Zombieland
Encyclopedia
Zombieland is a 2009 American zombie comedy
film directed by Ruben Fleischer
from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
. The film stars Woody Harrelson
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin
as survivors of a zombie apocalypse
. Together they take an extended road trip
across Southwestern United States
in an attempt to find a sanctuary free from zombie
s.
Zombieland received positive critical reviews and was a commercial success, grossing more than $60.8 million in 17 days and surpassing the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead
as the top-grossing zombie film to date in the United States
.
has turned most humans into cannibal zombies, unaffected college student "Columbus" (Jesse Eisenberg
) is making his way to Columbus, Ohio
to see whether his parents are still alive. He encounters "Tallahassee" (Woody Harrelson
), another survivor who seeks Twinkie
s. They travel together.
They later meet "Wichita" (Emma Stone) and her younger, 12-year-old sister "Little Rock" (Abigail Breslin
). The sisters were con artists before the catastrophe, and have little trouble tricking the two guys into handing over their weapons and stealing their vehicle. Later, the two men find a Hummer
loaded with weapons, but when they meet the girls again, the girls once more gain the upper hand, taking their weapons and car. Tallahassee manages to wrestle away Little Rock's gun, resulting in a Mexican standoff
. Columbus negotiates a truce.
The girls are going to the "Pacific Playland" amusement park
, which is supposedly free of zombies. Columbus does not want to go along at first, but when Wichita informs him that his hometown has been destroyed, he stays with the group. When they reach Hollywood, Tallahassee takes them to Bill Murray
's mansion. Tallahassee and Wichita meet Murray himself, uninfected but disguised as a zombie so he can walk (and golf) safely among the infected. When Murray attempts to scare Columbus and Little Rock as a practical joke
, Columbus shoots and kills him, believing him a real zombie. Later, Columbus realizes Tallahassee has been grieving for his young son, lost to the zombies, rather than his dog as he had earlier led Columbus to believe. Wichita nearly kisses Columbus, but fearing attachment, she leaves with Little Rock for Pacific Playland without warning. Columbus persuades a reluctant Tallahassee to follow in one of Murray's vehicles.
At Pacific Playland, Wichita and Little Rock activate all the rides and lights, attracting nearby zombies. A battle ensues, leaving the sisters trapped on a drop tower ride. Tallahassee and Columbus arrive just as the sisters' ammunition runs out. Tallahassee lures the zombies away, then locks himself in a game booth, shooting zombies at his leisure, while Columbus goes after the sisters. In thanks, Wichita reveals her real name of Krista. Tallahassee eliminates the remaining zombies, then consumes a Twinkie that Little Rock has found.
and Jesse Eisenberg
expanded on the list presented in the film.
In a deleted scene on the DVD, Columbus presents an alternate rule number 2 titled "Ziploc Bags".
, Tallahassee
, Wichita
, Little Rock
) that relate to them. This includes Columbus's neighbor, named 406 after her room, and his fictional sexual conquest "Beverly Hills
".
There are exceptions in Bill Murray
playing himself, and Sister Cynthia Knickerbocker, whom Columbus identifies as a "Zombie Kill of the Week" winner. At the end of the film, Wichita tells Columbus that her real name is Krista.
stated that idea for Zombieland had "lived in [their] heads" for four-and-a-half years. The story was originally developed in 2005 as a spec script
for television pilot in the summer of 2005.
Wernick stated "We've got a long brainstorming document that still to this day gets updated on a near-weekly basis with ideas". Director Ruben Fleischer helped develop the script from a series into a self contained feature by providing a specific destination to the road story, the amusement park.
Earlier versions of the script called the protagonists Flagstaff and Albuquerque, rather than Columbus and Tallahassee, and the female characters were called Wichita and Stillwater.
The celebrity who would cameo as himself was written as a zombified, dancing Patrick Swayze
, including references to highlights of Swayze's career, even including a recreation of the "potter's wheel" scene from Ghost
. Later versions of the script considered Sylvester Stallone
, Joe Pesci
, Mark Hamill
, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Bacon
, Jean-Claude Van Damme
or Matthew McConaughey
as the celebrity, but Bill Murray eventually played the part, most of which was improvised according to Harrelson.
began February 2009 in Hollywood, California with scenes being shot at Scream Fest Theme Park and other locations. Filming continued in March in Atlanta, Hapeville, Morrow
, Decatur
, Newnan and Powder Springs, Georgia
, where actress Abigail Breslin
celebrated her 13th birthday by adopting a shelter puppy. Zombieland was filmed in digital, using the Panavision Genesis digital camera and had a 41 day shooting schedule.
