Zombieland TV Comedy Series being developed

[Dream]

Fox is looking for its own set of zombies.

Fresh off the record-breaking ratings for Sunday's Season 2 premiere of AMC's The Walking Dead, the network and Sony Pictures Television are developing a potential half-hour comedy based on the Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone starrer Zombieland.

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Fox and SPT are in development on a half-hour comedy version of the 2009 feature from producer Gavin Polone, as first reported by Vulture.

The project would be written by feature scribes Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and produced through feature distributor Columbia's sibling unit, Sony Pictures Television with an eye on putting the project into development for the 2012-13 broadcast season. The feature film grossed $75.6 million, with a sequel in the works for next year. A potential TV series, Polone told the site, would replace a big-screen follow-up.

The news comes as Walking Dead, the Andrew Lincoln starrer based on the long-running zombie comic series by Robert Kirkman, shattered demo ratings for two key metrics: the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 and adults 25-54, attracting 7.3 million viewers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...Heat+Vision%29

After TWD's huge season 2 premiere ratings, I'm not surprised at this news. At least this series is taking the comedy route and looks like it won't be aping TWD too much. I liked the movie so this looks intresting. I only hope we arent flooded with too many zombie shows in the next few years! I'm picturing a million zombies coming out of clown car.

[Kelso]

ZL was originally conceived as a TV series. I'd definitely check it out, but I'd hate to miss out on a sequel with Harrelson and Eisenberg.

[tighr]

The movie was fantastic, but as Kelso says it was originally developed as a television show. I think the "Zombie Kill of the Week" aspect would translate very well to the television medium!

[Beagleman]

Kelso wrote:

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I'd definitely check it out, but I'd hate to miss out on a sequel with Harrelson and Eisenberg.

This.

[Admiral_Young]

I'm not sure how I feel about this as a HUGE fan of the film. I can see a television series working incredibly well as we explore different aspects of Zombieland. The cast and their dynamic really made the film work and I really still want a sequel but if this is what we end up getting instead I'll give it a chance. Plus..you can have the Zombie Kill of the Week DING!!!

[Morpheus 02]

And with it being a comedy...will we get a chance to see some celebrity zombies? That'd be nice...

And it might be nice they had a poster of George Romero's "night of the Living UNdead" to explain why people didn't initially know how to kill zombies...

[PsychoPere]

Kelso wrote:

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ZL was originally conceived as a TV series. I'd definitely check it out, but I'd hate to miss out on a sequel with Harrelson and Eisenberg.

And Stone. Can't forget her.

[Temis the Vorta]

I just hope it's funnier than Death Valley.

[davejames]

I don't know. A big part of what made the movie so funny was how gory and profane and outrageous it was. A Fox TV version couldn't be nearly as violent, and the language would be softened into nothingness as well.

I just don't see what the point would be.

[Sindatur]

Temis the Bleeding Aorta wrote:

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I just hope it's funnier than Death Valley.

Heh, that bar is so low, they can't help but soar over it

[Temis the Vorta]

Sindatur wrote:

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Heh, that bar is so low, they can't help but soar over it

Okay, a LOT LOT LOT funnier than Death Valley.

davejames wrote:

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I don't know. A big part of what made the movie so funny was how gory and profane and outrageous it was. A Fox TV version couldn't be nearly as violent, and the language would be softened into nothingness as well.

I just don't see what the point would be.

Yeah, the subject matter just cries out for the outrageous approach. I can't stand any broadcast comedy anymore, because I've been spoiled by cable comedy. To me, the difference between cable and broadcast is even bigger for comedy than for drama.

[tighr]

Temis the Bleeding Aorta wrote:

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I can't stand any broadcast comedy anymore, because I've been spoiled by cable comedy. To me, the difference between cable and broadcast is even bigger for comedy than for drama.

Just because Fox is producing it doesn't mean it'll end up on Fox network. It could just as easily end up on Showtime (where it probably belongs). More likely the Fox-owned FX Network, but a premium network would allow the humor of the movie to translate well to the half-hour medium.

[Temis the Vorta]

FX would be the place for it.

[Pilot Ace]

Interesting. I wonder if all the problems with getting the sequel ready to go prompted this move. I'd give it at least an episode or two to impress me, considering I enjoyed the movie quite a bit.

[Admiral_Young]

^ Problems being everyone involved are extremely busy right now. One assumes this is why a series is in development right now.