One of the “things” the director is referencing is a specific appendage of Samson that sent the internet ablaze after 28 Years Later was released in theaters. DaCosta was not surprised by the reaction, noting succinctly that “penises bring people together.”
Samson, like Kelson and the Jimmies, will play more of a role in The Bone Temple than he did in 28 Years Later. As many have gleaned from the trailers, his story is intrinsically tied to Kelson’s, with the Jimmies off doing their own thing right up until they aren’t. The collision between the two parties is inevitable, but it was the juxtaposition between them that really intrigued DaCosta as a filmmaker. The cruelty of the Jimmies clashing against Kelson, who DaCosta sees as the emotional heart of the film, gives opportunity for real contrast.
“You have these two trains on a track, essentially, that are going to collide,” says the director. “They’re going to end up with these two worlds in a clash, because you kind of feel that Spike and Kelson are going to interact again. I wanted to really lean into the sort of dark serenity that Kelson’s been able to find in the apocalypse, and also the cruelty, the violence, the mercurialness, the erratic energy of the Jimmies. So while we are hoping that Spike and Kelson come back together, we’re also nervous about what that will mean.”
As photos have already revealed, Sir Jimmy Crystal and his band are not the only ones with a bleak side in the apocalypse. While thus far we have only seen the doctor’s respect for the dead via his worship of the concept of memento mori—hence the mountain of skulls from which The Bone Temple earns its title—we’ll also get the opportunity to see a darker side of the healer.
“This is another thing about getting to know Kelson more. You’re like, ‘What a dark-sided freak he is!’” DaCosta says with a laugh. “But when you actually talk to him and engage with him, you realize the beauty of his point of view in life. [Through] memento mori, you understand that he’s basically a humanist, and I think a part of that is being curious and being hopeful.”
With the Jimmies’ inevitable collision with Kelson and, by proxy, Samson, comes a duality to the visuals within The Bone Temple. It wasn’t enough for the emotionality and dialogue to differentiate the characters; DaCosta insisted that the film be shot that way as well. As such, the visuals and style differ depending on which set of characters is the focus of the scene.