The theme park scenes for the film's climax, Pacific Playland, were mostly shot in Valdosta, Georgia
's local theme park Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park
. Some of the rides prominently featured in the film include Pharaoh's Fury; the Double Shot (redubbed "Blast Off"); the Rattler; the Aviator; and the Bug Out. Another coaster seen, but not used, is the park's iconic Boomerang roller coaster. A haunted house facade was constructed at the theme park; but the interior was filmed on location at Netherworld Haunted House
outside the city limits of Atlanta.
Special effect
s makeup designer Tony Gardner
, who helped Rick Baker create the signature look of Michael Jackson
's music video "Thriller" and has contributed to other Hollywood films like 127 Hours
, Hairspray
, and There's Something About Mary
, was brought on to design the look of the film's zombies. Michael Bonvillain, who was Cloverfield
s cinematographer
, was brought on for the "lively" hand-held camerawork. "Basically, it's the end of the world; the entire nation is zombies", stated Gardner. "And [the humans] are trying to get from the east coast to the west coast". For one shooting scene, Gardner said, "There were 160 zombies, in prosthetics
, on set in an amusement park". He said it is "how you present yourself as a zombie that determines how people will react to you" and that "once the contact lens
es go in", he thinks "all bets are off".
Gardner said he was excited about working on the film with first-time filmmaker Ruben Fleischer, who gave him a free rein in his zombie design. "[We] are just trying to be real extreme with it", stated Gardner, "and trying to balance the scares out with the comedy". He described having to makeover physically attractive
actors who usually benefit from their looks as "a little off-putting" after seeing some of them in their character makeup for the first time.
The zombies in Zombieland were described by the casting director as:
Harrelson had input into the wardrobe for his character, Tallahassee. "I never worked so long and hard on an outfit in my life," the actor has stated. "What this guy wears is who he is. You want to get a sense of this guy as soon as you see him. So I pick out the necklaces, the sunglasses. But the hat? The minute you see that on Tallahassee, you buy him. He's real. And he's got a real cool hat". Harrelson's choice of headwear for Tallahassee came not just down to style, but also to his environmental passions: the distinctive hat is handmade in Brazil by a company called The Real Deal using recycled cargo-truck tarps and wire from old truck tires.
Shortly after finishing the filming of Zombieland, Harrelson had an altercation with a TMZ
photographer at New York City
's La Guardia Airport. His defense was that he was still in character and thought the cameraman was a zombie.
", "Beware of bathrooms", "Check the back seat", and so forth. The texts are rendered in 3-D
. "When a previously stated rule becomes relevant—when nature calls, for instance—the relevant text pops up, occasionally getting splattered with blood." Slate
s Josh Levin
said, "The pop-up bit works precisely because Zombieland unspools like a game—how can you survive a zombie horde armed with a shotgun, an SUV, and a smart mouth?"
, Zombieland was released on October 2, 2009, a week earlier than originally advertised.
on February 2, 2010 on Blu-ray Disc and DVD. The film was released on 15 March 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK. Select Best Buy stores sold a special edition on both DVD and Blu-ray with an additional disc featuring two featurettes.
It was also released as a movie for the PSP
UMD
movies
reports 90% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 184 reviews, with a rating of 7.3/10, and a generally positive 88% approval rating from "top" critics based on 29 reviews.
At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating to reviews from mainstream critics, the film holds a "generally favorable" score of 73% based on 31 reviews.
Film critic Roger Ebert
was surprised by Zombielands ability to be significantly humorous while zombies remained the focus of the film and felt that "all of this could have been dreary, but not here. The filmmakers show invention and well-tuned comic timing". He credited Bill Murray
's cameo appearance as receiving the "single biggest laugh" of the year, and gave the film 3 out of 4 stars.
Murray's cameo was called out for attention by other reviewers: Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle
credited it as "the single most outrageously entertaining unexpected celebrity cameo of any film—genre or otherwise—" that he had seen in a "long, long time" and that while the film did little to advance the genre, its smart script and high action made it very enjoyable. He categorized Zombieland as being "dead set against being dead serious" with its tonal pallor "ha[ving] more in common with a foreshortened It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
than with 28 Days
or Weeks Later
".
The film's witty use of dialogue and popular culture was also praised by Ty Burr
of The Boston Globe
, who said the film "makes no claims to greatness" but that what it "has instead—in spades—is deliciously weary end-of-the-world banter";
Michael Ordona of Los Angeles Times
praised director Fleischer for "bring[ing] impeccable timing and bloodthirsty wit to the proceedings".
