Aaron Taylor-Johnson Dodges Big Bond Question on '28 Years Later' Red Carpet
As the star of 28 Years Later, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has some big shoes to fill; Cillian Murphy was incredible in the first film, 28 Days Later, and Robert Carlyle was great in the sometimes forgotten sequel, 28 Weeks Later.
But, no matter how good Taylor-Johnson is in the new Danny Boyle-directed zombie flick, what he's doing next is on everyone's mind. For years now, Taylor-Johnson has been the leading favorite to take over the role of James Bond. But now, is that actually going to happen?
While on the red carpet for 28 Years Later, Taylor-Johnson was directly asked by Deadline what he's doing next. His answer was simple: "I can't talk about it."
On X, where the brief clip was posted of Taylor-Johnson's non-answer, many users chimed in, noting that this refusal to talk to Deadline could totally mean that Taylor-Johnson does have the job as 007, and is admitting it, by saying he "can't talk about it."
While it's also possible that Taylor-Johnson could be doing some other big franchise (he was the original Quicksilver in the MCU), the idea that he's already locked and loaded to play James Bond is starting to feel more and more possible.
As of this writing, the new 007 film is currently in development by Amazon/MGM. Producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are prepping the film in London, and rumors are flying about who could play the next James Bond.
Taylor-Johnson might not be the next Bond. But if he is, how do we feel about his poker face?Aaron Taylor-Johnson Dodges Big Bond Question on '28 Years Later' Red Carpet first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2025
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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Why a boutique video label is taking over L.A.'s theaters, plus the week's best movies
Hello! I'm Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies. Among this week's new releases is '28 Years Later,' the third film in the series that dates back to 2002's '28 Days Later.' The new project reunites the core creative team from the first movie: director Danny Boyle, screenwriter Alex Garland, cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle and producer Andrew Macdonald. This time out the 'rage' virus that turns people into crazed cannibal monsters has been isolated to the U.K., which has been quarantined from the rest of the world. A small community of uninfected survivors live on a coastal island and make their way to the mainland to hunt and for supplies. A teenage boy (Alfie Williams), having made one expedition with his father (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), goes back with his ailing mother (Jodie Comer) in search of a doctor (Ralph Fiennes) rumored to be able to help them. In her review of the film, Amy Nicholson wrote that it 'has a dull central plot beefed up by unusual ambition, quirky side characters and maniacal editing. It's a kooky spectacle, a movie that aggressively cuts from moments of philosophy to violence, from pathos to comedy. Tonally, it's an ungainly creature. From scene to scene, it lurches like the brain doesn't know what the body is doing. Garland and Boyle don't want the audience to know either, at least not yet.' '28 Years Later' is the first film in a planned trilogy, with the second film, directed by Nia DaCosta, having already been shot. I spoke with Boyle, Garland, Mantle and Macdonald for a feature story that will be in print on Sunday. Whereas the original '28 Days Later' was notable for its use of consumer-grade digital video cameras, this time the production used modified iPhones to capture most of its imagery. The result is a fresh and distinctive look with both a sense of immediacy and an unexpected beauty. 'What was great about the script is that although you were inheriting some DNA from the original film, it was a completely original story,' said Boyle. 'And deserved to be treated like that.' This week the boutique home video label Cinématographe is participating in screenings all over town, further cementing the evolving relationship between physical media and the local revival scene. Curated and produced by Justin LaLiberty as an offshoot of the Vinegar Syndrome label, Cinématographe is among a handful of companies that create releases meant to look as nice on your shelf as they do onscreen. With beautiful restorations presenting the titles as optimally as possible, the releases come with many extras highlighting their production and what makes them special, alongside new critical essays on the films. Among the titles released by the company so far are John Dahl's 'Red Rock West,' Paul Schrader's 'Touch,' Robert Altman's 'Thieves Like Us' and Martha Coolidge's 'Joy of Sex.' 'Cinématographe has a very specific kind of curatorial approach,' said LaLiberty in a Zoom call this week from his home in Connecticut. 'And it also has a mission in that it's trying to shine a light on these movies that have fallen into obscurity for one reason or another.' Working in conjunction with the local screening collective Hollywood Entertainment in pulling together some of the local events, LaLiberty got a sense of the current repertory scene in L.A. and hopes that putting on Cinématographe screenings here is something that can become a regular occurrence. 