Aaron Taylor-Johnson says innovative filming make 28 Years Later ‘like no other'

Aaron Taylor-Johnson says innovative filming make 28 Years Later 'like no other'
The latest instalment of the apocalyptic drama franchise is directed by Danny Boyle, who filmed some of the scenes on iPhones
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alfie Williams, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Danny Boyle attend the "28 Years Later" World Premiere at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on June 18, 2025
(Image: 2025 Getty Images )
Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson said his latest film 28 Years Later has "got a feel that's like no other movie", thanks to the experimental way it was shot.
The latest instalment of the apocalyptic drama franchise is directed by Danny Boyle, who filmed some of the scenes on iPhones.
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Taylor-Johnson told 6 Music's Nick Grimshaw: "An iPhone can do that thing where, if someone puts it in your face, it feels very intrusive and makes you feel quite vulnerable.
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"It cuts through a barrier that you don't usually have. They were being super innovative with the way they were shooting this film.
"Every day going to work was the most exciting thing, because everything just felt fresh and new.
"Danny creates this environment that allows you to be experimental and you never know if it's going to work, or if it's not going to work.
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"But the end product, when you see this movie, it's got a feel that's like no other movie, because they're just inventing ways of shooting."
Taylor-Johnson appears alongside Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes in the film, which is set 28 years after the accidental release of a highly contagious virus which caused the breakdown of society.
Taylor-Johnson said the movie, which premiered in London's Leicester Square on Wednesday night, is "very visceral".
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But he added "there's a beautiful family drama within it".
"It's very grounded, it says a lot about society, " he said.
Taylor-Johnson, who lives in Somerset with his wife Back To Black director Sam Taylor-Johnson, told Grimshaw he does not have a ticket to Glastonbury this year, but often "at the last minute I find myself there".
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"We usually go every year and it's fantastic," he said.
"It feels like the kick-off to summer. Our house is packed. We've had a few times where we've actually had yurts in our field and garden.
"It's a laugh to have everyone staying close by, and then we all go in."

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Danny Boyle: Slumdog Millionaire was cultural appropriation

