The actor behind the vampire Remmick and now satanist Sir Jimmy Crystal also talks about becoming a Halloween trendsetter.

Sinners alum Jack O’Connell on his ‘flamboyant’ Bone Temple villain: What he finds ‘really haunting’

The actor behind the vampire Remmick and now satanist Sir Jimmy Crystal also talks about becoming a Halloween trendsetter.

By Nick Romano

Nick Romano is a senior editor at ** with 15 years of journalism experience covering entertainment. His work previously appeared in *Vanity Fair*, Vulture, IGN, and more.

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January 14, 2026 9:00 a.m. ET

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Jack O'Connell as Sir Jimmy Crystal in '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'. Credit:

Miya Mizuno/Sony

- Jack O'Connell discusses his next big horror role (and potential Halloween trend setter) after *Sinners* with *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple*.

- The actor behind satanist Jimmy Crystal explains why he chose purple for his character's tracksuit.

- "There was a real flamboyance within his speeches and the tiara and his brand of sadism, but I wanted him to look luxurious."

Unlike his sister, who'll send him the occasional bits and bobs, Jack O'Connell isn't plugged into social media. Even as his *Sinners* character, the suspenders-clad Irish vampire terrorizing Michael B. Jordan(s), became an instant Halloween costume trend-setter in 2025, he wasn't fully aware of just how far Remmick's reach had spread.

Within the New York headquarters for Sony Pictures, dressed in a chocolate brown tracksuit ensemble in January, O'Connell, 35, seems surprised to hear how one cosplayer recreated the look of Remmick impaled by a guitar for a fan convention last year.

"If I saw that in real life, I'd lose my mind," the Derbyshire-born actor tells **. He adds moments later, followed by a laugh, "I don't make a concerted effort to take over Halloween. If it is a byproduct, it would be one I'd celebrate for sure."

Something tells us his next horror character, Sir Jimmy Crystal in *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple *(in theaters this weekend), will have a similar impact on the spooky season trends for 2026. O'Connell briefly debuted as the character in the ending of last year's *28 Years Later*, a continuation of director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland's 2002 zombie-adjacent film *28 Days Later*.

Jack O'Connell as Remmick in 'Sinners'.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Decked out in a purple velour tracksuit, layered necklaces, a tattered blonde wig, and a tiara, Jimmy is the cult leader to a small, depraved group of satanists who claim to be the son of the Devil himself. His only evidence, of course, is the voices he hears in his head.

"It's a great feeling to be in that attire," O'Connell remarks. "Don't even just limit it to Halloween. Whenever you want, you know?!"

Jack O'Connell recalls spitting in Michael Caine's face for scene when he was 19

Ralph Fiennes on what to expect in '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

The costume is a manifestation of Jimmy's will. He demands uniformity. All of his followers are named "Jimmy," and all sport the same ensemble: a different-colored tracksuit paired with a sullied blonde wig. *Teletubbies* and *Power Rangers* were references the filmmakers brought up.

The purple of O'Connell's own tracksuit, however, was his idea. He vied for purple, being the color of royalty.

"It just felt like it was necessary for Jimmy and just the velour," he explains. "There was a real flamboyance within his speeches and the tiara and his brand of sadism, but I wanted him to look luxurious. The other Jimmys, their costumes are pieced together basically from items that they've scavenged. There's detail to that and backstory."

Jack O'Connell on set of '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple' with director Nia DaCosta.

Miya Mizuno/Sony

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What impresses most about O'Connell's performance of Jimmy is the range. Early on in the film, he compels the other Jimmys to follow the will of the voices in his head and commit an act so unsettling you might come to think of him as the true son of Satan. Deeper into the story, however, there are moments for genuine situational comedy.

One scene shows all the Jimmys piled on top of each other, sneaking a peek from the woods of Ralph Fiennes' Dr. Ian Kelson getting high and dancing with "Samson" (Chi Lewis-Parry), the alpha infected he befriends with the help of rage-dulling hallucinogens. This moment in particular elicited multiple laughs from the audience at an early fan screening in December.

"I think people are complex," O'Connell comments on the range of this part. "What I find really haunting with sadistic, psychopathic types is when they don't display the obvious traits of what you might think that would be. Within this role, there was ample opportunity to explore that.... There are genuinely funny moments within the script anyway."

To anyone looking to join his Jimmys and recreate the look, the tracksuit and tiara are the key ingredients. But O'Connell doesn't feel like you can go wrong here. "Anything you want to add on...I mean, you won't be disappointed," he says. "I felt great every day throwing that thing on."**

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