Pride and Prejudice and Zombies set off a wave of classical literary fiction mixed with modern ironic horror elements. In the wake of its success, we saw instantly forgettable books like Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, Android Karenina and this one I just made up, War and Peace and Please Stop Churning Out These Regrettable Books Already. While the novel’s author, Seth Grahame-Smith, got to enjoy his first big-screen flop with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the book that kick-started his career has been stuck in development limbo for quite some time. There are rumors, though, that that will soon be coming to an end.
Bloody Disgusting is reporting that the film may be ready to start shooting, with Burr Steers directing and Natalie Portman and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones‘s Lily Collins in the lead roles. We heard rumors of Collins starring in the movie back in May, but there’s barely been mention of the film since then. Rumors as to who would be directing and starring in the film date back to at least 2010, though, so it has certainly been on the back burner for quite some time.
At this point, it’s debatable whether or not there’s even a market for the film. With as long as it has been since the book was a bestseller, and with the hard flop of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter still a thing that happened, the financial viability of a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie is very much in doubt. Still, there’s a studio that paid for the film rights and they no doubt want to make their money back if at all possible.
If the title was too subtle for you, here is the official summary of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies‘ plot:
“In the vein of Snow White and The Huntsman and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is the latest retelling of a classic tale fused with entertaining, cutting edge action. In this fresh twist on Jane Austen’s widely celebrated novel, a mysterious plague has fallen upon 19th century England, the land is overrun with the undead and feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is a master of martial arts and weaponry. Rabid zombies are as much of an obstacle to the unconventional attraction between Liz and Mr. Darcy as the charms of the manipulative Mr. Wickham. Casting aside personal and social prejudices, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy must unite on the blood-soaked battlefield to rid the country of the zombie menace and discover their true love for one another.”
So there you go. If you were really into Snow White and The Huntsman or Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, then Pride and Prejudice and Zombies just might tickle your fancy. Also: you seem to have pretty low standards, but who are we to judge? Hopefully we’ll learn more about the movie before the book falls into the public domain.
