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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Excl.: Ralph Fiennes, Chi Lewis-Parry

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple stars Ralph Fiennes and Chi Lewis-Parry talk non-verbal communication and directing styles in an exclusive interview.

Going into 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, people likely didn't expect what the film would do with Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) and the alpha Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Their story proves to be a stark contrast to the Jimmies as it shows some hope and humor in a corner of the world where it seems like all of that has been lost. It also introduces a dynamic where one character is rendered almost entirely non-verbal, and how you communicate complex emotions through heavy VFX makeup and no words. We got the chance to interview Lewis-Parry and Fiennes about working without words and what it was like changing directors when shooting two movies back to back.

Kaitlyn Booth:  I was really surprised and just endlessly fascinated by the dynamic and the overall story that you guys developed in this movie. It was so not where I was expecting things to go at all, but I'm always so interested by duos where one person is almost entirely non-verbal. There's a couple aspects of that I want to know about. Chi, I want you to know, did you know what you were trying to portray?

Chi Lewis-Parry: Yes, I always knew what I wanted to get across because I was thinking it. So I think a big part of the delivery is the intention. And I would be looking in Ralph's eyes and I would be thinking what I wanted to say. I felt like there were times where I know for sure Ralph picked up on that, and it was like a sharing of love between the characters. And I know that that read through. So absolutely, I would commit to the intention. If the intention wasn't there, then I felt like I was just standing in a costume. But with the intention, I was Samson in those moments.

Kaitlyn Booth: Ralph, did you know what he was trying to say? I would like to know a little bit about how you guys went about trying to communicate all of that, all of the complex emotions.

Ralph Fiennes: Yeah, I could read Chi's expressions in his eyes. I really felt… What you're saying [gestures to Chi] makes sense because I could read it. I could feel it. It was just in his face. It was great.

Kaitlyn Booth: Was any of that hindered by, like, you're both wearing a lot of body makeup, and Charlie, I'm assuming you're wearing contacts for a decent portion of this. Did any of those hinder things at all? I see you're a glasses wearer, I'm also a glasses wearer, and I imagine that can maybe be a little intense with trying to act through your eyes.

Chi Lewis-Parry: No, I mean, they were big lenses. They did cover the whole eye. But, it's just part of it. There was no complaint. I don't think there was ever a day I complained about being uncomfortable. Maybe a little bit cold at times, which is understandable. I don't have anything on. But I never complained because you remind yourself of where you are, what you're doing, who you're doing it for, and how is that gonna come across? And he's gonna be uncomfortable. He's infected. So if I were uncomfortable, I'm only aided in my delivery of his authenticity.

Kaitlyn Booth: You guys filmed these almost back-to-back, but you had the transition between [director] Danny [Boyle] and [director] Nia [DaCosta]. What unique aspects did Nia bring to this production that Danny didn't bring?

Ralph Fiennes: Nia gave a lot of time to these one-on-one scenes. Obviously, we have one-on-one scenes, and I had quite a few with Jack, certainly two I can think of, one scene sitting by the river. And she gave a lot of space, much more than perhaps Danny might have given. I don't think there's any judgment in it because I know that with Danny's huge experience, you know that he can do four takes, and he knows what he wants, he's got it. And that's a certain kind of director. They just kind of feel the actors quite quickly have given pretty much what they're gonna do. I don't really have a judgment on it, except Nia kept on pushing for more little detailed nuances.

And sometimes you think, I did think with Nia sometimes, well, this is great, but, you know, we're going so granular now. Having directed a bit myself, you can get obsessed with pushing performance. And then when you're in the edit, you realize actually the performance is there on the first take or second take, and you can get lost in it. So there is no right way, except I think being given permission to keep trying stuff is always great as an actor, because you think, what more can I find here? Sometimes with directors who shoot quite fast and are quite decisive, it's great at one level that they are decisive, but as the actor, often I'm left thinking, I only got three takes at that. Oh my God, I'm sure there's more I could have done, but you just really never know. You just have to trust your director.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple – Summary, Cast List, Release Date

Expanding upon the world created by Danny Boyle and Alex Garland in 28 Years Later – but turning that world on its head – Nia DaCosta directs 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. In a continuation of the epic story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship – with consequences that could change the world as they know it – and Spike's (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell) becomes a nightmare he can't escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival – the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta, stars Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Chi Lewis-Parry. It will be released in theaters on January 16, 2026.

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