Zombie Plane | |
---|---|
![]() Promotional poster | |
Directed by |
|
Written by |
|
Produced by | Jessica Butland[2] |
Starring | |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Studio Dome (international sales) |
Country | Australia |
Budget | $6.2 million |
Zombie Plane is an upcoming Australian action comedy film starring Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, and Sophie Monk as themselves, about a government organization's efforts to prevent a zombie outbreak using high-profile celebrities. The film, directed by Lav Bodnaruk and Michael Mier, "uses comedy, the zombie genre and '90s nostalgia as a vehicle, to comment on pop-culture as much as it feeds it".[2]
Premise
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film "centers on a secret government organization that recruits celebrities to be undercover agents, who together must save humanity from an imminent zombie attack."[2]
Cast
- Chuck Norris as Commander Chuck Norris
- Vanilla Ice as Agent Vanilla Ice
- Sophie Monk as Sophie Monk
Production and marketing
The Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly announced on October 16, 2023, that Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, and Sophie Monk would be playing themselves in Zombie Plane, an action comedy film which was directed by Australian filmmakers Lav Bodnaruk and Michael Mier.[2][3] Besides the aforementioned trio of actors, THR also noted that the film will feature additional celebrity cameos as well as a "'90s pop soundtrack including tracks by Ice himself".[2]
The film had completed shooting in Brisbane in early 2023, "mostly in a purpose-built 60-meter long airplane", as reported by THR on November 1, 2023.[1] Screenwriter William Strong told THR that he was inspired to write the film after seeing a TMZ episode in which the reporter was told by Ice that his flight had been delayed reportedly due to biohazard threats, which he then had recreated as being about zombies during writing. The script employs self-referential humor that "mercilessly mocks its main stars": for example, Monk spends a considerable amount of time deriding Ice's career in the film, at one point referring to him as a "one-hit wonder and a has-been".[1] In addition, Mier revealed that he had almost sanitised the film's heavy use of the word "fuck" (one of which is "mischievously" uttered toward an eight-year-old character) as demanded by American censors, but that they had reconsidered their decision and allowed him to keep it in the film.[1]
The film was promoted at the American Film Market (AFM), in November 2023.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Ritman, Alex (November 1, 2023). "AFM Hidden Gem: "Stop, Decapitate and Listen" to Vanilla Ice in Bloody Comedy 'Zombie Plane'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Ritman, Alex (October 16, 2023). "AFM: Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, Sophie Monk Board 'Zombie Plane' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ Collis, Clark (October 16, 2023). "No joke: Chuck Norris and Vanilla Ice are starring as themselves in Zombie Plane". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 13, 2024.