28 Years Later director Danny Boyle and actor Chi Lewis-Parry break down how the film’s very naked Alpha zombie was brought to life. Serving as the third installment in the 28 Days Later franchise, Boyle’s new horror movie follows Spike (Aflie Williams), a young boy from an isolated island community, as he embarks on a mission to the dangerous mainland. The 28 Years Later story features a number of changes from past installments, including the introduction of mᴀssive Alpha variants, one of whom, Samson, has made quite a splash online in part due to his large penis.
During a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Boyle confirms that Samson’s manhood was accomplished with the use of a prosthetic. In fact, the director reveals that all the ɴuᴅᴇ zombies that appear in the film – or at least those who share the screen with Williams – are wearing prosthetics due to Williams being underage. Check out his explanation below:
“This was a salutory moment via our intimacy coordinator that when you have a child of 12 present, all genitals, male and female, have to be fake. They can’t be real. [The] Child Sєx Offenses Act would put me in prison if I allowed him [Alfie] to see real genitals [laughs]. So he has to look at absolutely false pH๏τo-real genitals, created by a prosthetics company.”
During a separate interview with Variety, Samson actor Lewis-Parry, who is 6’8″ tall, shares his thoughts about the use of prosthetics, echoing Boyle’s comments about the film’s nudity being legally required to be fake on set:
Yeah, they were prosthetics. There’s a law that states, I think, because he’s a child, you’re allowed to have nudity but it has to be fake nudity. It was to protect him. And, as well, I’m really friendly and am always hugging people. I wouldn’t have been doing that if I was fully in the nip!”
Variety then includes a question about whether Lewis-Parry’s prosthetic was “in proportion,” prompting a humorous response from the actor:
Well, I’m 6′ 8″. I’ll say no more!
What This Means For 28 Years Later
This Film Just Established What Future Sequels Will Look Like
Warning! Major spoilers ahead for 28 Years Later.
In 28 Days Later (2002) and 28 Weeks Later (2007), those infected with the Rage Virus are all wearing clothes. Though not explicitly explained in the new movie, it is ᴀssumed that, after almost three decades, the infected people’s clothes were simply worn to the point of disintegration. 28 Years Later makes some attempt not to include close-ups of the nudity, but it also certainly doesn’t try too hard to hide it, which is one of the reasons for the film’s R rating. Combined with the very grisly violence, Boyle’s latest is clearly the most graphic entry in the franchise.
The decision to make the infected ɴuᴅᴇ is one that seemingly will now live on in future films. A sequel called 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has already been filmed and is set to release next January. Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland also have plans to bring a third installment to life, which will seemingly be no different. It’s notable, too, that Samson remains alive at the end of 28 Years Later, meaning he will almost certainly be showing up in the second film, opening the door for a further exploration of the Rage Virus Alpha mutation.
Nia DaCosta directs The Bone Temple with a script from Garland. Boyle has plans to return as director for the third installment, but whether it gets made depends on the success of these first two installments.
Our Take On Samson In 28 Years Later
Alphas Aren’t The Only Big Franchise Change
The introduction of Alphas into the world of 28 Days Later marks a major shift for the franchise. The idea that the Rage Virus is mutating and changing is clearly one that will be important moving forward. Alphas are also even more terrifying than the regular infected due to their size, strength, and speed, helping Boyle’s new film purely from a scares perspective.
Alphas aren’t the only changes to the infected, though, as 28 Years Later‘s pregnant infected woman giving birth to a non-infected baby is a monumental moment for the franchise, and potentially something that opens the door for a cure. It remains to be seen how the story will unfold after 28 Years Later, but audiences can evidently expect plenty more prosthetics to come.
Source: ComicBook.com, Variety
