oxygen. Murphy, Byrne and Evans get the most substantial roles, but each actor knows how to make the most of limited screen time, and every character feels real and significant. As the mission spins out of control, no one's exit is cheap or meaningless. Boyle and Garland honor all of their characters, and the actors imbue them with dignity and emotional weight. In contrast to the muddy, primitive digital cinematography of '28 Days Later,' the imagery in 'Sunshine' is shimmering and gorgeous, as befits a movie that is bathed in harsh, unrelenting sunlight. Unlike so many deep-space thrillers that emphasize the darkness of outer space, 'Sunshine' leans into the light, especially as the Icarus gets closer and closer to the sun. The large curved array on the Icarus that captures sunlight for solar power makes it look like a giant eyeball, and Boyle treats the sun like a mystical, unknowable god, the way that primitive humans would have regarded it. As brilliant as these scientists and explorers may be, they are still traveling directly into a star, where the laws of physics bend and distort. Boyle reflects that distortion in the third-act twist, which brings a new threat onto the Icarus and takes the story in a more horrific direction. The onscreen image is often blurred and stretched as the remaining crew members try to fight that threat while scrambling to complete their mission. It's every bit as tense and terrifying as any zombie attack, further demonstrating that 'Sunshine' belongs among the filmmakers' best and most awe-inspiring work. 'Sunshine' is now streaming on Hulu.
Extra.ie
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
More Than Monsters: Danny Boyle on his return to rage and redemption
When 28 Days Later stormed onto screens in 2002, it redefined the horror genre not with gore alone, but with a haunting meditation on what remains when society collapses. Now, over two decades later, Danny Boyle returns with 28 Years Later, a film that expands the scope of his dystopia while digging deeper into the soul of its survivors. Gone are the empty motorways and frantic sprints of the infected, what remains is a quieter terror, one that settles in the cracks of human connection, moral compromise, and fragile hope. Sitting down with ahead of the film's release, the Oscar winning director chatted about the humanity behind the horror and his creative companionship with our very own Cillian Murphy. When 28 Days Later stormed onto screens in 2002, it redefined the horror genre not with gore alone, but with a haunting meditation on what remains when society collapses. Pic: Brian McEvoy Photography For Boyle, horror has never been about spectacle, it's about pressure, what it reveals, what it distorts, and what it leaves behind. His lens lingers not just on violence, but on the choices made in its wake. In 28 Years Later, the rage virus is still present, still deadly, but the true infection now might be something more insidious: despair, disconnection, the erosion of empathy. Through intimate scenes in shattered towns and moments of tentative tenderness between characters, Boyle explores the human instinct to rebuild, even when the world resists. Touching on those brief glimpses of grace, the director began: ' One of the core themes is that the infected are sick. They're not monsters, you know? They're not like robotic monsters or creatures from outer space or something like that. They're us and the infection has completely taken them over,' he began. Now, over two decades later, Danny Boyle returns with 28 Years Later, a film that expands the scope of his dystopia while digging deeper into the soul of its survivors. Gone are the empty motorways and frantic sprints of the infected, what remains is a quieter terror, one that settles in the cracks of human connection, moral compromise, and fragile hope. Pic: Brian McEvoy Photography ' The figure of Kelson(Ralph Fienes), he says that he builds this monument that he's building for infected and non-infected. You know, he doesn't differentiate. Whereas I think Aaron Taylor Johnson, the father of Alfie, does differentiate and says they're not even human. Just kill them.' Boyle briefly touched on one of the stand out moments of the film, where Isla (Jodie Comer) aids one of the infected during childbirth. It's a quietly devastating scene, a moment that momentarily suspends the terror and reminds us, almost unbearably, of what's been lost. ' Obviously, you don't attract Jodi Comer to a bad script,' he laughed. 'I think it was quite personal. Alex was writing about someone that is very close to him who's gone through some of the problems that you have where the mind just begins to come apart a bit really. Boyle briefly touched on one of the stand out moments of the film, where Isla (Jodie Comer) aids one of the infected during child birth. It's a quietly devastating scene, a moment that momentarily suspends the terror and reminds us, almost unbearably, of what's been lost. Pic: Columbia ' That's the humanity right there, and she passes something on to her son, but she's also weirdly passing it on to Alfie who plays the part. 'She's sort of teaching him about an interior world and a humane world, a world of some compassion, and they find that in the midst of all this horror.' One of the most striking evolutions in 28 Years Later isn't just on screen, but behind the camera, where Boyle reunites with longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy in a new capacity. One of the most striking evolutions in 28 Years Later isn't just on screen, but behind the camera, where Boyle reunites with longtime collaborator Cillian Murphy in a new capacity. Pic: Peter Mountain/Dna/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock Having first worked together when Murphy played the bewildered survivor Jim in 28 Days Later, their creative dynamic now enters a different phase, with Murphy stepping into a producer role. Charting Murphy's transformation from emerging actor to a driving creative force, and exploring how their shared history shaped the tone, rhythm, and emotional core of the new film. ' He acts as a producer on the film, and that liberated us because we didn't have to make a direct and obvious connection with the first film,' Boyle continued. Having first worked together when Murphy played the bewildered survivor Jim in 28 Days Later, their creative dynamic now enters a different phase, with Murphy stepping into a producer role. Pic: Brian McEvoy Photography 'But it is there, you are moving on a journey towards him in the second film, which has been shot for release in January. He appears as a kind of figure at the end of that film, very wonderfully done by Nia DaCosta, the way she reintroduces him. ' And then the third film is meant to be his. So the films will then connect with the first film through Jim, his character. There's something very similar about him and something very different about him as well. So there's lots to look forward to in it.'