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Last December Aaron and Sam were joined by Angelica and Jessie Phoenix on the red carpet for the premiere of his movie Kraven The Hunter. 16 Aaron wished his stepdaughter Jessie Phoenix happy birthday last year Credit: Instagram@/aarontaylorjohnson Advertisement 16 Attending the Kraven The Hunter premiere last December with elder daughters Angelica and Jessie Phoenix - in a photo op that sparked controversy Credit: Getty 16 The couple still collaborate on projects - like their 2019 film A Million Little Pieces Credit: Getty Images - Getty Posing for the cameras, Aaron put his arm around Jessie Phoenix and gave her a reassuring stroke on the back. The candid moment - a fatherly gesture no doubt intended to reassure the camera-shy teenager - was catnip to twisted internet trolls who branded the it 'disgusting', while TikTok lit up with clips of the moment. Wild conspiracy theories of an illicit affair flooded the comments, with one commenter questioning: 'Are they flirting?' and another writing: 'What if being with the grandma is all a show and he's with her daughter?' Advertisement A third added: 'If I didn't know their story, I would think that was his girlfriend.' Unsurprisingly the couple, nor their children, dignified the ludicrous furore with a response. Their reaction was the same when, two years ago, vicious rumours swirled that Aaron had an affair with his much younger Bullet Train co-star Joey King, 25. I much prefer being a parent to working. Doesn't everybody? Aaron Taylor-Johnson In his early 20s, father-of-four Aaron claimed he was just as happy playing a stay-at-home dad as he was leading blockbuster films. His early roles in their relationship included Kick Ass, Savages, Anna Karenina and Godzilla. Advertisement When Sam won the highly-contested directing gig for Fifty Shades of Grey in 2015, he took time off to man the fort at home. As he later told The Post, 'I much prefer being a parent to working. Doesn't everybody? The best time I have is with my kids, experiencing their growth and their life with them. I think it's important to have time to enjoy that.' As for Sam, she paid tribute to him while promoting the film, saying, "Being in an amazing relationship, having come out of a difficult one, it felt so good [that he stayed at home while she worked]. 'And I feel like that stability has enabled me to get on with doing this momentous project." She then returned the favour, enabling him to star in 2016's Nocturnal Animals to rave reviews and a Golden Globe Award. Advertisement Paying tribute to his beloved in his speech, he said: "I want to thank my wife for being there with me, supporting me through this. 'Thank you for putting up with me. Jesus, that was not very pleasant in this role, so you're my soulmate and I love you very much… I'm blessed. I have four beautiful daughters: Anjelica, Phoenix, Wylda, and Romy, I love you all very much." Sam has described Aaron as an old soul in a younger man's body, and claims their strong union has come from their ability to ignore the uproar. 16 The couple have been inseparable since the day they met Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 They still post loved-up snaps together Credit: Instagram/@aarontaylorjohnson Advertisement 16 Sam's ex Jay Jopling, now 62, had a fling with Lily Allen, now 40, when she was 23 Credit: Big Pictures In 2017, she said: 'If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage. 'People like to talk about [the age gap]. I'm like, 'Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage'. It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages.' Ironically, months before she and Aaron went public, her ex Jay Jopling was embroiled in his own age-gap romance when he was pictured kissing a then 23-year-old Lily Allen in the Caribbean. The fling fizzled out quickly, but he was never tarnished with the same 'groomer' label as Sam. Advertisement Power play Speaking in 2023, Amelia Kelley, a trauma-informed therapist, told Business Insider that criticism surrounding the Taylor-Johnsons was blatant misogyny. "When we see an older woman with a younger man, it underscores that the woman isn't as young as we think they should be,' she said. 'That could be uncomfortable for someone to see.' Yet Elizabeth Jeglic, a professor of psychology at John Jay College in New York, argued against the gendered critique, suggesting it was Sam who could have abused her position of power. "The person who is older tends to be a person who has more power or more experience,' she said. Advertisement 'They often will select individuals who are younger and more inexperienced because they're more vulnerable. And that creates an unequal power dynamic." Aaron's still surprised by the furore and frenzy his age-gap romance stirs up. 16 The happy couple renewed their vows in 2022 Credit: Instagram/@aarontaylorjohnson 16 They also have matching tattoos of each other's names Credit: Instagram/@_dr_woo_ Speaking last year to Rolling Stone, he said, 'What you gotta realise is that what most people were doing in their twenties, I was doing when I was 13. Advertisement 'You're doing something too quickly for someone else? I don't understand that. What speed are you supposed to enjoy life at? It's bizarre to me." General consensus is that Aaron wasn't seeking a mummy figure because of any maternal hole in his life. He's in fact remained incredibly close to his own mother, Sarah, who accompanied him to film sets throughout his young career, taught him 'how to be a man' and has played an active role in raising her grandchildren. As for his early dating life there's no sign of any prior 'older woman fetish', with previous flings including actresses Georgia Groome, 33, and Alice Connor, 34. Likewise, it doesn't seem like Sam was simply looking for someone to baby or boss around. Advertisement She may be a bigwig director, but she's just as happy sharing the spotlight with her incredibly successful, increasingly handsome younger husband. Aaron's role in Danny Boyle's latest epic promises to strengthen his position as one of the UK's most successful actors on both sides of the pond - while whispers that he's favourite to play the next James Bond continue. As the couple hit the red carpet this week, now aged 35 and 58 respectively, one cynic wrote, 'son and great-grandma', while another commented, 'She really got her claws in deep, that one.' But refreshingly, many comments now celebrate the pair, with one writing: 'Good on them for proving haters wrong.' Another added: 'Age is just a number when you love each other as this couple obviously do.' Advertisement It's safe to say they'll never stop courting controversy - as every time they step out together, the public are reminded of how it all began. But over a decade later, the Taylor-Johnsons continue to put two fingers up to their doubters.