Plenty of you have been asking, so here goes: Yes, Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” has been screened — and not just to a select few. It’s been widely shown to press. But here’s the kicker: nobody can say a damn thing about it. Not a tweet. Not a blog post. Not even a vague emoji reaction. Total lockdown.
The movie hits theaters this Friday, and yet, thanks to Sony’s iron-clad embargo, we’re not allowed to talk about it until Wednesday at 5PM ET — a measly 24 hours before Thursday previews start rolling. Not exactly what you’d call a confidence-inspiring strategy.
Sony’s official line? They’re trying to avoid spoilers. But let’s be honest, there are ways to do that without muzzling every critic in the country. Studios usually just ask people not to spill major plot points. That’s not what’s happening here.
What is happening feels more like fear. If you’ve got a banger of a film, you want the buzz — you need the buzz. You don’t wait until the last possible second to let anyone say it’s actually good. Or maybe… that’s the point? We’ll see soon enough.