Check Out the Butt-Kicking Bennet Sisters in First 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies' Image

The long and messy history of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is well-known at this point. The struggle to find a lead actress took years, with some pretty big names turning a role in the horror mash-up down. But the search ended when Lily James signed on to play Jane Austen's hero, Elizabeth Bennet, and now the first image from the film is here.

If these don't look quite like Bennet sisters you've imagined from the Austen-era classic, it's because they're all highly trained ninja. The film is like the original tale in just about every way otherwise...except for that whole zombie invasion thing going on.  Bella Heathcote, Ellie Bamber, Millie Brady, and Suki Waterhouse play her sisters, with Sam Riley, Matt Smith, and Jack Huston co-starring as the handsome gents in their lives.

Directed by Burr Steers with a script co-written by David O. Russell, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies opens next year.

Read More

Two Lannisters Join the Cast of 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies'

The long-developing adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's horror novel Pride & Prejudice & Zombies has had its share of casting trouble over the years, but suddenly it doesn't seem to be much of an issue. Joining the cast now are Lena Headey and Charles Dance, who play the scheming Cersei and Tywin Lannister on HBO's Game of Thrones.

Here's hoping they bring something sinister to the film which already stars Lily James, Sam Riley, Jack Huston, Douglas Booth, Suki Waterhouse, and Matt Smith. Burr Steers is directing with a script co-written by David O. Russell back when he was on board to helm the horror mash-up, which throws zombies into the mix of Jane Austen's classic about a woman's quest for love while maintaining her independence.

No word on Headey or Dance's roles, nor is there an updated release date since production got back on track. Filming is due to begin today so we can probably expect updated news on all of that soon.

Read More

Matt Smith Joins 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies'; Mackenzie Davis will Meet 'The Martian'

Former Doctor Who Matt Smith will go back in time as Mr. Collins in Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, Burr Steers' adaptation of the horror mash-up novel. He joins Lily James, Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, and Sam Riley in the film which takes Jane Austen's classic and throws a zombie outbreak into the mix. Smith also has a role in Ryan Gosling's directorial debut, Lost River. [THR]

Mackenzie Davis, who was so good in Breathe In and What If, will join Matt Damon and Jessica Chastain in The Martian. Ridley Scott is directing the adaptation of Anthony Weir's novel which follows "an astronaut who becomes stranded on Mars and must figure out how to survive long enough to return home to Earth." So that's a cast I would kill to see in anything. Filming begins this fall, but if you're itching to see Davis in action you can catch her on AMC's Halt and Catch Fire which everyone says is good and I've yet to watch.

Read More

Douglas Booth Joins 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies', Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin Board 'Me Before You'

 The model good looks of Douglas Booth were last seen enduring God's watery wrath in Darren Aronofsky's Noah, and now they'll be a part of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Booth has joined the horror mash-up of Jane Austen's classic, with Shameless actress Emma Greenwell tagging alone. They join Lily James, Sam Riley, Bella Heathcote and Jack Huston in the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's book, which Burr Steers will direct. Booth will play the jovial Mr. Bingley, with Greenwell as his sister. [Variety/Deadline]

Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are headed for much bigger things with Terminator Genisys and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay respectively, but their next film will be considerably smaller.  They'll star in Me Before You, penned by Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter (500 Days of Summer, The Spectacular Now) based on the book by Jojo Moyes. Thea Sharrock will direct the story which centers on Lou (Clarke), a small-town girl with a dead end job who becomes caretaker to Will (Claflin), a successful man now wheelchair bound after an accident. They embark on a number of adventures together while she helps give him a reason to live. [Deadline]

Read More

Gal Gadot Boards 'Criminal'; Jack Huston Confirmed for 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies'

Ariel Vromen's debut feature, The Iceman, was a largely unimpressive crime flick. Pretty darn boring, actually. It featured a starry cast, however, and it appears Vromen is putting together an even better one for his follow-up, Criminal.  Adding a touch of superheroic power to the film will be Wonder Woman herself, Batman v Superman star Gal Gadot. She joins Kevin Costner Ryan Reynolds, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, and the recently-added Alice Eve in the thriller about a dangerous prison inmate (Costner) who is implanted with the memories and skills of a dead CIA agent to stop a diabolical plot. Gadot will play Reynolds' wife. [THR]

After years of struggling to get off the ground it finally looks like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is going to happen. Last week we learned Lily James, Bella Heathcote, and Sam Riley would star in the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's horror novel, with Jack Huston in early talks at the time. Now Deadline confirms the Boardwalk Empire and American Hustle actor has joined the cast in the role of George Wickham. The story tosses zombies and kung-fu into the middle of the Jane Austen classic, with Elizabeth Bennet and her sisters favoring martial arts rather than sewing classes and tea parties.

