Jodie Comer has turned to an unlikely source of inspiration for her new role in the zombie apocalypse movie 28 Years Later.
The Killing Eve star is set to star alongside Cillian Murphy and Ralph Fiennes in the new film, a follow-up to 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later, which will be helmed by filmmaker Danny Boyle.
Rumours have been rife for the last few weeks that the thriller will take place in the North East, after filming locations were reported to include Newcastle and Northumberland.
And in a new interview with Elle, Jodie – who has already proved herself to be a master of accents over the course of her career – confirmed she’ll be playing a Geordie character in the film.
What’s more, she’s also turned to the Angel of the North herself for inspiration when it comes to nailing the accent – studying old clips of Cheryl Tweedy on The X Factor panel with her dialect coach to perfect a Geordie twang.
“I’m excited to get the first day done,” she told the magazine. “Danny just seems like such a confident, intuitive and intelligent director. The original was so loved, so I’m trying not to think of that too hard. I’m not putting too much expectation on myself.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Jodie spoke about how most of her friends are people she’s known for her whole life – and they aren’t afraid to tell her straight when they think she’s starting to lose her own Scouse tones.
“When I go back now, people like to say, ‘Your accent’s changed, why are you talking like that?’,” she noted, with Elle reporting she still sounded “plenty Scouse”.
28 Years Later will also star Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jack O’Connell, and is currently slated for release in June 2025.