It’s been a decade since “Zombieland” wowed moviegoers, and fans of the cult hit are eager to see Tallahassee and the gang back together in its sequel, out in October. But if one of its stars, Emma Stone, had her way, that won’t be the last reunion for the makeshift family of zombie hunters.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Ruben Fleischer was asked if there’s a chance that there would be a third “Zombieland” down the line. While Fleischer said he would have to wait until box office numbers come in to make that call, Stone had an interesting idea that gives food for thought.
“Emma said she thought it would be fun if we did one of these every 10 years,” Fleischer said.
Fleischer joked that one of the film’s other stars, Woody Harrelson, is “just the healthiest guy there is” and that “he’s going to outlive all of us… so we can just keep doing them every 10 years, ’til the end of time.”
Ten years between “Zombieland” films is a rather lengthy wait for fans eager for more. But Fleischer said that both he and the cast wanted to “stretch our legs a little bit and try different things.”
That experimentation paid off for all involved. Stars Stone, Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg have all earned Oscar nominations in the decade since “Zombieland,” with Stone winning the gold for her work in “La La Land.” Fleischer, meanwhile, directed one of 2018’s biggest hits with “Venom,” which grossed $855 million worldwide.
“The other thing is, we just couldn’t figure out the right story to tell,” Fleischer said. “It took a minute to get a story that we all felt was worthy, to come back to ‘Zombieland’ for. We all have so much love for the original. So, we held ourselves to a really high standard as far as making sure that, if we were going to make a sequel, that it be at least as good, if not better, than the original.”
That, ultimately, came down to a script they all loved.
“We were all demanding and discerning to make sure the story was one that was worth getting the gang back together,” he said. “Sometimes it does take time to get that right.”
“Zombieland: Double Tap” hits theaters Oct. 18.