Some reviewers saw deeper levels in the plot and cinematography: cinematographer Michael Bonvillain was praised for capturing "some interesting images amid the post-apocalyptic carnival of carnage, as when he transforms the destruction of a souvenir shop into a rough ballet", while Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com
said "the picture is beautifully paced" and highlighted "a halcyon middle section where, in what could be viewed as a sideways homage to Rebel Without a Cause
, our rootless wanderers share a brief respite in an empty, lavish mansion".
Claudia Puig of USA Today
said that "underlying the carnage in Zombieland is a sweetly beating heart", and that "This road movie/horror flick/dark comedy/earnest romance/action film hybrid laces a gentle drollness through all the bloody mayhem". Entertainment Weekly
's Lisa Schwarzbaum concluded, "At the bone, Zombieland is a polished, very funny road picture shaped by wisenheimer cable-TV sensibilities and starring four likable actors, each with an influential following".
Josh Levin
of Slate
drew parallels with Adventureland
: in both films Jesse Eisenberg
tries to win over his dream girl, a girl who has been hardened by life, and both feature a theme park. He goes so far as to call the film "an undead Adventureland—a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
for the Facebook
generation".
Time
magazine's Richard Corliss described the film as "an exhilarating ride, start to finish" and reasoned "Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg set a high bar for this subgenre with Shaun of the Dead
, but Reese, Werner and Fleischer may have trumped them". "This isn't just a good zombie comedy. It's a damn fine movie, period. And that's high praise, coming from a vampire guy", he stated.
Not all comparisons with Shaun of the Dead were favorable: Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York characterized the "extra injection of pop-culture neuroticism" as "the one innovation" of the film, declaring that while Zombieland was funny, it wasn't particularly scary and stated that it "simply isn't as witty as Shaun of the Dead, forever the yuks-meet-yucks standard".
Similarly, The Globe and Mail
s Rick Groen said "it's far more charming than chilling and way more funny than frightening", though he suggested that Rule No. 32 to 'enjoy the little things' was worth observing for a light comedy.
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
classified the film as "[a] minor diversion dripping in splatter and groaning with self-amusement" and lamented the lack of a real plot more concrete than a series of comedy takes on zombie-slaying.
and as "the first [American] horror comedy in recent memory to find significant theatrical success". The film grossed $60.8 million in 17 days, becoming the top-grossing zombie film in history; the record was previously held by the Dawn of the Dead remake.
have planned a possible sequel, with many more ideas they want to explore. "We would love it, and everybody involved creatively wants to do another one", said Wernick. "Woody Harrelson
came up to us after the final cut of the last scene and gave us a hug and said, 'I've never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I've done until this one.'" Wernick said he plans to have Jesse Eisenberg
, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin
to star again with Ruben Fleischer returning as the director and that the writers have "tons of new ideas swimming in [their heads]". Additionally, they want to make the comedy into an enduring franchise. "We would love to do several sequels", stated Wernick. "We would love to also see it on television. It would make a wonderful TV series".
Though intent on making a sequel for the film, Reese and Wernick have not yet started to work on a script and do not want to reveal any potential Zombieland sequel plot points. They are not planning on an immediate sequel, due to being heavily involved with other writing projects. The original cast and director are all set to return and Fleischer is enthusiastic about the idea of doing the sequel in 3D. Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg confirmed in February 2010 their return for the second installment of the series. In 2010, Fleischer stated that he was working on the screenplay and the creators have begun searching for another "superstar cameo".
Zombie comedy
The zombie comedy, often called zom com or zomedy, is a film genre that aims to blend zombie horror motifs with slapstick comedy as well as dark comedy.-Early years:...
film directed by Ruben Fleischer
Ruben Fleischer
Ruben Fleischer is an American film director, advertisement/copy writer, and music video director. He is currently based in Los Angeles. He is best known as the director of the critically acclaimed and financially successful Zombieland, his first feature film. He followed it by making 30 Minutes...
from a screenplay written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick
Paul Wernick
-Television:Wernick created, executive-produced, and wrote The Joe Schmo Show with writing and producing partner Rhett Reese for Spike TV. The critically acclaimed series drew Spike's highest ratings in history...
. The film stars Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
as survivors of a zombie apocalypse
Zombie apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse is a particular scenario of apocalyptic literature that customarily has a science fiction/horror rationale. In a zombie apocalypse, a widespread rise of zombies hostile to human life engages in a general assault on civilization....
. Together they take an extended road trip
Road trip
A road trip is any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.-Pre-automobile road trips:...
across Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
in an attempt to find a sanctuary free from zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s.
