Five years ago, it was announced that Ben Wheatley would be writing, directing, and executive producing Generation Z, a “hilarious, frightening, and political” series that would consist of six hour-long episodes that would “mix flesh-eating zombies into a story that satirizes how Brexit has divided the UK.” That project didn’t make it into production when it was originally supposed to because of the pandemic shutdown… but after making Meg 2: The Trench (you can read our review at THIS LINK and check out our interview with the filmmaker HERE), Wheatley circled back around to Generation Z. The show is now ready to start airing on Channel 4 in October, and in anticipation of the premiere, Empire has unveiled two new images. One can be seen above, and the other can be found at the bottom of this article.
The show is described as “a coming-of-age parable for our very strange times – cut with a heavy dose of outlandish gore”. The story, based on a pitch by George Faber, is set in the fictional town of Dambury, the kind of place with stark opportunities and not much to do. Grey, unassuming, forgotten. It’s the last place you’d expect the apocalypse to begin… But when an army convoy overturns outside a care home, a chemical leak starts to have an adverse effect on the residents there. The OAPs, led by Cecily and Frank, escape the grasp of the army looking to contain their angry, violent, insatiable hunger for raw flesh. On the night of the outbreak, teenagers – Charlie, Kelly, Steff and Finn – are living normal teenage lives: tinnies, messy feelings, complex relationships and ignoring their A-Level prep. But the gang abruptly find themselves at the centre of the virus when Kelly’s nan Janine becomes infected and attacks her. Just because it’s the end of the world, it doesn’t mean your home life and relationship problems comes to a halt, as the gang come up against the zombie horde, battling with their parents, friendship betrayals and old family secrets rearing their ugly heads. And life is just as complicated for the zombies, with the virus fuelling single-minded desires, bringing a whole new dimension to their zombie rampage. Meanwhile, Finn worries for grandad-figure Morgan when she comes to the realisation that there might be more behind the chemical spill. Just what exactly was being transported?
Channel 4 adds that Generation Z is about “intergeneration justice and community breakdown that boldly satirizes a world where truth is stranger than fiction, exploring not just the political fault lines in our society but also the very real issues facing teenagers today.”
The series stars Sue Johnston (The Royle Family), Paul Bentall (The World’s End), Jay Lycurgo (The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), Buket Komur (Our House), Lewis Gribben (Somewhere Boy), Viola Prettejohn (The Nevers), Anita Dobson (EastEnders), Robert Lindsay (My Family), Johnny Vegas (Benidorm), Robert James-Collier (Downton Abbey), Suzanne Ahmet (Inside Man), T’Nia Miller (Years and Years), Sophie Stone (The Chelsea Detective), Chris Reilly (The Last Post), D’Angelou Osei Kissiedu (Rocks), Ellie-Mae Siame (His Dark Materials), Robin Hill (Kill List), Gareth Tunley (Kill List), John Hollingworth (The Queen’s Gambit), Maanuv Thiara (DI Ray), Rebecca Humphries (The Crown), Ellora Torchia (The Gold), Andrew Kazamia (London’s Burning), Garrick Hagon (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope), Mark Monero (EastEnders), and newcomer Ava Hinds-Jones.
Generation Z is produced by The Forge for Channel 4, in association with ZDF and All3media International. The series was commissioned by Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick and Commissioning Editor, Rebecca Holdsworth. Alex Kazamia produces while Wheatley executive produces alongside Mark Pybus, George Faber, and Beth Willis.
Wheatley told Empire, “I was thinking a lot about my own films, because they tentatively fit together. Tonally, [Generation Z] fits within the world of Sightseers. It’s [that] same thing of taking genre situations and putting real people in them.” He added that the inspirations include “Threads and Scooby-Doo,” and that Generation Z‘s zombies are “not really zombies. It’s like a viral infection. Zombie apocalypses are normally unexplained. This is more science-based.“
Are you interested in Ben Wheatley’s Generation Z? Take a look at the images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.