While it looked for a long time as though the genre mash film based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride And Prejudice And Zombies might decay in a development grave, it showed moaning, flesh-craving signs of life (or undeath?) back in March when Natalie Portman rallied a group of companies to pump new backing into the project. The result is Charlie St. Cloud director Burr Steers set behind the camera and Mirror Mirro****r’s Lily Collins negotiating to star.
The script, still currently credited to David O. Russell back when he intended to direct, with Portman starring, before timing drove them both away, crossbreeds Jane Austen’s battle of the sexes with a more dangerous conflict against a zombie apocalypse in late 18th century England. Lizzie Bennett (Collins, assuming she locks in a deal) may not be best pleased by her romantic prospects, but it’s all looking a lot livelier than the groaning brain-eaters popping up.
Steers may do some work on the script before it heads before the cameras, and of course we’ve been at this point before only for the whole thing to collapse. But perhaps if **World War Z **is a big success, it might finally be Pride’s time?
Collins will be bringing some experience fighting fictional creatures: she’s starring in YA novel adaptation The Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones, which is out on August 23.