Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alfie Williams on 28 Years Later: “The journey, it’s something special.”

Interview by Edith Bowman for Be In The Scene

The energy between Aaron Taylor-Johnson and young newcomer Alfie Williams in 28 Years Later is unmistakable. Their bond on screen is both fierce and tender, shaped by survival and love in Danny Boyle’s revived apocalyptic world. When they joined Edith Bowman for Be In The Scene, the pair spoke with warmth, humour and a quiet pride about the film’s family dynamic, its extraordinary locations and the intensity of shooting one of 2025’s most anticipated releases.

“It’s so good,” Taylor-Johnson laughed, visibly buzzing from the premiere. “I was completely invested straight away. The film’s amazing. This relationship, the journey it goes on from the beginning to the very end, it’s something special.”

Building the family dynamic

The connection between the cast began long before cameras rolled. “We had two weeks of rehearsals,” Williams explained. “It was great to just sit down and create a family dynamic, to get to know each other and build chemistry. It’s a privilege to have that time.”

Taylor-Johnson agreed. “It’s rare. You don’t usually get that space, but we had Danny Boyle, Alex Garland and Jodie Comer with us. It gave us time to build something real. And outside of rehearsals, we just hung out, which helped make it genuine.”

That sense of family carries through to the finished film. 28 Years Later feels as much about connection as contagion. “There’s a real heart and soul to it,” said Taylor-Johnson. “It’s a family drama. A coming-of-age story, really. Then it just pulls the rug from underneath you.”

Immersed in real landscapes

Bowman steered the conversation toward one of Be In The Scene’s favourite topics: locations. “You’re completely immersed in this world,” she said. “How important was it for you to actually be in those real environments – the cottage, the woods, the water?”

Taylor-Johnson didn’t hesitate. “One hundred percent. When you’re thrown into a real location and you’re properly immersed in that environment, you don’t have to do much acting. The locations do half the work. And the way they were shooting – on iPhones, actually – meant they could get in really close. It felt vulnerable, but it created this intimacy that’s so alive.”

The landscapes themselves became a character. “We were shooting in these wild places, national parks and protected land,” he continued. “Because over 28 years nature would have thrived again, taken over. So we were capturing that wildness, that sense of the world healing and growing feral again.”

Williams lit up recalling the specific places they filmed. “We were on Holy Island, which is real, up north near Newcastle. Then we shot on Osea Island down in Essex. It was beautiful, sunny – didn’t even feel like England. It felt like a different country, almost like being on an American farm. It was lovely. Felt like a holiday.”

Learning from the best

For Williams, still at the start of his career, the experience was transformative. “You just learn so much by watching everyone,” he said. “You pick up on different things and use them later. This is my first movie, so it’s been incredible.”

Taylor-Johnson beamed with pride. “I’m so proud of him. The effort and focus Alfie brought to set, the thought-provoking questions, the confidence. Danny would ask for his opinion in scenes, and he wasn’t afraid to give it. He’s brave, confident, terrific in this movie.”

Boyle’s approach to ensemble performance clearly left an impression. “He makes everyone feel part of the process,” Taylor-Johnson added. “You feel safe but challenged. And that’s where great work happens.”

Be In The Scene

As tradition goes in Be In The Scene interviews, Bowman closed by asking them both the signature question: If you could be in the scene of any film or TV show, where would you put yourself?

Williams didn’t hesitate. “Young Guns,” he said, grinning. “That finale when Billy the Kid jumps out of the box and rolls out the window – that’s my favourite film. I’d be right there in that scene.”

Taylor-Johnson’s answer was a little more introspective. “I think about Paul Thomas Anderson,” he said. “Something like The Master, with Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman on the boat. That scene where they go at each other after something major – that’s a masterclass in acting. I’d love to know what it felt like to be there.”

The road ahead

With 28 Years Later now in cinemas and its sequel already in the works, both actors seem poised at the start of something extraordinary.

“This was shot back to back,” Taylor-Johnson revealed. “Alfie had maybe two weeks off between the two. He was in every single day on this one and most of the next. It’s been full on.”

Bowman smiled as they wrapped. “You can feel that closeness between you,” she said. “It’s why the story grabs you from the first frame.”

Taylor-Johnson nodded. “It’s a special film. I can’t wait for people to see it – and I can’t wait for what comes next.”