Zombieland received positive critical reviews and was a commercial success, grossing more than $60.8 million in 17 days and surpassing the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead
Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)
Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
as the top-grossing zombie film to date in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Plot
Two months after a mutated strain of mad cow diseaseBovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
has turned most humans into cannibal zombies, unaffected college student "Columbus" (Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
) is making his way to Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
to see whether his parents are still alive. He encounters "Tallahassee" (Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
), another survivor who seeks Twinkie
Twinkie
The Twinkie is an American snack cake made and distributed by Hostess Brands. They are marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling".-History:...
s. They travel together.
They later meet "Wichita" (Emma Stone) and her younger, 12-year-old sister "Little Rock" (Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
). The sisters were con artists before the catastrophe, and have little trouble tricking the two guys into handing over their weapons and stealing their vehicle. Later, the two men find a Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...
loaded with weapons, but when they meet the girls again, the girls once more gain the upper hand, taking their weapons and car. Tallahassee manages to wrestle away Little Rock's gun, resulting in a Mexican standoff
Mexican standoff
A Mexican standoff is a slang term defined as a stalemate or impasse; a confrontation that neither side can foreseeably win. The term is most often used in lieu of "stalemate" when the confrontational situation is exceptionally dangerous for all parties involved.In popular culture, the Mexican...
. Columbus negotiates a truce.
The girls are going to the "Pacific Playland" amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
, which is supposedly free of zombies. Columbus does not want to go along at first, but when Wichita informs him that his hometown has been destroyed, he stays with the group. When they reach Hollywood, Tallahassee takes them to Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's mansion. Tallahassee and Wichita meet Murray himself, uninfected but disguised as a zombie so he can walk (and golf) safely among the infected. When Murray attempts to scare Columbus and Little Rock as a practical joke
Practical joke
A practical joke is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or...
, Columbus shoots and kills him, believing him a real zombie. Later, Columbus realizes Tallahassee has been grieving for his young son, lost to the zombies, rather than his dog as he had earlier led Columbus to believe. Wichita nearly kisses Columbus, but fearing attachment, she leaves with Little Rock for Pacific Playland without warning. Columbus persuades a reluctant Tallahassee to follow in one of Murray's vehicles.
At Pacific Playland, Wichita and Little Rock activate all the rides and lights, attracting nearby zombies. A battle ensues, leaving the sisters trapped on a drop tower ride. Tallahassee and Columbus arrive just as the sisters' ammunition runs out. Tallahassee lures the zombies away, then locks himself in a game booth, shooting zombies at his leisure, while Columbus goes after the sisters. In thanks, Wichita reveals her real name of Krista. Tallahassee eliminates the remaining zombies, then consumes a Twinkie that Little Rock has found.
Cast
- Jesse EisenbergJesse EisenbergJesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
as Columbus - Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
as Tallahassee. He accepted the role on four conditions, two of which were about casting and crew. The third condition required the film to have an environmentally conscious set. The fourth condition required that the director not eat dairy products for a week, a task which Fleischer described was "like for an alcoholic not to drink". He succeeded and maintained a vegetarianVegetarianismVegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
diet for 11 months. - Emma Stone as Wichita / Krista
- Abigail BreslinAbigail BreslinAbigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
as Little Rock - Amber HeardAmber HeardAmber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms...
as 406 - Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
as Himself - Mike White as Gas Station Owner
The rules
A running gag, and a central theme throughout the film, is the list of rules Columbus comes up with for surviving in the zombie-infested world. By the end of the film, his list has thirty-three rules; but only a few are mentioned. A series of promotional videos starring Woody HarrelsonWoody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
and Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
expanded on the list presented in the film.
- "CardioAerobic exerciseAerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
" - "Double tapDouble tapA double tap or controlled pair is a shooting technique where two well-aimed shots are fired at the same target with very little time in between shots. Instruction and practice of the double-tap improves overall accuracy as shooters often do not have the gun fully extended on the first shot meaning...
" ("Ziploc bagsZiplocZiploc is a brand of reusable, re-sealable zipper storage bags and containers originally developed by Dow Chemical Company, and now produced by S. C. Johnson & Son. According to Dow's website, the bags were originally test marketed in 1968....
" in a deleted scene) - "Beware of bathrooms"
- "Wear seatbelts"
- "Cast iron skillet"
- "Travel light"
- "Get a kickass partner"
- "BountyBounty (brand)Bounty is a paper towel product manufactured by Procter & Gamble in the United States. It was introduced in 1965.- Sale of British rights :...
paper towels" - "Bowling Ball"
- "Don't be a hero." Columbus changes the rule to "Be a hero" at the amusement park, facing his greatest fear, a clown-zombie, to save Wichita and Little Rock.
- "Limber up"
- "Avoid strip clubs"
- "When in doubt, know your way out"
- "The buddy system"
- "Check the back seat"
- "Enjoy the little things"
- "Swiss army knife"
- "Clean socks"
- "Hygiene"
- "Always have backup"
In a deleted scene on the DVD, Columbus presents an alternate rule number 2 titled "Ziploc Bags".