Read More

Lily James, Jack Huston, Sam Riley, and Bella Heathcote Join Revived 'Pride & Prejudice & Zombies'

Want to know what's fun? Recounting the troubled history of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, an adaptation that has seen many directors and even more stars attached to it over the years. It started with David O. Russell, who quickly got too big for something like this, then Mike White and Craig Gillespie had a cup of coffee as director before dropping out. And the list of actresses who circled the role of Elizabeth Bennett is long with Natalie Portman and Emma Stone just the beginning. But last year things seemed to perk up with Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down) coming on to helm, and Lily Collins agreeing to star. Then....nothing. But like the undead the film has risen from the grave once again with a whole new cast and an actual start date.

Deadline reports that a Lily swap has taken place and now it will be Downton Abbey's Lily James starring in the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's zombie period piece. She'll be take the Elizabeth role, joined by Sam Riley (Maleficent) as Mr. Darcy, Bella Heathcote (Dark Shadows) as Elizabeth's sister, and Jack Huston (American Hustle) in talks for an unspecified role which will probably be Mr. Bingley.  For an idea of what to expect, just know that Grahame-Smith is the same guy who gave us Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, a mediocre book which was adapted into a terrible movie.

And y'know what? It looks like this time something will actually happen because production is to begin next month (!!!), utilizing a script credited to O. Russell and Steers. There is still a lot of talent here with O. Russell's screenplay and Portman producing, but zombie movies don't have the same appeal they did a few years ago, and just mashing up genres may not be enough to change that.

Read More

Panorama Media jumps aboard the stalled 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'

In the pantheon of troubled projects, the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's mash-up novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies will rank right at the top. Grahame-Smith, who also wrote and adapted Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, has been trying to get it off the ground for years with a number of talented folks dipping their toes into the pool before jumping right back out. David O. Russell was initially going to direct it, having also written the screenplay. He left and was followed up for a hot minute by Mike White (Enlightened), and then Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl) was around before he too dropped out.

After a long stretch in limbo, the film is now back on course as Panorama Media has joined Darko Enertainment and others in developing the novel for the big screen. Russell's script is still in play, but it was the inability to find a director or lead actress that was always the sticking point. I don't suspect that will suddenly change. Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Emma Stone, Blake Lively, and Mia Wasikowska all turned down the role of Jane Austen heroine, Elizabeth Bennett, who in this version is an ass-kickin' ninja warrior. The story is exactly what the title says, tossing the undead into Austen's classic period romance.

We'll see if this pushes the needle forward in any noticeable way. I'm not holding my breath.

Read More

Craig Gillespie officially off Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I knew it. Back in August, a story hit the web  that the troubled adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had lost yet another director for unknown reasons, this time in Craig Gillespie(Fright Night).  That story was reversed without much explanation a few days later during the whirl of activity surrounding Blake Lively's possible casting, which she, like all the actresses before her, ultimately turned down. Now comes word from Deadline that Gillespie is now officially off the project,but at least we have a reason why this time.

The split is said to be amicable, but something is clearly wrong with for the film to have had this many problems. As has been detailed many times here on the site, the revisionist take on the Jane Austen classic was first under the guidance of David O. Russell. Who then left the film to do other things after a facing budget concerns, putting it briefly in the hands of Mike White(Year of the Dog), who left almost as rapidly as he showed up. Gillespie seemed like the one sure fire bet, and all seemed to be in order. So what gives?

