2013’s Zombieland delivered a fun continuation of the film from its creators but with a new cast, and fans of the franchise were not willing to support it.
What Is It?
Taking place sometime after the end of the 2009 Zombieland movie, this pilot picks up with the four main characters as they fight for survival in Los Angeles. They at first try to gather together other survivors in the area, but that doesn’t go so well. Then they decide to head out east because Detroit (the last Onstar operator still broadcasting) tells them there is a safe community there.
Aired: Prime Video, April 19, 2013
Created By: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick
Starring: Kirk Ward, Tyler Ross, Maiara Walsh, Izabela Vidovic, Kendra Fountain
Why Didn’t It Fly?
Zombieland creators Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick originally envisioned their zombie-comedy as a television series and started writing the script for that around 2005. In fact, the “zombie kill of the week” that we saw in the movie was part of the original TV series plan with each episode having a segment where one of the main characters would have a big kill. But the television idea did not draw much interest from the networks, leading Reese and Wernick to adapt what they had written so far into a feature film script.
The movie proved a hit in 2009, but plans for a sequel stalled. Reese and Wernick then decided to go the television route again and began working on a pilot for a series that would continue from the movie but have different actors in the lead roles (it would be too expensive to bring the original cast back). There was some interest from FOX and CBS, with the show possibly arriving on the schedule in Fall of 2012. Those plans fell through, but Amazon stepped in and ordered the pilot as it was trying to beef up its originals at that time. That was released in April 2013 with new actors taking over the familiar roles plus the addition of new character Detroit who is an OnStar operator that helps to guide the group.
The pilot was actually not bad and showed some promise, but fans could not get past the cast changes. This was a time when Amazon allowed viewers to vote on pilots (it would release several at a time) and the streamer would pick up the most popular ones to series. Sadly, Zombieland was voted down hard and Amazon announced that it would not continue as a series.
Would It Have Worked as a Series?
The pilot had some rough edges and it took some getting used to the new actors, but I believe it could have turned into quite a fun series as long as Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were onboard. The thirty-minute episode produced by Amazon has much of the wit and ironic humor of the movies, it’s just a matter of whether you can accept the new actors. I thought all of them did a good job and brought their own unique interpretations to the roles while still remaining pretty close to the characters from the film. Tallahassee diverged the most from the character portrayed on the big screen (nobody can replace Woody Harrelson), but I could have accepted him in the role. It looks like the series would have followed the main four characters as they traveled from town to town, and it could have produced a decent run. Sadly, though, it was the fans who killed the show this time around, not the network execs.
Should It Be Rebooted?
The TV pilot happened because the planned sequel stalled, but Zombieland: Double Tap eventually did move forward and hit the big screen in 2019. It’s possible that Reese and Wernick could take another shot at a TV series that follows from the second film, but they would run into the same problem with getting the main actors onboard, and it appears that fans are not willing to accept anybody else in those roles. Another sequel is probably the best route, and perhaps that will happen at some point.
Where Can You Watch It?
The pilot is no longer available on Amazon Prime Video, but you can find it on YouTube from time to time. I believe it is worth searching out, just set expectations appropriately and you may find this to be fun little addition to the Zombieland universe.
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