After nearly ten years, a Zombieland sequel starring the original cast has finally crawled its way out of development hell and been officially confirmed.
Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin are all set to return for Zombieland 2 as well as the original movie’s director, Ruben Fleischer.
If that’s not enough, Sony Pictures have managed to convince the first film’s writers, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, to pen the sequel’s script and recapture the undead magic of the first movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter production is set to begin in January next year, and the film will be released in time for the 10th anniversary of the original movie, in October.
Rumours the franchise was back from the dead started circling earlier this year, but Sony has now confirmed its resurrection.
Columbia Pictures president, Sanford Panitch, said in a statement:
This is one of those projects that fans have wanted to see happen for a long time — and no one wanted to see it happen more than Emma, Woody, Jesse and Abigail.
These are some of the most in-demand actors, and I think they are making this movie because they love these characters.
We are thrilled Ruben was willing to come back to direct the sequel, as his work on Venom has been truly amazing.
For those who’ve not seen the film, Zombieland was a horror comedy about a geeky college kid, known only as Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), on a road trip to find somewhere safe from a plague of recently resurrected undead ghouls.
Along the way, he meets three strangers including the Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) and the four decide sticking together is there best chance at survival.
While the film didn’t exactly set the box-office on fire, it was very well received critically and became a cult hit, eventually grossing over $10o Million at the worldwide box-office which isn’t bad for a movie budgeted at under $25 Million.
Earlier this year UNILAD spoke to one of the film’s stars, Woody Harrelson, while he was promoting his latest movie Solo: A Star Wars Story and we asked him about the chances of a Zombieland revival.
He said:
Is it reported or rumoured? If it is reported then yes, I can confirm that it’s probably gonna happen, I think so. [sic]
Woody’s not been the only one involved with the film who’s been vocal about a sequel happening.
Wernick and Reese told Screenrant in March last year they’d finished the film’s script, Zombieland 2 was in ‘active development’ and it was just a matter of sorting out the cast.
Are you excited to see Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock back in action, and where do you think they’ll end up this time?
Perhaps more importantly will we get a celebrity cameo as epic as Bill Murray this time? We’re hoping we will.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.