Character names
The main characters do not use each others' real names; but identify themselves using place names (ColumbusColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
, Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
) that relate to them. This includes Columbus's neighbor, named 406 after her room, and his fictional sexual conquest "Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
".
There are exceptions in Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
playing himself, and Sister Cynthia Knickerbocker, whom Columbus identifies as a "Zombie Kill of the Week" winner. At the end of the film, Wichita tells Columbus that her real name is Krista.
Writing
Writers Rhett Reese and Paul WernickPaul Wernick
-Television:Wernick created, executive-produced, and wrote The Joe Schmo Show with writing and producing partner Rhett Reese for Spike TV. The critically acclaimed series drew Spike's highest ratings in history...
stated that idea for Zombieland had "lived in [their] heads" for four-and-a-half years. The story was originally developed in 2005 as a spec script
Spec script
A spec script, also known as a speculative screenplay, is a non-commissioned unsolicited screenplay. It is usually written by a screenwriter who hopes to have the script optioned and eventually purchased by a producer, production company, or studio....
for television pilot in the summer of 2005.
Wernick stated "We've got a long brainstorming document that still to this day gets updated on a near-weekly basis with ideas". Director Ruben Fleischer helped develop the script from a series into a self contained feature by providing a specific destination to the road story, the amusement park.
Earlier versions of the script called the protagonists Flagstaff and Albuquerque, rather than Columbus and Tallahassee, and the female characters were called Wichita and Stillwater.
The celebrity who would cameo as himself was written as a zombified, dancing Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze
Patrick Wayne Swayze was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He was best known for his tough-guy roles, as romantic leading men in the hit films Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and as Orry Main in the North and South television miniseries. He was named by People magazine as its "Sexiest...
, including references to highlights of Swayze's career, even including a recreation of the "potter's wheel" scene from Ghost
Ghost (film)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
. Later versions of the script considered Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
, Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
, Mark Hamill
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
or Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey
Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor.After a series of minor roles in the early 1990s, McConaughey gained notice for his breakout role in Dazed and Confused . He then appeared in films such as A Time to Kill, Contact, U-571, Tiptoes, Sahara, and We Are Marshall...
as the celebrity, but Bill Murray eventually played the part, most of which was improvised according to Harrelson.
Filming and design
Principal photographyPrincipal photography
thumb|300px|Film production on location in [[Newark, New Jersey]].Principal photography is the phase of film production in which the movie is filmed, with actors on set and cameras rolling, as distinct from pre-production and post-production....
began February 2009 in Hollywood, California with scenes being shot at Scream Fest Theme Park and other locations. Filming continued in March in Atlanta, Hapeville, Morrow
Morrow, Georgia
Morrow is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,882 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Clayton State University.-Geography:Morrow is located at ....
, Decatur
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
, Newnan and Powder Springs, Georgia
Powder Springs, Georgia
Powder Springs is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 13,940 at the 2010 census.- History :The town of Powder Springs was incorporated as Springville in 1838 in the lands of two Cherokee Indian chiefs, Chief Nose and Chief Ana Kanasta . Gold had been discovered in...
, where actress Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
celebrated her 13th birthday by adopting a shelter puppy. Zombieland was filmed in digital, using the Panavision Genesis digital camera and had a 41 day shooting schedule.
The theme park scenes for the film's climax, Pacific Playland, were mostly shot in Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
's local theme park Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park
Wild Adventures
Wild Adventures Water & Theme Park is located from Valdosta, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. The park features approximately 59 rides and attractions, including eight roller coasters, hundreds of exotic animals, shows, Splash Island water park and...
. Some of the rides prominently featured in the film include Pharaoh's Fury; the Double Shot (redubbed "Blast Off"); the Rattler; the Aviator; and the Bug Out. Another coaster seen, but not used, is the park's iconic Boomerang roller coaster. A haunted house facade was constructed at the theme park; but the interior was filmed on location at Netherworld Haunted House
Netherworld Haunted House
Netherworld Haunted House is a haunted attraction located in Atlanta, Georgia that began in 1997.Unlike many haunted events at that time Netherworld developed an original theme that was not based on popular movies such as Slasher Films , but rather a unique storyline...
outside the city limits of Atlanta.
Special effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s makeup designer Tony Gardner
Tony Gardner (designer)
Tony Gardner is an American makeup and special effects designer. He has been involved in films Zombieland, 127 Hours, Hairspray, The Addams Family, Seed of Chucky, Shallow Hal and There's Something About Mary...
