‘28 Days Later‘ is probably one of the greatest post-apocalyptic movies made in the last few years. But with a tight $8 million budget, how could the creators afford to film empty London streets?
You’ll be surprised to learn that the crew likely couldn’t close down areas of London or use CGI for filming due to budget constraints. So, how did Danny Boyle make London look completely empty?
How The Crew Of ’28 Days Later’ Actually Created An Empty London
The most memorable empty London scene of ‘28 Days Later’ is when we see Cillian Murphy as the bicycle courier Jim, waking up from a coma, only to find the whole city deserted.
Related: Cillian Murphy Set To Make A “Surprising” Comeback In Horror Film ’28 Days Later’
The crew’s trick for filming these scenes was simply to wake up earlier. The team woke up at dawn every day to start filming before the city became busy. They also used many small, easy-to-handle cameras so the crew could quickly gather footage.
In an interview, Cillian Murphy revealed the hard work and coordination it took from the whole filming crew to make this possible. “They would ask people to stop walking, and then the art department would come in and dress it really quickly. And they had cameras all over the place,” he said.
The Westminster Bridge scene is the best example. It’s usually packed with people and traffic, but in the film, it looks completely abandoned. Getting that shot without CGI or roadblocks shows just how smart and efficient the team was.
How The Empty London Scenes Became The Film’s Most Important Aspect
These scenes were certainly a big eye-opener for Hollywood, which mostly relies on CGI to get such footage. But ‘28 Days Later‘ showed what can be achieved through complete dedication. This not only saved money but also made the movie more realistic.
In case you missed it: Cillian Murphy Calls Acting “The Shy Man’s Revenge” And His Reason For Rejecting Stardom Totally Makes Sense
London is usually loud and crowded, and seeing it so quiet and empty goes perfectly with Jim’s condition. He wakes up from a coma into a world that has completely changed, and the silence around him reflects that confusion and shock in a very natural way.
This realism is what makes Jim’s journey so powerful. He starts out as a harmless, terrified courier, but as he comes to understand that his future depends on protecting the people around him, he becomes someone willing to fight and take control. And these opening scenes capture that feeling perfectly.
You might also like to read: Cillian Murphy Just Ended ‘Harry Potter’ Voldemort Rumor With One Legendary Response
