1st look at Nicholas Hoult as a zombie in 'Warm Bodies'

Ever since he made a big comeback as the glistening apple of Colin Firth's eye in A Single Man, Nicholas Hoult has justifiably been labeled a sex symbol. After appearing in the blurry Clash of the Titans, he then defied his recently acquired status by playing the nerdy, blue furred, bouncing Beast in X-men: First Class. While his good looks will be put to good use as the lead in Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Killer, Hoult is again setting them aside for Jonathan Levine's zombie romance, Warm Bodies.

The first images from Warm Bodies have been released, and they show Hoult as 'R', a zombie who falls in love Julie(Teresa Palmer), the girlfriend of one of his victims. R is different than the rest of his kind. He doesn't just stumble around looking for his next fleshy meal, he has higher hopes and dreams, and decides to become Julie's protector from the harsh world around them.  Rob Corddry, Analeigh Tipton, Cory Hardrict, Dave Franco, and John Malkovich as Julie's zombie hating father make up an impressive cast. If you look closely in the background of one of the two photos I think you can see Corddry as a zombie, as well.

Levine is batting 1.000 with me so far, and Warm Bodies is one I can't wait for. His latest, 50/50, might be making some noise at the Oscars this year so do yourself a favor and seek it out.  Warm Bodies opens on August 10th. [USA Today]