, who helped Rick Baker create the signature look of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's music video "Thriller" and has contributed to other Hollywood films like 127 Hours
127 Hours
127 Hours is a 2010 biographical adventure drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston, who became trapped by a boulder in Robbers Roost, Utah in April 2003....
, Hairspray
Hairspray (2007 film)
Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
, and There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary
There's Something About Mary is a 1998 American comedy film, directed by the Farrelly brothers, Bobby and Peter. It stars Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Ben Stiller, and it is a combination of romantic comedy and gross-out film....
, was brought on to design the look of the film's zombies. Michael Bonvillain, who was Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
s cinematographer
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, was brought on for the "lively" hand-held camerawork. "Basically, it's the end of the world; the entire nation is zombies", stated Gardner. "And [the humans] are trying to get from the east coast to the west coast". For one shooting scene, Gardner said, "There were 160 zombies, in prosthetics
Prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects...
, on set in an amusement park". He said it is "how you present yourself as a zombie that determines how people will react to you" and that "once the contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
es go in", he thinks "all bets are off".
Gardner said he was excited about working on the film with first-time filmmaker Ruben Fleischer, who gave him a free rein in his zombie design. "[We] are just trying to be real extreme with it", stated Gardner, "and trying to balance the scares out with the comedy". He described having to makeover physically attractive
Physical attractiveness
Physical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...
actors who usually benefit from their looks as "a little off-putting" after seeing some of them in their character makeup for the first time.
The zombies in Zombieland were described by the casting director as:
Harrelson had input into the wardrobe for his character, Tallahassee. "I never worked so long and hard on an outfit in my life," the actor has stated. "What this guy wears is who he is. You want to get a sense of this guy as soon as you see him. So I pick out the necklaces, the sunglasses. But the hat? The minute you see that on Tallahassee, you buy him. He's real. And he's got a real cool hat". Harrelson's choice of headwear for Tallahassee came not just down to style, but also to his environmental passions: the distinctive hat is handmade in Brazil by a company called The Real Deal using recycled cargo-truck tarps and wire from old truck tires.
Shortly after finishing the filming of Zombieland, Harrelson had an altercation with a TMZ
TMZ.com
TMZ.com is a celebrity news website that debuted on November 8, 2005. It was a collaboration between America Online and Telepictures Productions, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. However, it is still affiliated with AOL News and has the AOL News logo affixed in...
photographer at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's La Guardia Airport. His defense was that he was still in character and thought the cameraman was a zombie.
Effects
The special effects team worked to create several visual elements. One of these elements is "The Rules for Survival", which appear on-screen as they are related to the audience by Columbus: "Do cardioAerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
", "Beware of bathrooms", "Check the back seat", and so forth. The texts are rendered in 3-D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
. "When a previously stated rule becomes relevant—when nature calls, for instance—the relevant text pops up, occasionally getting splattered with blood." Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
s Josh Levin
Josh Levin
Josh Levin is a senior editor at Slate magazine. He also hosts the magazine's sports podcast Hang Up and Listen.-Early life:Levin was born and raised in New Orleans...
said, "The pop-up bit works precisely because Zombieland unspools like a game—how can you survive a zombie horde armed with a shotgun, an SUV, and a smart mouth?"
Release
Distributed by Columbia PicturesColumbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, Zombieland was released on October 2, 2009, a week earlier than originally advertised.
Home media
Zombieland was released by Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentSony Pictures Home Entertainment
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. It was established in November 1979 as Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, releasing 20 titles: The Anderson Tapes, Bell, Book and Candle, Born Free, Breakout,...
on February 2, 2010 on Blu-ray Disc and DVD. The film was released on 15 March 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK. Select Best Buy stores sold a special edition on both DVD and Blu-ray with an additional disc featuring two featurettes.
It was also released as a movie for the PSP
PSP
PSP most commonly refers to the PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment.PSP may also refer to:-Computing and programming:*Corel Paint Shop Pro, a graphics editor...
UMD
Universal Media Disc
The Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
movies
Critical response
The film received critical acclaim. Review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports 90% of critics gave the film positive write-ups based on 184 reviews, with a rating of 7.3/10, and a generally positive 88% approval rating from "top" critics based on 29 reviews.
At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Normalization (statistics)
In one usage in statistics, normalization is the process of isolating statistical error in repeated measured data. A normalization is sometimes based on a property...
rating to reviews from mainstream critics, the film holds a "generally favorable" score of 73% based on 31 reviews.
Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
was surprised by Zombielands ability to be significantly humorous while zombies remained the focus of the film and felt that "all of this could have been dreary, but not here. The filmmakers show invention and well-tuned comic timing". He credited Bill Murray
Bill Murray
William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
's cameo appearance as receiving the "single biggest laugh" of the year, and gave the film 3 out of 4 stars.
