Next February: “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”
The world of Jane Austen remains a cash cow centuries after her death, though if you ask this outsider for perspective on it, the phenomenon is baffling. The appeal of a bunch of stuffy, stifling, reserved Victorian tales with women in frilly dresses fanning themselves is lost on me.
There are some concepts that just never lose appeal. That’s when somebody somewhere said “Hey, Jane Austen has always been popular. Zombies have always been popular. I’ve got an IDEA!”
Thus, next February Sony’s Screen Gems arm will present “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.” It’s just like the original book, a tale of love and desire between the social classes of 18th century England. Only now the characters also kill zombies. And when I say “like the original book” I not only mean Pride and Prejudice but Pride and Prejudice and Zombies — it started out as a novel that was picked up by Sony for movie rights.
There were many points where this film almost didn’t happen. It has suffered many delays as producers and staff have walked in and out through its development. But the final cast list includes Lily James, Ellie Bamber, Millie Brady, Bella Heathcote, and Suki Waterhouse (all four of which are pictured above), as well as Matt Smith, Douglas Booth, and maybe even Lena Headey. A total of seven entire people have producing credits: Allison Shearmur, Sean McKittrick, Natalie Portman (!!!), Annette Savitch, Marc Butan, Brian Oliver and Tyler Thompson.
This is going to be a Valentine’s Day release. It at least sounds better than yet another Nicholas Sparks adaption.