'What I like about L.A.'s cinema scene, without being there, is seeing how the spaces cater to different audiences,' said LaLiberty. 'It happens in New York to an extent too, but I've noticed it a lot more with L.A. where I think just by virtue of geography, those theaters have to build a community that's a lot more specific to whatever their mission may be or whatever audience they're trying to cultivate is. So that's what I tried to do with these screenings is kind of hone in on what demographic those spaces are going to reach and what film made the most sense for each one.' On Sunday at Brain Dead Studios there will be a restored 4K screening of the exuberant 1983 remake of 'Breathless' with director Jim McBride in person. That will be followed by the Los Angeles premiere of the 4K restoration of Bob Saget's 1998 comedy 'Dirty Work,' starring Norm MacDonald, in its newly created 'Dirtier Cut,' which restores the film to a version screened for test audiences before it was chopped down to earn a PG-13 rating. Co-writer Frank Sebastiano will be in attendance. On Monday, LaLiberty will be at a pop-up at the Highland Park video store Vidéotheque, selling discs from Cinématographe, Vinegar Syndrome and affiliated titles from OCN Distribution — including some that are out of print. (Discs will be on sale at all the events too.) On Tuesday at Whammy Analog Media, 1994's essential lesbian rom-com 'Go Fish' will show in a 4K restoration with director and co-writer Rose Troche in person. On Wednesday, there will be a 45th anniversary screening at Vidiots of the 4K restoration of Ronald F. Maxwell's 1980 'Little Darlings,' starring Tatum O'Neal and Kristy McNichol as two teenage girls having a private competition at summer camp to lose their virginity. On Thursday, in conjunction with Cinematic Void, the Los Feliz 3 will host a showing of John Badham's 1994 action-thriller 'Drop Zone' starring Wesley Snipes, with the director in person. And while it may seem counterintuitive for a home video label to be encouraging people to go see movies in theaters, for LaLiberty the two go hand in hand. 'My ultimate mission is for these films to find an audience,' LaLiberty said. ''Little Darlings' is one of those movies that was out of circulation for so long that now that it's back and people can find it — to me that's the work. The end goal is that these films are brought back and that they're available for people to see and talk about and share. Theaters can play them and have them look great. I don't see it as cannibalizing. I see it as just being a part of the job.' The American Cinematheque is launching a series looking at films from Southeast Asia made around the turn of the 21st century and shot through with the energy of specific Y2K anxieties. These were films that felt cutting-edge and of the moment when they were released, but now perhaps function at least in part as memory pieces of their time and place. This is a sharp, smartly put-together series that contextualizes a group of films and filmmakers. Kicking off with Wong Kar-wai's 1995 'Fallen Angels,' the series also includes Hou Hsiao-hsien's 2001 'Millennium Mambo,' Tsai Ming-liang's 1992 'Rebels of the Neon God,' Fruit Chan's 1997 'Made in Hong Kong,' Shunji Iwai's 2001 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' Jia Zhangke's 2002 'Unknown Pleasures' and Lou Ye's 2000 'Suzhou River.' Writing about 'Fallen Angels' in 1998, Kevin Thomas called it 'an exhilarating rush of a movie, with all manner of go-for-broke visual bravura that expresses perfectly the free spirits of his bold young people. … Indeed, 'Fallen Angels' celebrates youth, individuality and daring in a ruthless environment that is wholly man-made, a literal underworld similar to the workers' realm of 'Metropolis' — only considerably less spacious. Life proceeds at a corrosive rock music beat.' 'Dogtooth' in 4K Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos' second feature, 'Dogtooth,' was his international breakthrough, winner of the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes and nominated for an Oscar. Yet even its most ardent admirers at the time would likely never have imagined Lanthimos would become the maker of commercially successful, Oscar-winning (and still weird) films such as 'The Favourite' and 'Poor Things.' A new 4K restoration of 'Dogtooth' will screen at the American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz 3 on Saturday, Tuesday and Sunday the 29th. The story feels abstracted and fractured, as a family lives in comfortable isolation, creating their own rules and language as the parents attempt to keep their children, now young adults, in a state of arrested development. When it was first being released, 'Dogtooth' struggled to find screens in Los Angeles. In my January 2011 review, I referred to it as 'part enigma, part allegory and even part sci-fi in its creation of a completely alternate reality.' When the film had its local premiere as part of the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival some seven months earlier, I spoke to Lanthimos, who perhaps pointed the way to some of his future work when he said, 'It's much more important to me for the audience to be engaged and to think about things themselves. If they miss any information, I'm OK with that instead of explaining every little detail and telling everyone what they should be thinking and how exactly things are.' Lanthimos added, 'People ask me if the film is about home-schooling or if it's political, about totalitarian states or the information we get from the media. And of course all those things were not in our minds as we were making the film, but it was intentional to make the film so people can come in and have their own thoughts about it.' 