Woody Harrelson’s Zombieland Sequel Is Trending On Streaming
Zombieland: Double Tap, starring Woody Harrelson is in the top three most streamed films on Hulu right now, and for plenty of hilariously good reasons.
Just in time for spooky season this October, streaming platforms are rolling out new content and delivering old favorites to celebrate Halloween. One movie that has been climbing the streaming charts is 2019’s Zombieland: Double Tap, the sequel to the 2009 original that is currently available on Hulu. According to FlixPatrol, a website dedicated to tracking content across multiple streaming platforms like Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max, Zombieland: Double Tap has recently hit the top three in movie streams on Hulu, and there’s a great reason why: It’s pretty darn funny and gruesome!
Zombieland: Double Tap was released in theaters three years ago on October 18, 2019. Depicting a pandemic of epic proportions where zombies have taken over the population of the United States of America, the comedy horror flick stars Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, and Abigail Breslin reprising their roles from a decade prior in a continuation of their quest to find a sanctuary where they can survive against zombies. Fearing they may one day become a zombie themselves, the family of strangers are armed with weapons and expertise as they battle against the undead while living in The White House.
Directed by Ruben Fleischer of Uncharted and Venom: Let There Be Carnage fame, Zombieland: Double Tap is a worthy sequel that seems to stand on its own as a fun romp through a post-apocalyptic America. The movie features additional characters played by well-known actors, including Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch, and Avan Jogia, who further add to the hilarity of the plot surrounding Zombieland’s original heroes. The real breakout star of this sequel is Zoey Deutch in a featured role portraying the stereotypical dumb blonde character, Madison, before the actor went on to a lead performance in this year’s Not Okay, also available on Hulu.
When it debuted to a wide audience during Halloween time in 2019, Zombieland: Double Tap was mostly positively received by critics and audiences alike. The film went on to gross over $122 million at the box office against a budget of roughly $48 million, which was a slight increase in returns from its Zombieland predecessor that raked in about $102 million at the box office in 2009. Rotten Tomatoes currently ranks Zombieland: Double Tap with a 68% on its Tomatometer based on 258 critics reviews, as well as an Audience Score of 88% based on over 10,000 verified ratings from users to the site.
Zombieland: Double Tap is also noteworthy for its cameos, including an unusual mid-credits scene in which actor Bill Murray, who plays himself, gets interviewed by film critic Grace Randolph, Today’s Al Roker, Univision host Lili Estefan, and Josh Alex Horowitz. The scene in question demonstrates minutes before the zombie apocalypse hits that part of the country, and is seen as a reprisal of the role Murray played in 2009’s Zombieland to great comedic effect. In that original film, actor Amber Heard plays a neighbor that eventually turns into a zombie, who Jesse Eisenberg’s character of Columbus has to kill.
In the years since Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap were released, director Ruben Fleischer has been asked multiple times if audiences should expect a spin-off or third entry into the overall franchise. With the A-list cast growing with every film, it would be unlikely that all members of the original film could find time in their schedules to return for a third installment. However, The Hollywood Reporter noted in 2020 that Fleisher would consider making a standalone film based solely on Zoey Deutch’s Madison character, which would take advantage of Deutch’s leading role status she currently finds herself occupying in various projects.
While Zombieland: Double Tap is often considered just a zombie movie, similar to that of Dawn of the Dead or World War Z, at the heart of the plot is an absolute comedy. Making use of the storylines outlined in various other zombie movies, both Zombieland and Zombieland: Double Tap are equipped with disastrous situations and funny one liners that keep the mayhem going at a rapid fire pace. Zombieland was Fleischer’s first film as a director so it wouldn’t be out of the question to see him return to the franchise in some fashion in the future.
