It’s time to talk about flesh-eating monsters in the Regency era. How often do they bathe in the blood of the living? Hopefully not more than once a year. And it’s probably easy to mask the scent of decay with all the other odors going on at those country dances.
I was given Pride & Prejudice & Zombies as a Christmas present a few years back. I’m sure the person who gave it to me was well-meaning and knew I liked books and science fiction and thought it would be fun, but I can’t remember who that person was, and I’ve still never actually read the book, which goes to show you what I think of this “insert-monsters-into-Austen-books” gag. I actually can’t think about zombies in Austenland without thinking about Tina Belcher’s erotic zombie fiction, which is probably better, anyway.
But I digress. The Pride & Prejudice & Zombies film adaptation has been in the works for a while, at one point with Natalie Portman starring and Mike White directing. Now it’s officially starting principal photography — next month — with Portman in a producing capacity.
Lily James, who is apparently not a Harry Potter character but the actress who played Lady Rose on Downton Abbey, will star as Elizabeth Bennett. Sam Riley, another actor I wouldn’t be able to pick out of a lineup, is playing Mr. Darcy. (The interwebs tell me that he played Ian Curtis in Control. That’s one of things I meant to watch but since I’ve already seen 24 Hour Party People I figured I was covered.)
Burr Steers, who directed Igby Goes Down, is directing from a script by David O. Russell. My dislike for this project has just intensified with the mention of David O. Russell. It’s a good thing he’s not directing or he would’ve cast Jennifer Lawrence in every single role.
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies sounds like something that would be really funny as a Saturday Night Live sketch, but stretching the idea of women of no particular means fighting off zombies AND their obnoxious cousin suitors in to a full-length feature seems terrible. Maybe everyone will prove me wrong and it’ll be funny and entertaining. I’ll find out in five years when I catch it on Starz.
Via Deadline