'The Seven Year Itch' 70th anniversary On Wednesday the Laemmle Royal will present a 70th anniversary screening of Billy Wilder's 'The Seven Year Itch' introduced by film writers Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan. Starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell, 'Itch' was written by Wilder and George Axelrod, an adaptation of the hit Broadway play that also starred Ewell. Though the movie does include the iconic scene of Monroe standing over a subway grate, it deserves to be remembered for much more than that. It's a bracing satire of midcentury masculinity, with Ewell playing a mild-mannered family man who lets himself be taken away by fantasies of what may happen while he is on his own for a summer with a young single woman living upstairs from his New York apartment. Writing about the movie in June 1955, Edwin Schallert said, 'This picture is nothing for the moralists, though it may not quite satisfy the immoralists either, whoever they are.' Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton among honorary Oscar recipients This week the motion picture academy announced four honorees for the Governors Awards in November. Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, while honorary Oscars will go to actor, dancer, choreographer and director Debbie Allen, production designer Wynn Thomas and actor and producer Tom Cruise. As always, it must be noted how disappointing it is that these awards will be bestowed at an untelevised ceremony and not as part of the Academy Awards telecast itself. The idea of giving an award to Tom Cruise, who has recently refashioned himself as nothing less than an international ambassador for movies and Hollywood in general, and not putting it on TV is just beyond reason. Here is hoping that Cruise will perhaps be able to do what his co-star in 'The Color of Money' Paul Newman once did, which is win a competitive Oscar after already being given an honorary one.
Geek Vibes Nation
an hour ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
'Doctor Who: Pursuit' Review - A Mind-Bending Trip Through Multiversal Horrors
Big Finish Productions sends listeners back into the depths of the Time War with Doctor Who: Time War – Uncharted 2: Pursuit . When we last saw the Doctor, Alex, and Cass in last year's Reflections , Alex had just stolen the Doctor's TARDIS and taken Cass alongside him on adventures unknown, determined to prove that he could do a better job saving the universe than the Doctor does. But unknown to Alex, untold horrors await the pair of them as they journey further into the uncharted. Continuing from where the previous Uncharted box set left off, Doctor Who: Pursuit offers an even more mind-bending exploration of the horrors of a Time War through a collection of thrilling and horrific stories that manage to perfectly straddle the line between epic war adventures and intimate character drama. Put simply, it's Doctor Who at its very best. 'Spoil of War' by Mark Wright When Alex (Sonny McGann) and Cass (Emma Campbell-Jones) arrive at a strange manor crewed by a staff that seems to have expected their arrival, they uncover an unusual auction where little is as it seems. Meanwhile, as the Doctor (Paul McGann) and Hieronyma Friend (Niky Wardley) chase after them, they discover they've all fallen into some kind of an alternate universe ruled by Gallifreyan Sontarans. But what exactly is being auctioned at this mysterious manor and can the Doctor and Hieronyma find Alex and Cass before it's too late? Mark Wright's 'Spoil of War' acts as both a continuation of the Eighth Doctor's previous Time War box set, Reflections , and as a pilot for a new kind of Doctor Who adventure. The story itself is a bit lowkey, with Alex and Cass mostly trying to find their footing in their new dynamic. Who are they without the Doctor? Is Alex really so different from his great-grandfather? And how does their relationship change as Alex desperately tries to run away from his great-grandfather while Cass finds herself caught in the middle of this spat? These are the questions at the heart of the story, and Wright delves into them in a wonderfully thorny and vulnerable way. 'Spoils of War' is Alex and Cass's story, even as the Doctor and Hieronyma lurk on the outskirts of the story, trying to break in. It's the kind of story that acts more as a prelude for what's to come rather than a fully formed story in its own right, but it proves quite enticing nonetheless. (8/10) 'The Tale of Alex' by Katharine Armitage Hot on the heels of Alex and Cass, the Doctor and Hieronyma arrive on the planet of Igg—only to find the citizens blame the Doctor for their plight as Tarsin the Bard (Sam Stafford) sings stories of the Doctor's last visit and how he left the population to starve after saving them from a deadly blight. Meanwhile, Alex and Cass arrived a week earlier, hoping to undo that damage. Time, however, always finds a way to reassert itself, and the planet Igg finds itself caught between two warring potential timelines leaving Alex to decide the planet's future. What makes Katharine Armitage's 'The Tale of Alex' so compelling is that it's simultaneously a critique of the Doctor's habit of leaving a world directly after saving it and an exploration of what might happen if someone like the Doctor did stay to help the citizens rebuild. 