The struggle to find a director who can handle genre mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has been tougher than the fight against a particularly vicious brain-guzzler. Many have flirted with the role, a few have sat in the chair only to leave, and now Lionsgate is hoping that Lars and the Real Girl’s Craig Gillespie might just be the man to finally wrangle the project.
Seth Grahame-Smith’s blending of Jane Austen’s romantic ruminations with a sudden outbreak of flesh-craving zomboids has been a ripe project for a while, but seemingly cursed when it comes to finding someone who can call the shots. Among those who’ve been considered are Mike Newell, Neil Marshall, Spellbound’s Jeffrey Blitz and Let Me In’s Matt Reeves. David O. Russell was in line to make the movie, but dropped out over budget concerns and because he had the likes of video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Vince Vaughn comedy drama Old St Louis calling his name like a lusty succubus in another room.
After Russell jumped, Mike White landed the assignment, but then had to ditch it when shifting schedules meant it would clash with a previous commitment to an HBO project.
So now Gillespie is in talks to direct, having honed his horror/comedy mixing chops with the incoming remake of Fright Night. He’s certainly a good choice in terms of working with characters, though he’ll also need to make sure the scares are there too. And that assumes he even decides to take on the job: if the past is any indication, he could have the gig for about five minutes before some other issue raises its ugly, undead head…