Woody Harrelson Says ‘Zombieland 2′ Isn’t A Guarantee

Total Film spoke with Zombieland star Woody Harrelson recently, and in somewhat of a downer update (see what I did there?) the hemp-loving thespian let it be known that while Hollywood logic would dictate that a sequel to a $100 million box office hit (and winner of “Most Pirated Movie 2009“) is a no-brainer, Zombieland 2 is not something that is guaranteed to happen – nor should it be.

In speaking with Total Film, Harrelson had the following perspective to offer:

“I didn’t even want to read the script [of the first film]… Then as it turns out, I read the script and I thought it was phenomenal, really funny…Usually, if I theoretically reject it, I’m right, but this one I was dead wrong. And it might be the first movie I do a sequel to.”

“I’m sure it will happen if everyone does it, but I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do…It’s one thing to do it when it came out real good and it made a lot of people laugh, but then to do a sequel…I don’t know. I don’t feel like a sequels guy.”

My first reaction would be to say that a Zombieland sequel would move forward with or without Harrelson returning – but at this point I’d be talking out of my rear. In fact, the last we heard about Zombieland 2 was well over a year ago, when the writers of the first film, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, pitched some possibilities for the sequel and even floated the idea of filming it in 3D. Since that time, mum has been the word on the Zombieland front.

Flash-forward to today and the possibility of getting another Zombieland has gotten less likely than before. Reese and Wernick have been working hard on the scripts for G.I. Joe 2 and the eagerly-anticipated Deadpool movie, which would suggest that there’s been little time or room for them to tackle an up-in-the-air project like Zombieland 2.

Then there’s the issue of recollecting the stars of the original film for a sequel. Zombieland was made on a modest $23 million budget, but since that time, the stars of the film have seen their careers hit a fast stride, and bringing them back for the sequel would likely not be a moderately priced negotiation. Woody Harrelson kind of meanders through Hollywood these days, picking mostly bit parts or indie roles at leisure (see: Defendor, 2012, The Messenger) but Zombieland‘s other stars are in the prime of their time in Hollywood.

L to R: Eisenberg, Stone, Breslin and Harrelson in 'Zombieland'.

Jesse Eisenberg is up for a Best Actor Oscar for his Social Network role, while Emma Stone had a breakout year with Easy A and will be starring in The Amazing Spider-Man next year. Expect her to be tied up in Spidey’s web for at least one more sequel after ASM. Little Abigail Breslin isn’t so little anymore, and her career as a serious actress is certainly wide open. Catch Breslin this year voicing a character in Rango and starring in the star-studded ensemble film, New Year’s Eve.

There are a lot of movies that, when looking back from the present, appear to be small miracles in terms of the talent who came together to make them (Three Kings, looking at you). Zombieland now fits in that category, and the notion of bringing back all the talent involved in the film is just as Woody Harrelson would suggest: not something that necessarily will happen.

As for the question of whether or not Zombieland 2 should be made? I’ll let you guys answer that in the comments.

Source: Total Film