The problem seems to be stemming from the inability to come up with a female lead to star as a butt kicking version of Elizabeth Bennet. The list of actresses who have passed on the role reads like a Hollywood casting agent's dream: Natalie Portman(also a producer), Emma Stone, Mia Wasikowska, Anne Hathaway, and most recently the aforementioned Lively. Really that's just a few of the names that have been mentioned for the part. It's a meaty role that could put a number of these actresses into a far different genre than they've previously been attached, so maybe it's a matter of money that's holding them back? The budget is reportedly very small(like $25M), and these women come with a high price tag.

I've long since thought this film would never get off the ground, and to me this looks like a final nail in the coffin. Maybe give it a rest for a couple years, see how Grahame-Smith's other film, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, pans out and maybe then there will be more of a demand.

Read More

Uh oh. Blake Lively passes on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Seriously? This is a joke, right? Does Pride and Prejudice and Zombies have cooties on it or something? Is there a death order out on anybody who stars in it? What the frig is going on with this movie? I don't need to recount all the problems this film has had finding someone to first direct it, and then star in it, but let's just say that every young and talented female actress has turned it down. The latest contender to play role of ass kicking ninja starlet Elizabeth Bennet in the film was Blake Lively. And now Variety's Justin Kroll has tweeted of Lively's rejection as well.

Ok, just a hint of back story. Natalie Portman, who is producing the adaptation of Seth Graham-Smith's revisionist take of Jane Austen's classic book, was at one point going to star. She eventually backed out, and everyone from Mia Wasikowska, Rooney Mara, and Emma Stone have turned it down since. Lively seemed like the last, best hope of securing an A-list face. So now what?

At least Craig Gillespie(Lars and the Real Girl) is still around to direct, as his participation seemed a bit shaky at one point. What do they do next? Reach for a lesser known actress for the Bennet role, and maybe aim higher for the Mr. Darcy role? Or do they just shut this baby down for good?

Read More

Blake Lively may star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

There have been so many problems getting Pride and Prejudice and Zombies rolling that it's almost become like a running joke. It all starts with the directors, with David O. Russell the first man attached to both write and helm, only he bailed for what was mostly budgetary concerns. Mike White(Year of the Dog) was the guy just long enough to have a cup of coffee on the studio's dime, then backed out. And now there's Craig Gillespie(Fright Night), who was hired, then said to be off the project, and now is apparently back on.

All that doesn't even cover the list of actresses who have turned down the lead female role of Jane Austen's classic heroine, Elizbeth Bennet. Natalie Portman, Mia Wasikowska, Emma Stone, all have said "no" at one point or another. But now a new name is emerging, and I think this one might actually stick. I've got good vibes on this one.

Twitch reports that Blake Lively has been offered the Bennet role in the film that reimagines the Jane Austen classic by throwing in a zombie infestation plot. The Bennet girls aren't just prim and proper socialites, but ass kicking ninja broads protecting their home from the undead. Lively has been impressing a lot of people as of late, most notably in The Town. I'd say she also the lone bright spot in this summer's Green Lantern, not that it's saying a whole lot.

So yeah this is the dreaded "offer story", but it's one I hope to see pan out. Lively's got the juice to make this film work, and if she signs on them maybe we'll finally see some forward progress. I'm tired of writing about the many ways the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's book is crapping the bed.

Read More

Craig Gillespie no longer directing Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Unbelievable. The problems getting an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies have been well documented. David O. Russell was initially attached to write and direct, but eventually dropped out. That left Mike White(Year of the Dog) in place to helm, but he was only there for a hot minute before he too departed. And let's not even talk about the issues they've had finding someone to play the Jane Austen's famous lead character of Elizabeth Bennet, reimagined as a butt kicking ninja broad in a tight corset. Natalie Portman(also a producer) once had the role, but left, and Emma Stone flat out said no. It was starting to look like the film was cursed until Craig Gillespie(Lars and the Real Girl) signed on to direct back in April. Well, somebody better get out the chicken blood and frog legs because this curse is still in full effect mode.

Twitch is reporting that Gillespie has now left the project for unknown reasons. We aren't sure if he left on his own or if the studio punted him out after the dismal response to his Fright Night remake. If it's the latter, then causes another interesting ripple because his Fright Night scribe, Marti Noxon, was doing rewrites on O. Russell's initial script. So if he's gone because Fright Night bombed, chances are she might be too.

