Ralph Fiennes's semi-naked dance to Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is not just a shocking scene, but also an inspired creative choice that turned out to be a huge success. Director Nia DaCosta had chosen the track, which was written into the script by Alex Garland, because it perfectly captured the essence of the satanist gang's world and contrasted with Fiennes's warm, humanist character.
The iconic song is not just a metal anthem but also an integral part of the film's plot. The scene in which Fiennes dances semi-naked among piles of human bones has become the ultimate big-screen needle drop – it has left audiences cheering and even dancing in the cinema. This moment was carefully planned by DaCosta, who had shot over three nights to capture the perfect take.
This latest example of Iron Maiden's involvement in a film has proven to be a stroke of luck for both the band and its team Phantom Music Management. The band rarely licenses their music for use in films and TV shows, preferring to maintain control over how their work is used.
Dave Shack, one of the people who run Phantom Music Management, acknowledges that it's always a risk when granting permission for a film or TV show to use a song like Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast. However, in this case, everything went perfectly, and the scene turned out to be an inspired creative choice.
The fact that 28 Years Later was released during the same period as the band's current 50th-anniversary world tour is no coincidence. It's clear that DaCosta saw an opportunity to showcase Iron Maiden's music in a prestige production, and it paid off handsomely for both the film and the band.
Iron Maiden has always maintained a sense of their own worth, refusing to license their music for use in films and TV shows without getting fair compensation. However, with 28 Years Later, they have shown that sometimes granting permission can lead to unexpected success – not just for them but also for fans who were introduced to their music through the film.
As Shack puts it, "If you make a $10m film, why don't you put half a million aside for music and licensing?" It's clear that Iron Maiden has learned from this experience, but also that sometimes taking a chance can lead to great rewards.
The iconic song is not just a metal anthem but also an integral part of the film's plot. The scene in which Fiennes dances semi-naked among piles of human bones has become the ultimate big-screen needle drop – it has left audiences cheering and even dancing in the cinema. This moment was carefully planned by DaCosta, who had shot over three nights to capture the perfect take.
This latest example of Iron Maiden's involvement in a film has proven to be a stroke of luck for both the band and its team Phantom Music Management. The band rarely licenses their music for use in films and TV shows, preferring to maintain control over how their work is used.
Dave Shack, one of the people who run Phantom Music Management, acknowledges that it's always a risk when granting permission for a film or TV show to use a song like Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast. However, in this case, everything went perfectly, and the scene turned out to be an inspired creative choice.
The fact that 28 Years Later was released during the same period as the band's current 50th-anniversary world tour is no coincidence. It's clear that DaCosta saw an opportunity to showcase Iron Maiden's music in a prestige production, and it paid off handsomely for both the film and the band.
Iron Maiden has always maintained a sense of their own worth, refusing to license their music for use in films and TV shows without getting fair compensation. However, with 28 Years Later, they have shown that sometimes granting permission can lead to unexpected success – not just for them but also for fans who were introduced to their music through the film.
As Shack puts it, "If you make a $10m film, why don't you put half a million aside for music and licensing?" It's clear that Iron Maiden has learned from this experience, but also that sometimes taking a chance can lead to great rewards.
The way Ralph Fiennes just loses it dancing to 'The Number of the Beast' is infectious - I found myself cheering along with him in the cinema 
. It's no surprise the band was hesitant to license their music, but DaCosta made it a stroke of genius. And kudos to Phantom Music Management for seeing the potential and taking a chance. 50 years of Iron Maiden and still going strong 
- let's hope they keep making killer tunes that make us go wild like this scene! 
the way da costa picked iron maiden's song perfectly captured the satanist gang's vibe and contrasted with fiennes's character is pure genius 
its not every day you see a band get to be part of a prestige production like that 
Iron Maiden's The Number of the Beast is like, the ultimate metal anthem, but I never thought it'd be used in a film like this. Nia DaCosta must've known what she was doing cuz it adds this whole other layer to the plot. And can we talk about how perfect it was that they shot over three nights to get the take right? 
I'm so glad Iron Maiden took a chance and licensed their music for this film, it's like they knew it'd be a game-changer. The band's always been pretty picky about how their stuff is used, but I think they were right on with this one 
, I just don't get it... a 50 year old metal band like iron maiden getting all the attention now? 
and for what? some overhyped film with a bunch of fake horror scenes? 
not to mention Ralph Fiennes's semi-naked dance, which just seems like a cheap gimmick to me... I mean, who thought that was a good idea? 
. The fact that they took a chance on this film and got rewarded is awesome - it's not always easy to get that kind of buzz, especially from fans who might not have been into metal before. Now I'm curious to see what other unexpected collaborations we'll see!
dave shakks point bout puttin aside half a million for music n licensing is straight fire