How Apocalypse Now Drove Nia DaCosta to Direct Against All Odds
Nia DaCosta reveals how the chaos and boldness of Apocalypse Now inspired her filmmaking journey. Despite recent box office challenges, her creative vision and versatility continue to set her apart in Hollywood.
It would be unfortunate if 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple ended up being remembered as a box office disappointment. The film stands out for its originality, and both audiences and critics have responded positively. With Nia DaCosta at the helm, it boasts a director whose talent is undeniable. Perhaps its release came too soon after Danny Boyle’s third entry in the franchise last year, or maybe the confusing titles led some to believe they’d already seen it. Regardless, the movie hasn’t reached the financial expectations set for it.
The ingredients for success were all there: a script from Alex Garland, powerhouse performances by Jack O’Connell and Ralph Fiennes, and DaCosta’s direction. She’s become one of the most sought-after filmmakers today, thanks to her work on Candyman, produced by Jordan Peele, and the 2025 drama Hedda, which earned Tessa Thompson a Golden Globe nomination. DaCosta has proven her ability to tackle a wide range of genres, including big-budget superhero films like 2023’s The Marvels.
Finding Inspiration in Cinematic Chaos
DaCosta credits a diverse set of films as influences, but one stands out above the rest: Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now. She shared with Ioncinema,
“I found this in high school by way of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The sheer fucking audacity of this movie and the people who made it make it one of my all-time favourites and biggest inspiration for becoming a director.”
Apocalypse Now is infamous for its troubled production. The film went massively over budget and schedule, with Martin Sheen suffering a heart attack, Harvey Keitel leaving the project, and typhoons destroying sets. Coppola even wrote to George Lucas for financial help after Star Wars became a blockbuster. The conditions on set were so extreme that, at one point, a local provided real human corpses instead of dummies for props, leading to a police investigation and the discovery that the supplier was a grave robber. The film finally premiered two years late, but managed to earn five times its budget and received eight Oscar nominations, winning two, including Best Cinematography. Coppola later released a 202-minute ‘redux’ version in 2001.
DaCosta’s Ongoing Creative Journey
DaCosta, who has written for nearly every major project she’s directed, is currently developing a new TV series called Southern Bastards. The show follows a war veteran traveling to Alabama in search of her father, only to uncover a world steeped in crime.
The future of 28 Years Later as a trilogy depends on the performance of this latest installment. If it moves forward, Alex Garland is set to write the script, with Danny Boyle likely returning to direct. There’s also talk of Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Jim, which he first played in 2002’s 28 Days Later, alongside Brendan Gleeson.