Zombies take over the world

MANILA, Philippines - Man’s existence is threatened by epidemics, climate change, dwindling resources and… zombies in Columbia Pictures’ edgy action comedy Zombieland starring Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin.

A recent No. 1 box-office hit in the US, Zombieland focuses on two men who have found a way to survive a world overrun by zombies. Columbus (Eisenberg) is a big wuss — but when you’re afraid of being eaten by zombies, fear can keep you alive. Tallahassee (Harrelson) is an AK-totin’, zombie-slayin’ badass whose single determination is to get the last Twinkie on earth. As they join forces with Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Breslin), who have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem, they will have to determine which is worse: Relying on each other or succumbing to the zombies.

 “I always saw Zombieland as a zombie film that crosses so many genres at once,” says director Ruben Fleischer. “First and foremost, it’s a comedy, a road movie. It’s obviously got a horror element to it, and there’s romance as well. I was excited because of all the different aspects of the film, and my goal was to keep it grounded and strike just the right tone.”

Harrelson takes on the role of Tallahassee, a man who dies hard and slays harder, a dude ready to slay any zombie that comes between him and the planet’s last remaining Twinkies. “What I loved about Tallahassee was that he was a guy who essentially lost everything, so he has nothing left to lose, and as a result, he’s fearless when it comes to his approach to the zombies,” says Harrelson.

Tallahassee’s sidekick, Columbus, is played by Eisenberg. “I could certainly relate to Columbus’ obsessive-compulsiveness; he’s the type of guy who can’t let himself enjoy anything,” says the young actor. “It was written very honestly, and I looked forward to being able to find the balance between that truth and the inherent humor in it.”

Joining Columbus and Tallahassee on their quest to survive are Wichita, played by Stone, and Little Rock, played by Breslin. “I loved that the movie is funny, but not a rip-roaring slapstick, and it’s scary, but not a terrifying nightmare-inducer,” says Stone. “It manages to strike a balance between those and be its own thing. It’s a multifaceted zombie movie. Who knew you could make that?”

“I really wanted to do this movie, because it’s different than anything I’ve ever done,” explains Breslin. “Little Rock is a very feisty character, and I’ve enjoyed doing all this action. And when we shot in the amusement park, I got to go on a lot of the rides when we weren’t filming. I had a lot of fun.”

Zombieland is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.