'The Tale of Alex' is a story of two warring viewpoints—the Doctor's and Alex's. Alex feels the Doctor's approach to the universe is fundamentally flawed and tries to do things differently, to save people regardless of the wider context of the situation surrounding him. And the drama rests in that tug of war between those viewpoints. Sonny McGann shines here in delving into the notion that the harder Alex tries to rebel against the Doctor and his actions, the more Doctor-like he becomes. Armitage does something quite compelling with her script too, playing with the idea of how stories can shift and change, altering your view of who the 'hero' is and who the 'villain' is. 'The Tale of Alex' asks the audience to decide whether Alex is the hero and the Doctor is the villain—or vice versa—and it thrives in those twisty, shifty, murky waters. It's a clever, well-paced little character study that dives deep into both Alex and the Doctor in the most compelling of ways. (9/10) 'See-Saw' by James Moran When Alex and Cass arrive in 1924 London, answering a distress signal of some kind, they find the city freshly abandoned; a place they shouldn't be able to get to as the Earth has been time-locked to protect it from the Time War. And yet, here they are, hot on the trail of a strange little girl singing a haunting nursery rhyme they feel compelled to complete. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Hieronyma Friend (Lizzie Hopley) arrive in 1924 London, answering a distress signal of some kind, and find the city freshly abandoned. They're in the same time and place as Alex and Cass, and yet they can't see them. And Alex and Cass, in turn, can't see the Doctor and Hieronyma. But what could have possibly happened to London? And what role does the strange little girl and her unsettling nursery rhyme play? After the previous, more character-focused, stories, James Moran's 'See-Saw' offers a dose of psychological horror. Building on some of the themes in 'The Tale of Alex', 'See-Saw' furthers the exploration of how Alex's methods differ from those of the Doctor—except this time, it focuses on how well the Doctor and Alex work together nonetheless. It's a very timey-wimey story, perfect for the Time War series, complete with the kind of psychological threat that makes your brain hurt the more you think about it. But Moran's script works exceedingly well, even if it feels very small and contained. Though the box set's overarching story kind of takes a back seat here, it all feels like it's leading somewhere, with 'See-Saw' the opening salvo of a grander battle to come. As it is, 'See-Saw' offers a self-contained dose of psychological horror in a tightly-paced, immensely creepy package. (8.5/10) 'The First Forest' by Tim Foley When the Doctor, Hieronyma (Niky Wardley), Alex, and Cass crash in the most unusual of forests, they find a world besieged by shifting timelines. But with Cass missing, can the Doctor and Alex set aside their differences and come together to find their missing friend? Or will the ever-changing winds of time bring an end to the TARDIS team? All roads lead here, and this uncharted universe is finally beginning to unfold. With 'The First Forest', Tim Foley takes various story threads led across both Uncharted box sets and begins to weave them into some kind of a tapestry. Expect answers to long ruminating questions alongside a bushel of new questions. Naturally, the less you know about 'The First Forest', the better. But Foley delivers the auditory equivalent of a season finale in the best of ways—it's an ending of sorts that also throws open the doors for the next Uncharted box set. At its heart, though, underneath all of the mindbending shifting timelines, 'The First Forest' is a story of forgiveness. It's the culmination of the Doctor and Alex's journey across both Reflections and Pursuit and even if it's perhaps a bit too easy of a culmination, it's no less emotionally satisfying. Put simply, 'The First Forest' does everything a good finale needs to do; it brings Pursuit 's ongoing storylines to some kind of conclusion while leaving you desperate to hear what happens next. (9.5/10) Final Thoughts Doctor Who: Pursuit proves exactly why Big Finish's ongoing Time War series is some of its most experimental and intriguing work. Sure, it's still very Doctor Who-shaped , hardly straying away from the general structure of a Doctor Who story. But it pushes the Doctor Who format down such unusual avenues, often eschewing the kinds of plots Doctor Who often tackles in favor of telling these very introspective stories set against an almost incomprehensible, unknowable conflict. And that dichotomy is exactly what makes these stories so compelling. They're not bogged down by the immense lore that comes with the Time War, instead the freedom of the Time War's strangeness gives them this palpable energy that permeates every single story. It's Doctor Who at its very best and a must-listen for all Whovians. Doctor Who: Time War – Uncharted 2: Pursuit is available now from Big Finish Productions.