So it remains to be seen what happens now. Back when the film was still in it's earliest stages there was talk of Grahame-Smith possible directing it himself. Maybe that's the final option left if this thing's ever going to happen. Perhaps the saddest part about this set back is that the film has a leading man who is probably more in demand than he'll ever be, and that's Dominic Cooper(The Devil's Double), who recently signed to play Fitzwilliam Darcy.

My personal thought is that the film should just quietly go away, but that's partially because I tried to read the book and found it to be dull as dried wood. At least Grahame-Smith can be happy with Timur Bekmambetov's adaption of his other novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

Read More

A new frontrunner to direct Pride and Prejudice and Zombies emerges

Of the two Seth Grahame-Smith novels currently being developed, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the one that seems to be having the most problems. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter already has Timur Bekmambetov directing Benjamin Walker as the 16th President. The search to find a director for 'PPZ' has been a struggle, with David O. Russell(I Heart Huckabees) initially attached, then Mike White(Year of the Dog).  Both dropped out for various reasons, but now there's a new contender that has stepped up to the plate...

Vulture reports that Craig Gillespie(Mr. Woodcock, Lars and the Real Girl) is the new frontrunner for the gig. There's been no confirmation of that as of yet, but let's hope he hangs around and this project can finally get underway. I'm curious to see who they'll cast in a film that's going to blend some serious dramatic elements with the absurd.  Gillespie recently completed shooting of the Fright Night remake, due out in theaters on August 19th.

Read More

Mike White drops out as director of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I guess since Mike White's only previous association with zombies(that I can remember) is his toilet scene from Zombieland, it was sortof odd that he was chosen to direct Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's 2009 novel. His only directorial effort was Year of the Dog, a rather tepid dark comedy starring Molly Shannon. Well, now it's no longer a concern as Deadline reports that White has dropped out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.  Scheduling conflicts? With what? Is he going back on The Amazing Race again, or something?

This makes the second director to remove himself from the production, with David O. Russell(The Fighter) being the first. So let the search begin for a replacement!

Read More

Sure Shots: Scarlett Johansson; Studio Ghibli; Mike White

* On Tuesday it was reported that Cameron Crowe's list of potential actresses to star opposite Matt Damon in his upcoming adaptation, We Bought a Zoo, had grown to four. One of the names on that list, Scarlett Johansson, is now in final talks. Zoo is the story of Benjamin Mee and his family, who spend their life savings to buy and fix up a rundown zoo filled with exotic animals. Johansson will likely be playing his wife.

* A few months ago it seemed as if Studio Ghibli, the studio behind many of acclaimed filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's greatest animated features, was on it's last legs. The rumor, mostly pushed by Miyazaki himself, was that the studio needed a hit big time, and that a plan was already in place in case dissolution was necessary. Well, things must be looking up because the president of Studio Ghibli has announced another new project will be revealed on December 15th. It's widely assumed that this will be a new work from Miyazaki. A Porco Rosso sequel, maybe?

* We just learned that Lionsgate had Mike White(Year of the Dog) as their top choice to direct the Jane Austen/Zombie mash-up,Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, replacing the departed David O. Russell. Now a formal offer has been made, so expect  final cofirmation on that news in the  coming days. The question now turns to who will star...

Read More

Mike White to direct Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?

Last month when David O. Russell won the gig to direct video game adaptation Drake's Fortune, it left Pride and Prejudice and Zombies with a job to fill. They already lost out on Natalie Portman starring as the main character of Elizabeth Bennet, but there was no worry that the production would suddenly fall into limbo. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is arguably the hottest property going right now, based on Seth Grahame-Smiths' novel merging the Jane Austen classic with undead braineaters.

The LA Times is reporting that Lionsgate is narrowing down the list of candidates for the directing gig, with Mike White emerging as the clear frontrunner. White has only one directing credit to his name, the 2007  comedy, Year of the Dog. Not a particular favorite of mine. In fact I wanted to walk out of the theater and strangle all of my dog loving friends afterwards. As a writer, White's accomplishments are much greater. He wrote the script for Jennifer Aniston's most solid film to date, The Good Girl, not to mention Jack Black's best flick, School of Rock. He appeared briefly in Zombieland last year(the dude on the toilet), and competed in The Amazing Race alongside his father. White's specialty is dark humor, a trait that would suit him well in a movie like this.

Read More