Murray's cameo was called out for attention by other reviewers: Marc Savlov of Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
credited it as "the single most outrageously entertaining unexpected celebrity cameo of any film—genre or otherwise—" that he had seen in a "long, long time" and that while the film did little to advance the genre, its smart script and high action made it very enjoyable. He categorized Zombieland as being "dead set against being dead serious" with its tonal pallor "ha[ving] more in common with a foreshortened It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is a 1963 American comedy film produced and directed by Stanley Kramer about the madcap pursuit of $350,000 in stolen cash by a diverse and colorful group of strangers...
than with 28 Days
28 Days Later
28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...
or Weeks Later
28 Weeks Later
28 Weeks Later is a 2007 British/Spanish film sequel to the 2002 post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Days Later. 28 Weeks Later was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and released in the United Kingdom and United States on 11 May 2007...
".
The film's witty use of dialogue and popular culture was also praised by Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Ty Burr has been a film critic for the Boston Globe since 2002 where he reviews films alongside Wesley Morris.Born in 1957, he studied film at Dartmouth College and New York University and has written three books: The Hundred Greatest Movies of All Time, The Hundred Greatest Stars of All Time and...
of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, who said the film "makes no claims to greatness" but that what it "has instead—in spades—is deliciously weary end-of-the-world banter";
Michael Ordona of Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
praised director Fleischer for "bring[ing] impeccable timing and bloodthirsty wit to the proceedings".
Some reviewers saw deeper levels in the plot and cinematography: cinematographer Michael Bonvillain was praised for capturing "some interesting images amid the post-apocalyptic carnival of carnage, as when he transforms the destruction of a souvenir shop into a rough ballet", while Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
said "the picture is beautifully paced" and highlighted "a halcyon middle section where, in what could be viewed as a sideways homage to Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause
Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments...
, our rootless wanderers share a brief respite in an empty, lavish mansion".
Claudia Puig of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
said that "underlying the carnage in Zombieland is a sweetly beating heart", and that "This road movie/horror flick/dark comedy/earnest romance/action film hybrid laces a gentle drollness through all the bloody mayhem". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's Lisa Schwarzbaum concluded, "At the bone, Zombieland is a polished, very funny road picture shaped by wisenheimer cable-TV sensibilities and starring four likable actors, each with an influential following".
Josh Levin
Josh Levin
Josh Levin is a senior editor at Slate magazine. He also hosts the magazine's sports podcast Hang Up and Listen.-Early life:Levin was born and raised in New Orleans...
of Slate
Slate (magazine)
Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
drew parallels with Adventureland
Adventureland (film)
Adventureland is a 2009 Retro comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Mottola. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Margarita Levieva, Ryan Reynolds, Martin Starr, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig.-Plot:...
: in both films Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
tries to win over his dream girl, a girl who has been hardened by life, and both feature a theme park. He goes so far as to call the film "an undead Adventureland—a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a 2009 parody novel by Seth Grahame-Smith. It is a mashup combining Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice with elements of modern zombie fiction, crediting Austen as co-author...
for the Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
generation".
Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's Richard Corliss described the film as "an exhilarating ride, start to finish" and reasoned "Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg set a high bar for this subgenre with Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
, but Reese, Werner and Fleischer may have trumped them". "This isn't just a good zombie comedy. It's a damn fine movie, period. And that's high praise, coming from a vampire guy", he stated.
Not all comparisons with Shaun of the Dead were favorable: Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York characterized the "extra injection of pop-culture neuroticism" as "the one innovation" of the film, declaring that while Zombieland was funny, it wasn't particularly scary and stated that it "simply isn't as witty as Shaun of the Dead, forever the yuks-meet-yucks standard".
Similarly, The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
s Rick Groen said "it's far more charming than chilling and way more funny than frightening", though he suggested that Rule No. 32 to 'enjoy the little things' was worth observing for a light comedy.
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
classified the film as "[a] minor diversion dripping in splatter and groaning with self-amusement" and lamented the lack of a real plot more concrete than a series of comedy takes on zombie-slaying.
Box office
The film debuted at No. 1 at the box office in North America, with ticket sales of $24,733,155 on the opening weekend, matching its production budget. As of October 29, 2009, the film grossed $75,590,286 domestically and $102,133,700 worldwide. It was credited as having the second highest-grossing start on record for a zombie film behind the Dawn of the Dead remakeDawn of the Dead (2004 film)
Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 horror film directed by Zack Snyder in his directorial debut. It is a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name and stars Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber. The film depict a handful of human survivors living in a Milwaukee, Wisconsin shopping mall...
and as "the first [American] horror comedy in recent memory to find significant theatrical success". The film grossed $60.8 million in 17 days, becoming the top-grossing zombie film in history; the record was previously held by the Dawn of the Dead remake.
