Neil Marshall indulges his influences in Doomsday, the $30m follow-up to his acclaimed 2005 low-budget horror hit The Descent. "Raiders Of The Lost Ark was the film that made me want to make movies," Marshall says during a recent promotional trip to Comic-Con in San Diego.

From the sound of it, there is enough adventure and spectacle in the upcoming Doomsday (from Rogue Pictures and Crystal Sky) to make Steven Spielberg tip his hat in admiration. But as fans of The Descent and 2002's werewolf horror Dog Soldiers will know, Marshall likes to explore the shadowy fringes of existence, which is why he is also quick to reel off a list of darker inspirations like John Carpenter, John Ford, Sam Peckinpah, and John Boorman.

The spirit of each of these pioneers inhabits Doomsday, which Marshall describes as a mixture of "post-apocalyptic action-fest", redemption story and social commentary. The film stars Malcolm McDowell, Rhona Mitra and Bob Hoskins and is set in the near future in a dystopian UK.

The film is set 25 years after a virus in Scotland has forced the authorities to seal off the country and leave the population to die. When the virus reappears in London, an elite team is sent north of the border in search of a cure. As the team crosses Hadrian's Wall and ventures deeper into Scotland, they find tribes of survivors and begin a quest for a mysterious figure who may hold the key.

"I grew up in Newcastle and lived in Carlisle and spent a lot of time driving along Hadrian's Wall and often wondered under what circumstances the wall would be rebuilt," Marshall says. "I first wrote the story about five years ago after watching news reports about the construction of the wall in Palestine, and it wasn't long after the Berlin Wall came down, so the idea of barriers was prevalent.

"Unlike 28 Days Later, this isn't a virus movie; it's about this woman who leads an elite team and embarks on a journey of redemption. Stylistically the film is a homage to films like Escape From New York, The Warriors, and Mad Max and those great films from the early 1980s."

The shoot lasted 66 days and took place mostly in South Africa, with about 20% of production in Scotland. "I was dubious going into South Africa, but it worked out really well," says Marshall. "Most of it takes place at night and we doubled Cape Town for London and Glasgow, while the countryside outside Cape Town doubled for the Highlands. I was blown away by South Africa. The crews were great and full of energy and enthusiasm."

Marshall was in the middle of editing when he took a quick break to visit San Diego's Comic-Con. "I'm about to show it to Rogue Pictures and can't wait for their reaction. They've been a pleasure to work with, so fingers crossed it should go okay. I'm very pleased with it."

Rogue will release Doomsday in the US in spring 2008.