Weren’t we just putting the final nail in the coffin of more ZOMBIELAND last week? The film’s director, Ruben Fleischer, talked down the possibility of a new movie, saying that the likelihood of it happening was slim, stomping significantly on the hopes of fans of the 2009 zom-com.
But that doesn’t mean ZOMBIELAND is down for the count! In fact, it just might crawl out of the grave and appear on TV. That’s where all the good stuff is being produced anyway, right?
This isn’t the first time this transition to the boob tube has been brought up; back in October of 2011 the possibility first presented itself, with news that the film’s original writers, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, would be handling scripting duties. Obviously, we haven’t heard much about it since, and I think it’s safe to say most of us forgot about it entirely. But CBS hasn’t, and they’re apparently sending out casting calls as we speak.
iO9 got their hands on the casting sheets, which indicate that the film’s original crew consisting of Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock will return; a couple of new supporting players have been introduced as well. The 30-minute sitcom will evidently be in the same spirit as the film, with an added focus on the growing romance between Columbus and Wichita.
Here are their notes on Tallahassee and Columbus:
Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.
Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his newfound relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.
To read further character descriptions, head over to iO9. While the reaction to this news may be trepidation, I think it’s worth waiting to find out more. Casting will be crucial; is it possible to insert new blood into these beloved characters?