Geek Vibes Nation
an hour ago
- Geek Vibes Nation
'28 Years Later' Review - Grim Sentimentality Meets Gruesome Rite Of Passage
Synopsis: It's been almost three decades since the rage virus escaped a biological weapons laboratory, and now, still in a ruthlessly enforced quarantine, some have found ways to exist amidst the infected. One such group of survivors lives on a small island connected to the mainland by a single, heavily defended causeway. When one of the group leaves the island on a mission into the dark heart of the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors as well. Whether society unscrupulously crawls towards its own demise or technology continues to overtake every facet of daily life, it's important to keep a physical record of our history, traditions, recipes, and way of life. If movies or our current political climate are any indication, cultism and factions are an almost certain outcome. While I don't think any of us wants a hopeless future, the hubris and greed of those in charge, and who harbor most of the wealth, take us down paths that affect us more than them. Stay informed, stay vigilant, stay woke, and stay together. 'The more you kill, the easier it gets.' If left to fend for yourself, do you end up like Jimmy, Spike, or one of the rage-riddled infected? I guess you'll have to watch to find out. From the enigmatic minds of Danny Boyle and Alex Garland, 28 Years Later is grim sentimentality meets gruesome rite of passage. The highly anticipated third installment in the cult film franchise is thought-provoking, mystifying, potent, and the precise jolt the evolution of this universe needs to propel forward. While certain artistic and narrative choices are unusual or bizarre when compared to Days and Weeks , it's clear that a new direction is being taken. As every feature is connected by region and outbreak of the Rage Virus, like its predecessor, 28 Years Later is a standalone sequel. However, unlike its predecessor, this story and its characters will directly connect to its forthcoming sequel. Residing in a rebuilt future within a small, barricaded, makeshift community, those left behind and forgotten from the mainland have found a way to continue as a society. As subliminal flashes of vintage medieval footage permeate various sequences, we are reminded of how far these people have fallen, as the rest of the world outside Britain remains unblemished. Moreover, as we are taken through the secluded isle, the tight-knit population teeters on cult as 'Fail we may, but go we must' dominates a banner. As this tribe attempts to grow and thrive in less-than-ideal conditions, the story unfolds into a family-driven narrative intertwined with topical geo-politics. What begins with a traditional and transcendent adolescent rite of passage to the mainland to get a first kill soon turns into dysfunction, fear, and a coming-of-age journey of sorts. 'Memento mori.' As terror lurks behind every tree, over every hill, and swings a massive meat stick, there's no help in sight. It becomes evident that, like disasters and tragedies that take place outside of our purview, death and suffering persist as the rest of the world looks away or just moves on. While horror and trippiness endure, the focus on humanity rivals the first film. Highlighting the preservation and evolution of rituals, the moments are both beautiful and absurd. Alive with a pulse-pounding score and visceral cinematography, the film loses its footing with a sluggish middle and an abnormal climax. The ending, which sets up the planned sequel, feels like Robert Rodriguez crafted its tone and mood. 'Superman': DC's $225M Gamble To Save The DCU If you're looking for a fast-paced zombie massacre, this is not the movie for you. While it has its fair share of brutal kills and share-worthy moments, this post-apocalyptic allegory is more think piece than fright flick. Before the franchise's potentially exciting future is entertained, there is definitely plenty to unpack as it ponders and postulates life, death, and love. Its rewatchability is medium. Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his son Spike (Alfie Williams) in Columbia Pictures' 28 YEARS LATER. © 2024 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Pace & Pop Contrary to what the poster or trailer may have led you to perceive, the film is much more of a slow burn than expected. While the first act delivers both shock and surprise, as the journey delves into its humanity, it slows to an exploratory creep. However, the threat of infection or violent death remains immediate. What popped for me was the creative chances Boyle took. The fever-dream flair, paired with the moments that would stimulate the inebriated, adds a clever splash of artistic panic to an already dire situation. Spike (Alfie Williams), Isla (Jodie Comer) and Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) in Columbia Pictures' 28 YEARS LATER. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Characters & Chemistry Starring: Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams and Ralph Fiennes Anchored by strong emotional outings by some of the biggest names, young Alfie Williams delivers a standout performance. While Jodie Comer's Isla represents love and comfort, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Jamie depicts strength and deceit, Williams' Spike displays independence, courage, and bravery. Dr. Kelson, portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, is the voice of reason, calm, and connection to the past. Jack O'Connell gives a glimpse of the future as Jimmy. And lastly, we all get really familiar with Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson. 28 Years Later gets unleashed in theaters on June 20, 2025. Stay safe and look out for Samson's alpha. Rated: R Runtime: 1h 55m Director: Danny Boyle Writer: Alex Garland Producers: Andrew Macdonald, Peter Rice, Bernard Bellew, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland Executive Producer: Cillian Murphy Director of photography: Anthony Dod Mantle ASC, BSC, DFF Editor: Jon Harris Production & Costume Designers: Gareth Pugh and Carson McColl Score: Young Fathers Casting: Gail Stevens CDG and Rebecca Farhall
