Amazon orders ‘Zombieland’ to pilot
Credit: Columbia Pictures
Amazon Studios is following Netflix into the business of developing original series, and it's looking to have a big success on its hands by adapting one of the more popular cult comedy hits of the last several years.
The studio has ordered a comedy series based on the film Zombieland to pilot.
What separates Amazon Studios from Netflix is its unique crowd-sourcing pick-up strategy. Viewers will be able to watch this pilot, produced by Sony Pictures TV, for free - along with 12 other pilots (including six comedies and six kids shows). The audience will then help determine which of the pilots will be picked up for a full season, to air on Amazon's Prime Instant Video.
“Zombieland is a fan favorite and we can’t wait to see where this story line goes in a serialized format,” said Amazon Studios director Roy Price in a statement earlier today. “We’ve been announcing a lot of exciting exclusive content for Prime Instant Video, like Downton Abbey, Under the Dome and Justified, and we think adding original shows to that lineup is going to make Prime even more enticing for customers.”
Based on the 2009 film of the same name, the series follows four survivors of a zombie apocalypse as they roam the country searching for a place to call home. The pilot, the company's first from a major studio, comes to us via the creative team behind the original film: writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (of the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation) and producer Gavin Polone (Gilmore Girls, Curb Your Enthusiasm). Eli Craig (Tucker and Dale vs. Evil) has been hired to direct the pilot for the comedy series.
“Zombieland will strive to break the rules—action, adventure, thrills, chills and laughs and all packed into a half hour format. This is not your average show but Amazon is not your average network,” said Wernick.
Kirk Ward (The Island) has been cast as Tallahassee, the role originated by Woody Harrelson in the original film. Meanwhile, Maiara Walsh (Desperate Housewives) has been cast as Wichita, with Tyler Ross (Milkshake) as Columbus and Izabela Vidovic as Little Rock. In the film, the roles were played by Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin, respectively.
Amazon Studios, said to be making pilots in the $1 million range, has started production on its six other comedy pilots: Alpha House, Browsers, Dark Minions, Onion News Empire, Supanatural and Those Who Can’t. These pilots are less expensive than comparable efforts from Netflix, whose pilots are said to cost in excess of $4 million.
Meanwhile, Amazon Studios' other big pilots are kid-oriented ventures. The company is currently hard at work on the pilots: Creative Galaxy, Oz Adventures, Teeny Tiny Dogs, Tumbleaf, Sara Solves It and The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project.
