Pride and Prejudice, the classic novel by Jane Austen published in 1813 has frequently been adapted into film (the first one was in 1940, starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson), TV series (the most popular being the 1995 BBC miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle), and even on YouTube (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries).
In terms of literature, it has also inspired a number of reinterpretations, one of which is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, published in April 2009. Just a few days after its publication, the book was already no. 3 on the New York Times bestseller list.
In writing this zombie novel, Grahame-Smith said he “didn’t want to mess with Jane Austen’s overall structure, because it’s a masterpiece.” Crediting Austen as co-author, he has remained faithful to the depiction of the characters. Elizabeth Bennet is the ever- rational sister of Jane, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia who speaks the truth from her heart. Mr. Darcy is the moneyed and arrogant man who comes to their town and affects Elizabeth in a way that no man has ever done before.
But the big difference in Grahame-Smith’s story is that these two characters have a lot more to worry about than their verbal disputes. A mysterious plague has fallen upon the village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life. Worse, they’re on the hunt for human flesh. Now it’s up to the “sharp-tongued, sharp-daggered, and fiercely independent heroine” and the “pompous and privileged (zombie) slayer” to unite on the blood-soaked battlefield and rid their land of the zombie menace. And while at it, would they dare acknowledge their feelings for each other?
As early as February 2009, there were already talks of turning this into a blockbuster film. Natalie Portman was originally cast in the lead role, but she decided to be a co-producer instead. In 2013, Lily James got on board as Elizabeth. She admitted to have been instantly fascinated with the “really brilliant and funny” script. “Actually, within the first opening sequence where Darcy sort of gallops up on the horse and gets stripped down and all that stuff”, she elaborated.
Sam Riley, who plays Mr. Darcy, revealed that they were “not given the luxury of three months” to train for the action scenes (it being a lower-budget movie compared to the usual Hollywood action movies, according to producer Allison Shearmur who estimated the budget at between $10 and $20 million), but their training had been intensive. “We’ve had to do it all quickly. It’s a lot of fun,” he said.
Directed by Burr Steers (17 Again, Charlie St. Cloud), Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesis now highly anticipated in the US and in the UK. Distributed by Viva International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, it hits Philippine theaters the same day as the US tomorrow.
