Zombieland (2009)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- The incredible score for Zombieland was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Ruben Fleischer originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Zombieland is a 2009 American zombie comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, a neurotic college student who has survived the zombie apocalypse by following a strict set of rules โ including "Cardio," "Double Tap," and "Don't Be a Hero" โ that appear as on-screen text throughout the film. Columbus joins forces with Tallahassee, a tough, Twinkie-obsessed zombie killer played by Woody Harrelson, and sisters Wichita and Little Rock, played by Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, as the group travels across the devastated United States toward an amusement park rumored to be zombie-free. Zombieland arrived at the peak of the zombie genre's cultural resurgence and distinguished itself through its comedic approach, treating the apocalypse as an opportunity for character-driven humor rather than horror.
The film's most celebrated sequence was an extended cameo by Bill Murray, playing himself, living alone in his Hollywood mansion disguised as a zombie to avoid attention. Woody Harrelson's anarchic energy as Tallahassee provided the film's most quotable moments, while Jesse Eisenberg's anxious narration gave the apocalypse an unexpectedly relatable perspective. The film earned $102 million worldwide on a $23 million budget, a strong return that established it as a cult comedy hit.
A sequel, Zombieland: Double Tap, followed ten years later with the entire original cast returning.
