Debuting in theaters on January 16, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple has already become one of the most talked-about movie releases of 2026 yet.
An immediate follow-up to the similarly well-received 28 Years Later, The Bone Temple once again serves as a fresh and terrifying addition to the overarching 28 Days franchise, with particular praise aimed at its writing, main narrative and the performance of Jack O’Connell deranged cult leader, Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal.
While O’Connell’s performance as the film’s disquieting antagonist has garnered continuous renown, many viewers were also quick to compliment The Bone Temple for unearthing one of the most notorious celebrity scandals in British pop culture, a topic that comes up in the form of the sinister “Jimmy cult” at the heart of the film.
As reported by Variety, the eccentric Fingers gang (also known as the Jimmies) directly model themselves after the popular British media personality, Jimmy Savile.
A visually striking DJ known for his long white hair, colorful track suits and eye-catching jewelry, Savile was among the most popular celebrities in late 20th century Britain, even earning a knighthood in 1990 for his work in various charity organizations.
Upon his death in 2011 at 84-years-old, however, various media outlets found that Savile had allegedly been involved in numerous sex crimes for approximately six decades. In the wake of his passing, hundreds of allegations against Savile made British headlines, with many of his accusers ranging from young children to elderly victims.
Rather than modeling their lead villain after the disturbing allegations surrounding Savile, 28 Days Later’s creators incorporated the disgraced celebrity as a way to analyze the difference between our cultural perception of an idyllic past against the disturbing truth of a hidden reality.
Most notably, this idea comes into play when a young Jimmy [O’Connell] is shown watching children’s television in the opening moments of 28 Years Later, years before Savile’s allegations came to the surface.
“There’s a world that ends in 2001 and for a character like Jimmy, whose life is destroyed in such an intense way, he uses these images and perverts them — and that was really important to us,” director Nia DaCosta told Variety about Savile’s influence on the film.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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