Jane Austen’s classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England is faced with a new challenge — an army of undead zombies.
The film stars Lily James (Cinderella), Sam Riley (Maleficent), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Lena Headey (Game of Thrones, 300) and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Imitation Game) directed by Burr Steers (17 Again).
The combination of period drama and the supernatural is a very niche movie genre, and one that hasn’t yet quite decided whether or not it’s going to catch on. Now, following the weak box office performance of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and the somewhat more successful Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, comes Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. This historical action film is an adaptation of the book by Seth Grahame-Smith, who also wrote the novel upon which Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunterwas based, and pits the five Bennet sisters against the perils of zombies and the pitfalls of Regency era social customs.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies stars Lily James (Cinderella) as Elizabeth Bennet and Sam Riley (On the Road) as her brooding, bad-tempered love interest Mr Darcy. The world that they live in isn’t by any means post-apocalyptic, but Elizabeth and her sisters have been schooled in the ladylike arts of fencing, musket-cleaning and martial arts instead of embroidery, so as to better deal with the zombie nuisance that’s been wandering the countryside for over 70 years.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies story feels inherently silly, Steers says:
“The idea was that it was Pride and Prejudice set in this alternate world and then for everyone to play it straight. The movie’s big wink is that there is no big wink. It’s definitely not camp.”
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies opens February 2016 from Screen Gems, Division of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group released through Columbia Pictures Philippines.
Source: Entertainment Weekly