When Zombieland opened in 2009 it caught everyone by surprise with a strong $24M opening weekend. It was around the time that we were seeing a new wave of zombie films with unique twists to the overdone concept, and this violent, R-rated road comedy was something most mainstream moviegoers hadn’t seen. The film went on to earn over $100M worldwide on a $24M budget, but it was on home video that it became a cult classic. A sequel was promised soon after but it is only now, nearly a decade later, that it can be confirmed.
THR has the news, and along with the sequel comes word that the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin are returning. The original film made huge stars of Eisenberg and Stone, and it went a long way in proving Harrelson as a major franchise star. He really hasn’t looked back since, starring in numerous blockbuster studio films. Also returning are director Ruben Fleischer and screenwriters Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, all having seen their careers take off thanks to Zombieland. Fleischer is currently working with Harrelson on Sony’s Venom movie, while Wernick and Reese have done okay for themselves with two Deadpool flicks.
Expect the film to open sometime next year, marking Zombieland‘s 10th anniversary.