Awards
| Awards and nominations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics.... |
Best Comedy Movie | ||
| Detroit Film Critics Society The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Detroit, Michigan, United States.-2007 Awards:The nominees for the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2007 were announced on 15 December and the winners were announced on 21 December 2007.-Best Actor:**George Clooney - Michael... |
Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd... |
rowspan="2" |
| Best Ensemble | Abigail Breslin Abigail Breslin Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.... Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000... Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd... Amber Heard Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms... Bill Murray Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and... Emma Stone |
||
| Empire Awards An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented... |
Best Horror | ||
JoBlo.com JoBlo.com is a website primarily focused on the film industry.JoBlo.com was started in 1998 by Berge Garabedian , a movie reviewer who is known for critiquing movies from the perspective of an average movie-goer. The website's name is, in fact, a play on the term Joe Shmoe, and registered users of... |
Best Comedy of the Year | ||
| Best Horror Movie of the Year | |||
| Biggest Surprise of the Year | rowspan="3" | ||
| Coolest Character of the Year | (Tallahassee) | ||
| Best Action Sequence of the Year | (Tallahassee vs. the Amusement Park) | ||
| Most Memorable Scene of the Year | (Bill Murray Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and... Cameo) |
||
| Best T&A of the Year | Emma Stone | ||
MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general... |
Best Scared-As-S**t Performance | Jesse Eisenberg | rowspan="2" |
| Best WTF Moment | (Bill Murray?! A Zombie?!) | ||
| Best Horror Film Saturn Award for Best Horror Film The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Horror Film:-References:... |
rowspan="2" | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd... |
||
| |
Audience Award | Ruben Fleischer | |
Scream Awards The Scream Awards is an award show dedicated to the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres of feature films. Originally only having Scream Queen and Heroic Performance awards for actors, the personnel awards have expanded to include actors and actresses of all three recognized genres. In addition,... |
Ultimate Scream | ||
| Best Horror Movie | |||
| Best Scream-Play | Rhett Reese Paul Wernick Paul Wernick -Television:Wernick created, executive-produced, and wrote The Joe Schmo Show with writing and producing partner Rhett Reese for Spike TV. The critically acclaimed series drew Spike's highest ratings in history... |
rowspan="4" | |
| Best Horror Actress | Emma Stone | ||
| Best Horror Actor | Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd... |
||
| Best Supporting Actress | Abigail Breslin Abigail Breslin Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.... |
||
| Best Cameo | Bill Murray Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and... |
rowspan="2" | |
| Best Ensemble | Abigail Breslin Abigail Breslin Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.... Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Eisenberg Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000... Woody Harrelson Woody Harrelson Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd... Amber Heard Amber Heard Amber Laura Heard is an American actress and model. She played the lead and title character in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. Heard's first starring role came in 2007 on the CW television show Hidden Palms... Bill Murray Bill Murray William James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and... Emma Stone |
||
| Best F/X | |||
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association is an organization of film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois which was founded in 2004.... |
Best Comedy | ||
| Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy | Emma Stone | |
Sequel
Due to the film's success, writers Rhett Reese and Paul WernickPaul Wernick
-Television:Wernick created, executive-produced, and wrote The Joe Schmo Show with writing and producing partner Rhett Reese for Spike TV. The critically acclaimed series drew Spike's highest ratings in history...
have planned a possible sequel, with many more ideas they want to explore. "We would love it, and everybody involved creatively wants to do another one", said Wernick. "Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
came up to us after the final cut of the last scene and gave us a hug and said, 'I've never wanted to do a sequel in the previous movies I've done until this one.'" Wernick said he plans to have Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin
Abigail Breslin
Abigail Kathleen Breslin is an American teen actress. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated for an Academy Award....
to star again with Ruben Fleischer returning as the director and that the writers have "tons of new ideas swimming in [their heads]". Additionally, they want to make the comedy into an enduring franchise. "We would love to do several sequels", stated Wernick. "We would love to also see it on television. It would make a wonderful TV series".
Though intent on making a sequel for the film, Reese and Wernick have not yet started to work on a script and do not want to reveal any potential Zombieland sequel plot points. They are not planning on an immediate sequel, due to being heavily involved with other writing projects. The original cast and director are all set to return and Fleischer is enthusiastic about the idea of doing the sequel in 3D. Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg confirmed in February 2010 their return for the second installment of the series. In 2010, Fleischer stated that he was working on the screenplay and the creators have begun searching for another "superstar cameo".