28 Years Later Director Explains Appearance of Britain's Most Iconic Tree, Despite Vandals Chopping It Down

Director Danny Boyle has discussed however Britain's astir iconic histrion features successful 28 Years Later — contempt the movie being changeable much than a twelvemonth aft vandals chopped it down.

Boyle's post-apocalyptic 28 Days Later movie bid has ever included a dense absorption connected British culture, and caller introduction 28 Years Later is nary different, with references to the children's classical TV amusement The Teletubbies and a peculiarly notorious taste fig who is champion near down a sizable spoiler warning.

But arsenic British fans of the bid flock to spot the film, 1 different notable inclusion that's been spotted is the histrion astatine Sycamore Gap — an iconic determination successful the English countryside that dominated nationalist headlines erstwhile the histrion was illegally felled.

For those unfamiliar, the 150-year-old Sycamore Gap histrion was positioned successful a photogenic tourer hotspot successful the bluish English region of Northumberland, adjacent to an past Roman structure, Hadrian's Wall, that erstwhile divided the state from Scotland.

The histrion gained peculiar fame from being featured successful the 1991 Kevin Costner classical Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves — with immoderate dubbing the sycamore arsenic 'the Robin Hood tree' arsenic a result.

In the aboriginal hours of September 28, 2023, the histrion was chopped down successful an enactment deemed by constabulary to beryllium "deliberate vandalism." Two men successful their 30s who filmed themselves felling the histrion connected their mobile phones were aboriginal arrested and charged with causing £623,335 worthy of transgression harm to some the histrion itself and Hadrian's Wall, upon which the sycamore had fallen. Both person since been recovered guilty, but await sentencing.

The Sycamore Gap tree, earlier its felling. Image credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images.

Now, the histrion lives again, successful the alternate satellite of 28 Years Later. Speaking to IGN, Boyle said that the inclusion of the Sycamore Gap histrion was "obviously 1 of the pleasures you person successful a movie similar this. Like, for instance, the assemblage would not beryllium alert the Queen had died... You get oppurtunities to works small Easter eggs similar that.

"Who knows what would person happened to the Queen successful an apocalypse. Presumably the leaders, arsenic they're seen, would beryllium airlifted retired and protected, that's tended to beryllium what happens. So possibly they ideate she inactive fondly rules successful sanction from the continent."

Speaking to Sky News, Boyle revealed however the movie had brought the iconic sycamore backmost to life.

"It had already been destroyed by the clip we came to film, truthful we recreated it for the aforesaid reasons that you spot the Queen successful this," Boyle said, "all the things that person happened to america successful the past 28 years person not happened."

Much of 28 Years Later was filmed successful Northumberland, truthful Boyle said that resurrecting the histrion — "one of their astir beauteous icons" — was a "real privilege which we felt we couldn't ignore."

"We've recreated it deliberately to accidental that it was inactive growing," helium concluded, "which is simply a fantastic tribute."

So, contempt each the horrible things going connected successful the satellite of 28 Years Later, astatine slightest there's 1 happening that's amended than the existent mentation of 2025. Fancy a drawback up connected the series? 28 Days Later is presently streaming free. Looking to theorise connected what 28 Years Later's bizarre ending means for the series? We've got thoughts connected that too.

Image credit: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social