Ever since the success of the original back in 2009, rumors of a “Zombieland” sequel have persisted, but had taken the back seat of late when it emerged that writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who were behind the original (and this week’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation“) were developing a TV version of the movie. In fact the project had started out in the first place as a TV pitch, and, as hinted back in January, Amazon has officially put the green light on a pilot for the “Zombieland” TV show. Looking to put their own stamp on original content a la Netflix, “Zombieland” will be among six other original comedy pilots that Amazon will be streaming from their Prime Instant Video service.
The “Zombieland” pilot will come with an entirely new cast and director. Eli Craig, who knows a thing or two about mixing horror and comedy thanks to “Tucker and Dale vs. Evil,” will helm the pilot, with a cast that includes some fairly unknown substitutes for the now-much-more-famous big-screen cast, with Kirk Ward (“The Island”), Maiara Walsh (“Desperate Housewives”), and Tyler Ross (“Milkshake”) stepping into the roles originally played by Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Jesse Eisenberg, respectively.
You can see the first image of Ward, Walsh and Ross, plus newcomer Izabela Vidovic, who steps in for Abigail Breslin, in character above. It’s certainly a bold move on Amazon’s part. We’ll find out whether or not it’s misguided if and when the pilot comes out. We imagine it won’t be long ’til Amazon make a decision, and given that this is certainly the most high-profile project on their slate, it probably stands a decent chance. [Indiewire]