The notion of blending zombies with the 19th century romances of Jane Austen may sound like the setup for a broad, Zombieland-esque comedy, but those who attended the Comic-Con panel for Pride & Prejudice & Zombies know that's not the intention. In fact, director Burr Steers admitted the goal was to achieve exactly the opposite by having the actors play everything straight. Will audiences want to see a zombie/romance mash-up that takes itself seriously? That's the question, but the first trailer, the same one released at Comic-Con, could help sway a few minds.
Based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, the film follows the basic premise of Jane Austen's classic, only it throws the undead and a lot of martial arts ass-kicking into the mix. The love story between Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James) and Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) remains intact, only they're both also fierce kung fu warriors. Jack Huston, Bella Heathcote, Charles Dance, Lena Headey, Matt Smith, Suki Waterhouse, Emma Greenwell, Aisling Loftus, and Douglas Booth co-star.
David O. Russell spearheaded the project initially and had Natalie Portman attached until both dropped out. There are still aspects of Russell's screenplay but just how remains unclear. That he and Portman were involved speaks highly to the uniqueness of the material. Pride & Prejudice & Zombies opens February 5th 2016.
