Although the box office failures of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter may have slowed it down slightly, the troubled, long-delayed adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is still around, and according to reports the film is actually ready to begin production real soon.
Set in an alternate version of 19th century England, the story follows the same plot as Jane Austen's novel except imagine a zombie outbreak happening at the same time, and, well, you get the idea. And if you don't "get" the idea, then it's probably not for you. The film version has been in development since 2009, with Natalie Portman set to star at one point with David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle) attached to direct.
Scheduling conflicts forced both Portman and O. Russell off the project, and then it became somewhat of a revolving door of directors with Mike White and Craig Gillepsie both signing on and then departing, eventually leaving the project in the hands of director Burr Steers (17 Again), who appears to still be at the helm, working off a script from David O. Russell. Meanwhile, Lily Collins will star.
Should Pride and Prejudice and Zombies become a huge hit, there's already a prequel and a sequel written, released in 2010 and 2011, respectively. No word yet on a release date for the film.