Business Insider
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
'28 Years Later' actor Chi Lewis-Parry said he scared Danny Boyle into casting him as Samson the Alpha
When director Danny Boyle told the actor Chi Lewis-Parry "terrify me" during his audition for " 28 Years Later," he probably didn't expect the 6-foot-8-inch former MMA fighter to sprint at him from across a large room. But this unique approach helped Lewis-Parry land the role of Samson, a terrifying new type of the infected called an Alpha, in the horror sequel that hit cinemas in June. Samson appears in several spine-tingling sequences in the film to showcase how the Rage Virus has evolved since the original outbreak depicted in 2002's "28 Days Later." Lewis-Parry told Business Insider that when he auditioned for an "untitled Danny Boyle project," he didn't know it was for "28 Years Later." Recalling his thought-process after Boyle said to terrify him, Lewis-Parry said he walked to the opposite end of vast room lined with pillars to appear intimidating. "I just stood there for a while with my back to him, I didn't let him see me, just kind of stood there until I decided. I felt it was time to just take a little peek at what's over my shoulder. Then, when the timing was right, I just sprinted at him as fast as I could. Just ran at him and stopped right there and just breathed him in," he said. "It was elements of everything that I've ever been inspired by from creatures in the horror genre. And I just stood over him, and every time he tried to move, I would nudge him into place. It was just 'Stay there. You're not going anywhere.' "He just let out this massive smile. And that for me was indicative of: 'I think you got this,'" Lewis-Parry added. Lewis-Parry's unique presence can be felt throughout the film, including the scene in a gloomy tunnel where Samson kills a NATO soldier by pulling his head off his body with the spine still attached. "I like to honor the things that have inspired me. I was the Predator in that moment!" he said, referring to the creature in 1987 sci-fi movie. "So holding the head up and showing it with the spine dangling, but then also the muzzle flash reminded me of the train scene in ' Predator 2 ' when Bill Paxton gets it. "I gave everything I put into that energetically. I didn't have anything else in the tank, that was all of me, that was my loudest scream, my fiercest intent." Lewis-Parry was hugely inspired by 1980s and '90s horror movies, and he name-checked fan-favorite directors including John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Clive Barker. But Lewis-Parry said he worked with Boyle to make the character about more than violence, particularly in a scene where a soldier shoots dead an infected pregnant woman. This angers Samson, and suggests he as the capacity for emotions. "I suggested, what if he sees the infected body and he's disgusted by it? He can't believe it, 'You did this to us.' There's a division. There's human intelligence, or human barbarism, to infected intelligence, and it's this moment of: 'Why?'" Asked about his role in the sequel, Lewis-Parry was careful not to spoil " 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," but teased: "I can just say that people might fall in love with Samson." Judging by the way he went viral following the film's release, audiences already have.
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
28 Years Later Worldwide Box Office: Zombie Drama Smashes Franchise Record With $103 Million
Last Updated: Despite tough competition from Brad Pitt's F1 and M3GAN 2.0, 28 Years Later has managed to cross the $100 million mark globally. 28 Years Later made a strong mark at the box office in its second week. The latest zombie drama has now reached an important milestone worldwide, as it has earned $52 million from international markets, while the earnings in its home country stand at $50 million. Despite tough competition from other big films like Brad Pitt's F1 and M3GAN 2.0, the Danny Boyle directorial has managed to cross the $100 million mark globally. These strong numbers make the Aaron Taylor-Johnson starrer the most successful movie in the 28 Days Later series so far. According to Box Office Mojo, the latest movie had a steady weekend collection in the US. The film made $2.9 million on Friday, followed by $3.8 million on Saturday and again $2.9 million on Sunday. Outside the home country, the movie pulled strong numbers in several countries like the UK, Mexico, Australia and South Korea. These markets helped push the film's total earnings to $103 million worldwide. When compared to the earlier films in the series, 28 Years Later is clearly ahead. The original movie, 28 Days Later, released in 2002, made $74.9 million worldwide. Its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, which came out five years later, earned $72.3 million globally. In contrast, the latest part has already crossed $100 million across the world, making it the biggest hit in the franchise. Even with strong earnings, the latest zombie movie currently ranks 16th in the 2025 Worldwide Box Office chart. Leading the list is Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animated film, followed by A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Stitch, Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and How to Train Your Dragon. Other popular films such as Karate Kid: Legends, The Accountant 2 and a few more are behind the Danny Boyle directed sequel. As per the official synopsis, 'It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily-defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well." 28 Years Later stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes. First Published:
