Tom Rothman, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, says the studio will keep making films in the UK despite May’s tariff threats from US president Donald Trump.
“The UK is still a very significant destination for us,” Rothman told Screen at the world premiere of Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, which filmed on location in the north of England and is produced by the UK’s DNA Films.
“The UK, in addition to being a favourable economic environment, has some of the best crews in the world,” Rothman continued.
This summer, Sony is filming Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Beatles four-part epic in the country. “It’s a wonderful place to make movies,” he added.
Rothman said it was important to have filmed 28 Years Later in the UK. “It is very much an English film. Danny and Alex [Garland, screenwriter] take pride in its Englishness, so that’s a movie that could not have been made anywhere else.”
Last month, President Trump stated on social media that he was looking into imposing a 100% tariff on non-US films in an attempt to bring more productions back to the country. Further details or confirmation have yet to be announced.
Trilogy potential, Geordie accents
Sony is releasing 28 Years Later worldwide from June 19. The film comes 23 years after Boyle and Garland’s 28 Days Later, and 18 years since 28 Weeks Later. Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star as a couple living in an isolated community on an island off the northeast coast of England. Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Alfie Williams co-star.
A second film, the Nia DaCosta-directed 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, shot back-to-back with the first film and will be released by Sony in January 2026.
As for a third instalment, Rothman said they are waiting to see how this first one does at the box office. “We’re waiting on the audience,” he said. “If the audience loved it as much as we do, we’ll be charging ahead.”
Boyle confirmed to Screen they are waiting for the greenlight for a third film too, which would see the return of Cillian Murphy, who starred in 28 Days Later. “[Murphy] has a significant role to play in the second film and a massive role to play in the third film,” Boyle revealed.
“We’re still looking to finance the third film. We’ll have to wait and see how we do. I think that will influence whether we get the money for the third film.”
Murphy is an executive producer on the first 28 Years Later, with Boyle joking they “paid him £50” for the role. Boyle and Garland both produce the feature alongside Andrew Macdonald’s UK-based DNA Films and Peter Rice and Bernard Bellew.
Boyle admits the Geordie accents used by the characters played by Comer and Taylor-Johnson in the film made “everybody neurotically nervous” that audiences would not be able to understand them. The characters hail from the northeast city of Newcastle.
But “it turns out that the Geordie accident is fine,” said Boyle. “It’s weird. You can’t predict this, but the Americans, when they watched it, they’re fine. They understood it. We did test screenings and it was fine. I was expecting a whole shit storm of problems with re-voicing and all that kind of stuff.
“They did a little bit of re-voicing for the trailers, because they’re instant things. You have to get just one word or one sentence.”