The article contains discussions about Sєxual abuse.
The article contains major spoilers for 28 Years Later ending.28 Years Later director and writer addresses Jimmy Crystal’s (Jack O’Connell) potential connection to a real-life figure. The zombie horror franchise finally returns after 18 years, following the tale of a teenager, Spike (Alfie Williams). He sets foot on the mainland, plagued by evolved infected variants, since it has been nearly three decades since the rage virus spread. 28 Years Later ends with the brief introduction of Jimmy Crystal, who saves Spike from a group of infected. However, his sketchy demeanor and tracksuit look has many UK audiences believing that the character is based on an infamous personality, Jimmy Savile.
While speaking with Business Insider, director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland were asked if Jimmy Crystal was inspired by Jimmy Savile. While their responses were enigmatic and carefully worded, Garland hints that an attempt to build a better world will lead to selective memory and misremembering pasts before eventually calling the mystery character a trippy kaleidoscope. Boyle was a bit more forthright, elaborating that Jimmy is very much about pop culture and his attempts to partially remember them will impact his following. Check out their comments below:
Garland: “The whole film, and if we ever get to make 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 or trying to construct the world that you’re in on the basis of old worlds. I suppose, so there’s sort of constrast or conflict between the two and the thing about looking back is how selective memory is and that it cherry picks and it has amnesia and crucially it also misremembers and we are living in a time right now, which is absolutely dominated by a misremembered past.”
Boyle: “He’s 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.”
Garland: “He’s a kaleidoscope, isn’t he? A sort of trippy, f–ked up kaleidoscope.”
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Why The Influence Behind 28 Years Later’s Jimmy Crystal Is A Big Deal
Jimmy Crystal Will Impact The Events Of Bone Temple
The reveal of O’Connell’s character has been met with mixed responses, particularly since the movie concludes with the bizarre introduction of the Jimmies Gang dressed in tracksuits. The ending clearly teases 28 Years Later: Bone Temple, especially since Jimmy seems to be a cult leader. There have also been references to the mystery character, including writing on a wall saying: “Behold, Jimmy, he is coming with the clouds.” One major reveal was that Jimmy is the kid from the movie’s opening credits, where he is watching Teletubbies before eventually being chased by the infected.
While American audiences responded with puzzlement due to the tonal shift, UK audiences seemed a bit more alarmed about the character’s potential influence. Many began to theorize that the cult leader could have been inspired by Savile, who worked as a TV personality for the BBC. Following his death in 2011, his dark past started to emerge, with hundreds of allegations of Sєxual abuse, including children. Due to this haunting part of history, many UK audiences were startled to see Jimmy’s tracksuit, blonde wig, and bling looks as it eerily resembles Savile.
Garland’s stories tend to have a thematic undertone, and it’s possible that the 28 Years Later sequel could explore the issues concerning corruption and greed.
Based on the comments from the creative duo, it seems that the Teletubbies bit may hint at the type of figure Sir Jimmy could be. Boyle previously expressed how the sequel will showcase the “nature of evil,” which seems to pinpoint the arc surrounding Jimmy and his cult. While the duo don’t forthrightly confirm that O’Connell’s character is a manifestation of Savile, it wouldn’t be surprising if that was the intention. Garland’s stories tend to have a thematic undertone, and it’s possible that the 28 Years Later sequel could explore the issues concerning corruption and greed.
Our Take On Jimmy Crystal & Its Startling Connection To Savile
This Honestly Changes The Mindset About The 28 Years Later Ending
It’s clear that Jimmy is certainly bad news for Spike, but audiences outside the UK were not aware of the extent of the cliffhanger’s alarming nature. Whatever the reaction is to the cliffhanger, it has certainly started a conversation and an awareness of who Savile was and how he became a startling part of the UK’s history. While it’s unclear how much Jimmy and his gang will be influenced by Savile, the creative duo are warning about the villainous nature of Sir Jimmy, pointing out how his trauma will impact his outlook on the world and his rise as a cult leader.
28 Years Later currently has a 66% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes, tying with 28 Weeks Later.
This new detail shines a different light on the 28 Years Later ending, and it seems that this may simply be the calm before the storm. Thankfully, audiences won’t have to wait too long to see what the true nature of the Jimmies Gang is, since the sequel will be released in less than six months.
28 Years Later: Bone Temple will release on January 16, 2026.
Source: Business Insider/TikTok
