More Love, Less World War In Zom-Rom-Com Warm Bodies’ First Trailer
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That’s right, Marc Forster’s World War Z isn’t the only highly anticipated zombie novel adaptation with a new trailer. From Isaac Marion’s book of the same name, Warm Bodies is a semi-return to horror for director Jonathan Levine, the man behind the should-have-been-better All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. He’s also the director of critic hits The Wackness and 50/50, so you know he has a depth of range.
Warm Bodies predictably takes place after a zombie apocalypse, and follows the story of R (Skins‘ Nicholas Hoult), a memory-impaired member of the undead without any real knowledge of what’s happening. He “meets” Julie (Teresa Palmer), and against his instincts, saves her from other non-amorous zombies and develops human feelings for her that could possibly change the course of humanity’s recovery. Rob Corddry plays R’s best friend, M, and John Malkovich plays Julie’s father, General Grigio. I’d be lying if I said I’d be just as pleased if the film was just Corddry and Malkovich singing show tunes. But you gotta give the zombie fans what they want.
The question, of course, is whether hordes of zombie fans even want a zombie movie that defies genres like this. Personally, I thought the trailer was great, and I’ve heard many positive things about the book, though I haven’t read it yet. I wasn’t expecting as much comedy, and I certainly hope the trailer didn’t ruin all of the good parts. Without a large vocabulary, I’m assuming R’s first-person narration will carry through the movie, which is usually a horrible thing, but might work here. Also, notice a great cameo from a Blu-ray of Lucio Fulci’s masterful Zombie.
Warm Bodies will be released February 1, 2013, four months before that other, louder zombie flick, and just as AMC’s The Walking Dead comes back from its winter hiatus. The hills will be alive with the mumble-grumbles of zombies in 2013.
