It’s been almost a full decade since Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland first surprised the hell out of us, becoming one of the best horror comedies in recent memory and a box office smash. Because of this success, the last 10 years have seen incessant calls for a sequel, but both the filmmakers and stars have been busy with other huge endeavors. Now, however, the wait for the follow-up is almost over, as Zombieland: Double Tap is in the works and preparing to make its way to a theater near you this year.
The Zombieland sequel is currently on track to hit its October 2, 2019 release date, with Ruben Fleischer back in the director’s chair, and Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick once again penning the script. We have not heard a great deal about what’s going on in regards to the plot, but one thing we do know is that the cast is totally stacked. Not only are the principal stars of the first movie coming back, but they will be joined by a number of other great talents in Zombieland: Double Tap. So without further ado, let’s take a look at who is on-board so far:
Jesse Eisenberg
The first Zombieland introduced us to Columbus as a nebbish-y, loner college student with a serious fear of clowns, but his journey through the story opened him up in a big way and he became a great deal more brave and adventurous. Of course, he still has his rules to live by, and presumably they’ve helped him survive in the last 10 years.
For Jesse Eisenberg, Zombieland notably debuted almost exactly a year before The Social Network, which was a performance that earned him his first Academy Award nomination. In that time he has also starred in three franchises - Rio, Now You See Me, and the DC Extended Universe - and has continued his work in a significant number of impressive independent films.
Emma Stone
Speaking of Academy Awards, Emma Stone has also had a great deal of Oscar success in the time since Zombieland, not only being nominated for her turn in Birdman, but winning the Best Actress prize for La La Land. She is actually up for another statute this year thanks to her amazing The Favourite performance, and since 2009 has unquestionably has become one of the brightest stars in Hollywood.
She will reprise her role as Wichita in Zombieland: Double Tap – bringing back the character who was notably an at-all-costs survivor. The friends she made in the first movie did a lot to soften her edges – we even learned her first name is Krista – but we’ll have to wait and see what consequences rise from the stakes of the sequel.
Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson was the notable veteran of the first Zombieland principal cast, but he kicked more ass than all of them put together. Tallahassee is a man who is very at home in the zombie apocalypse (minus the lack of Twinkies), as he has a lot of rage to get out, and does so by killing the undead by any means necessary. We know he has a tragic backstory involving the loss of a son, but finding a new family by the end of the first movie seemed to fill the void in him.
Harrelson just recently worked with Ruben Fleischer again, appearing in the post-credits scene of Venom as serial killer Cletus Kasady, but has also been quite ubiquitous in recent years. He earned a great deal of praise for his part opposite Matthew McConaughey in HBO’s True Detective, but has also been making huge movies like War For The Planet Of The Apes, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Hunger Games and the Now You See Me features with Jesse Eisenberg. He also just earned his third Academy Award nomination last year for his work in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, so, all in all, he’s in a really great place.
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin will long be remembered for her wonderful breakout performance as the diminutive Olive Hoover in 2006's Little Miss Sunshine (a part that earned her first Oscar nod) - but the first Zombieland was one of her most mature roles, and she has continued growing as an actress with a lot of film and television work in the last 10 years. In addition to features like August: Osage County and Final Girl, she's also been active on the small screen with a season of Scream Queens.
As for her part in Zombieland: Double Tap, it’s worth noting that Little Rock was only 12 when we last saw her – so it will be interesting to see the results of maturity through the zombie apocalypse. She could always look after herself, but presumably now she’ll be extra equipped to do so, with extra skills learned over the years.
Rosario Dawson
While we know absolutely nothing about the plot of Zombieland: Double Tap, we do know that the main cast has grown, with one of the new additions being Rosario Dawson. The actress doesn’t have a great deal of horror experience – with Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof being the standout title – but she has proven comedy chops, so hopefully she’ll get a lot of opportunity to make us laugh in the upcoming movie.
Zoey Deutch
Zoey Deutch was one of the first new additions to Zombieland: Double Tap, having signed on to star in the movie in November 2018, though sadly the time since then has not provided any insight to what her role will be in the film. The daughter of actress Lea Thompson and director Howard Deutch, the actress is probably still be described as an up-and-comer, though she has been in some notable movies like Richard Linklanter's Everybody Wants Some!! and James Franco's The Disaster Artist. In addition to her work on the Zombieland sequel, she also has a part in Ryan Murphy's new series The Politician.
Thomas Middleditch
Thomas Middleditch is certainly better known for his TV work, being the star of the beloved HBO series Silicon Valley, but he's set to have a big year in cinemas in 2019. It starts in the summer with his part in Mike Dougherty's monster blockbuster Godzilla: King Of The Monsters, but he'll follow that up in the fall with a role in Zombieland: Double Tap. We don’t know who he will be playing (following the pattern here?), but we will definitely update this article as we learn more.
Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson has had a long acting career, with highlights in both film and TV. While it's currently unknown what role he'll be playing in Zombieland's highly anticipated sequel, he's got the resume to warrant his inclusion in the comedy/horror film. His comedic chops are what Wilson is known best for, with roles in Legally Blonde, The Ridiculous Six, and Old School. But he's also had some work that lends itself more to the dramatic, so he's a solid casting choice to bring into Zombieland: Double Tap.
Who would you like to see join the cast of Zombieland: Double Tap? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts and suggestions, and come back periodically to see who else will be joining the new horror-comedy!
