Zombies have captivated audiences for decades, starting with 1968's Night of the Living Dead. Nowadays they're perhaps most associated with popular TV empires The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, Ruben Fleischer's horror/comedy Zombieland actually pre-dated both shows. The Venom director brought levity to the zombie apocalypse, with Zombieland quickly becoming a cult favorite.
Fans have been calling for a Zombieland sequel for years, and now it's finally happening. Zombieland: Double Tap will arrive a decade after the original film hit theaters, so it's been a long time coming. The full cast is returning, including Jesse Eisenberg as the protagonist/narrator Columbus. The Social Network actor recently spoke to the long development and multiple scripts, saying:
We would never have made another one if we didn’t think it was going to be great. They wrote a ton of scripts for this movie and we went through a lot of different ideas.
It looks like quite a few scripts were brought to the table for Zombieland: Double Tap. But those involved in the franchise wanted to make sure it was the right one, which is why it took so many years for the sequel to finally get green-lit. But Zombieland is finally getting its follow-up, so we should expect big things from the movie's script.
Sequels are a tricky game, as there are tons of expectations associated with follow-up movies. And more often than not, they fail to capture the same magic as the original film. This is no doubt a concern for Zombieland: Double Tap, especially now that zombies have become such an integral part of the pop culture zeitgeist. The first film had a tone wholly unique, and the project defied genre in a many ways. So can Ruben Fleischer and the cast strike gold twice?
In his same conversation with The Toronto Sun, Jesse Eisenberg spoke to this pressure, and how those involved with Zombieland didn't want to put out a sequel to simply grab at more money. Instead, they want to produce another film that is just as great. As Eisenberg tells it:
We didn’t want to do a typical sequel to try and capitalize on something that was popular. We waited 10 years until we had a great idea.
You have to respect this craftsmanship and professionalism in this statement. When sequels fail, it's usually because not enough attention was paid to the story. Instead, blockbuster are rushed out in order to make the most money at the box office. That's not the case with the Zombieland franchise. In fact, director Ruben Fleischer passed on directing the Venom sequel in order to pay full attention to Zombieland: Double Tap. Given how successful the comic book movie was, that's saying something.
Zombieland: Double Tap will arrive in theaters on October 11, 2019, just in time for Halloween. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
