Danny Boyle defends AI Margaret Thatcher in Ink as third 28 Years Later film goes on back burner

Danny Boyle has defended his decision to recreate Margaret Thatcher's face using artificial intelligence in his latest film, Ink, and revealed that the third 28 Years Later instalment is currently on the back burner. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, the director discussed both projects during a conversation at the BFI London Film Festival on Friday 9 October, explaining that he deliberately chose not to seek permission from the former prime minister's estate.

Danny Boyle Ink and 28 Years Later key facts

Detail	What has been confirmed
Director	Danny Boyle, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety
Latest film	Ink, about Rupert Murdoch, Larry Lamb and the rise of The Sun
AI use	Margaret Thatcher's face was digitally placed over an actor's performance
Estate permission	Boyle said he chose not to ask Thatcher's estate
Film discussion	A BFI London Film Festival conversation with Puck's Matt Belloni
28 Years Later update	The third film is on the back burner, according to Variety
Previous instalments	28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Festival	The Hollywood Reporter identified the event as part of the 70th BFI London Film Festival

Why Danny Boyle used AI Margaret Thatcher in Ink

Boyle explained that he wanted audiences to see Margaret Thatcher herself rather than a conventional impersonation during scenes depicting her relationship with The Sun editor Larry Lamb. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director considered the encounters between the two figures important enough to justify a different approach to recreating the former prime minister on screen.

The film explores Rupert Murdoch's rise on Fleet Street and his takeover of The Sun, with Guy Pearce portraying Murdoch and Jack O'Connell playing Lamb, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Boyle said Thatcher's visits to Lamb's office had been documented. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he described how she would visit the editor late at night after the newspaper's edition had gone out, and the pair would drink whiskey together.

Variety provided additional detail from Boyle's remarks, reporting that Thatcher would remove her shoes and curl up on the sofa during those visits. The director presented these encounters as part of his reasoning for wanting a recognisable depiction of Thatcher rather than an ordinary imitation.

Boyle told The Hollywood Reporter: "I didn't want an impersonator. I wanted her to be it." His solution involved filming the scene with an actor before digitally replacing the performer's face with Thatcher's likeness.

Variety likewise reported that an actor performed the scene before AI technology was used to swap in Thatcher's face. Both publications described the technique as a deliberate creative decision rather than a replacement for the performance itself.

Did Danny Boyle ask Margaret Thatcher's estate for permission

Boyle acknowledged that he had not sought approval from Margaret Thatcher's estate before using artificial intelligence to reproduce her appearance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he explicitly stated that declining to ask permission had been a conscious decision.

The director told The Hollywood Reporter: "I got to be honest, I declined to ask the estate for permission to do that."

Boyle argued that the estates of influential public figures should not determine whether artists can examine those figures' influence through their work. The Hollywood Reporter quoted him questioning whether such estates should have control over artistic interpretations of the people they represent.

Variety also covered the remarks, quoting Boyle as saying: "I don't think the estate of people like Margaret Thatcher should have control over our ability to insist on ideas in art about what her influence was on our lives."

His comments placed the question of consent within a wider discussion about artistic freedom and the representation of historically influential individuals. Boyle presented the decision as particularly important to his approach to the film.

Neither The Hollywood Reporter nor Variety established whether Thatcher's estate had responded to the filmmaker's comments. Their coverage confirmed Boyle's explanation of his decision, rather than any subsequent reaction from the estate.

How artificial intelligence was used in Danny Boyle's Ink

Boyle's comments came during a wider discussion about the increasing role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director was asked whether he regarded AI as an opportunity, a threat or something else.

He described the technology as an established component of contemporary visual effects work. Boyle told The Hollywood Reporter: "It's a part of the toolbox that the visual effects companies use now."

He also said the production had approached the technology cautiously. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Boyle explained that AI had been used sparingly in Ink and that the filmmakers had taken care to ensure it did not replace people working on the production.

Variety separately reported his insistence that the technology was used carefully. Its account focused on the Thatcher sequence, in which a performer acted the scene before AI was applied to the finished depiction of the former prime minister.

That distinction was central to Boyle's explanation. He was not describing a scene produced entirely without an actor, but one that combined an actor's performance with artificial intelligence to create the intended visual representation.

The Hollywood Reporter also quoted Boyle expressing concerns about the growing influence of technology companies over information and journalism. He questioned what might happen when newspapers ceased to occupy their previous position and audiences increasingly relied on screens and digital platforms.

The filmmaker warned that journalists' ability to challenge powerful institutions could be affected by the concentration of influence among technology companies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he also identified the replacement of journalists by AI as another factor contributing to those concerns.

Is 28 Years Later Part III still happening

Boyle also provided an update on the planned third 28 Years Later film during his festival conversation. According to Variety, the director indicated that the project was currently not a priority and warned that audiences should not expect it to arrive soon.

The publication reported that the third instalment had been set up by the closing scenes of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Despite that narrative groundwork, Boyle described the next film as being on the back burner.

Variety's account did not establish a revised production timetable or release date for the proposed third instalment. It reported Boyle's comments about the project's current status without announcing that the film had been cancelled.

The distinction matters because the director's remarks concerned its immediate priority rather than a definitive decision to abandon it. Based on Variety's coverage, the confirmed position is that progress on the third film is not currently at the forefront of Boyle's plans.

Variety also reported that it had contacted Sony, the company responsible for releasing 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. The published account did not include a response from the company about the proposed continuation.

What Danny Boyle said at the BFI London Film Festival

The discussion took place during the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Boyle was interviewed by Puck's Matt Belloni in a conversation exploring the director's career, his current projects and developments affecting the film industry.

The Hollywood Reporter said part of the discussion was recorded for Belloni's The Town podcast. The conversation ranged from the creative decisions behind Ink to artificial intelligence, journalism and forthcoming films.

Boyle also discussed films that had impressed him during the year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he singled out Obsession and Backrooms, spoke positively about The Odyssey and expressed enthusiasm for Dune 3.

The festival appearance therefore offered updates on both Boyle's latest work and his wider interests as a filmmaker. His remarks about AI combined a defence of its limited creative use with concerns about its potential effects elsewhere in the media industry.

What happens next for Ink and 28 Years Later

Ink remains Boyle's latest film discussed in the festival coverage, with its portrayal of Murdoch, Lamb and Thatcher attracting attention because of the director's decision to use AI. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety established how the Thatcher sequence was made and why Boyle considered the approach necessary.

Neither publication provided a new release timetable for Ink within the accounts of the festival conversation. Boyle's comments instead concentrated on the reasons behind the film's depiction of Thatcher and his broader attitude towards the technology.

For the 28 Years Later series, the immediate position is similarly limited. Variety reported that the third instalment is on the back burner, with no date for production or release.

Boyle's festival remarks consequently leave two clear developments: a detailed explanation of the AI-assisted Thatcher portrayal in Ink, and a warning that the next 28 Years Later film is not currently being treated as a priority.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Danny Boyle use AI to recreate Margaret Thatcher in Ink?

Boyle said he wanted Thatcher herself to appear in scenes involving The Sun editor Larry Lamb rather than relying solely on an impersonator. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, an actor performed the scene before AI was used to replace the performer's face with Thatcher's.

Did Margaret Thatcher's estate approve the AI recreation?

Boyle said he deliberately did not ask the estate for permission, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He argued that the estates of influential public figures should not control artistic interpretations of their influence.

When will 28 Years Later Part III be released?

Variety reported that Boyle described the third film as being on the back burner and said it was not currently a priority. No confirmed release date or production timetable was provided in its account of the BFI London Film Festival discussion.