Ruben Fleischer‘s “Zombieland” was not really on the mainstream radar by the time it was released in the fall of 2009, but the horror comedy road movie was a huge sleeper hit that year, grossing a respectable $75 million domestically and $102.3 million worldwide off a then-scant $24 million budget.
The film’s reputation was then, significantly, raised higher on home video, where it gained cult-classic-like status among cinephiles. This success also contributed in launching the careers of its two young leads (Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg) and paving the way for a very welcome renaissance of Woody Harrellson‘s career.
“Zombieland 2: Double Tap” is indeed coming out this fall, almost a decade after the first movie’s release. The main cast will all be back — including Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin — for this much-anticipated sequel. Also returning are director Ruben Fleischer and the original writing team of Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, who also owe their ensuing success to the movie. Fleischer directed “Venom,” with Tom Hardy, and Wernick/Reese are currently enjoying blockbuster success as the writers of the “Deadpool” franchise.
It’s always a risky proposition making a sequel to a cult movie. The whole point of cult-success is that it feels like a lightning-in-a-bottle moment. If the sequel doesn’t succeed, the result runs the risk of knocking down the integrity of the original movie. (A good example; after years of desperately pining for a sequel to “Anchorman,” are we happy that “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” happened?) With all that being said, why would we not be excited to see the original cast back in “Zombieland 2”? Just pray lightning can strike twice again.