With the release of Zombieland’s viral #10yearchallenge and the announcement of the long-awaited sequel (Seriously. Ten years? Figure it out, guys.), now seems like a great time to go back and revisit the original film. And with any luck what audiences receive when Zombieland 2 is released will be something we can’t wait to comb for Easter Eggs as well. So whether you’re wondering why Tallahassee is constantly painting the number ‘3’ on all the cars he requisitions or wondering who that dude with the assault rifle during the opening credits is, let’s point out some things most people missed in the original Zombieland.
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Dale Earnhardt
Tallahassee is a bit of a weird guy. There’s no real arguing with that fact. But as Tallahassee himself might say, there is a method to his madness. For instance, fans of the first film may have noticed that he is always spray-painting the number ‘3’ on the side of his car. Well, the reason for that is Tallahassee is honoring Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt who drove the number 3 car for the majority of his career before his tragic death during the final lap of the Daytona 500 back in 2001.
Zombie Kill Of The Week
Some fans may not know this but Zombieland was actually first pitched as a TV show before it eventually became a movie. It even went as far as filming the pilot episode, which starred Kirk Ward in the role of Tallahassee. The zombie kill of the week gimmick that we see in the film is a remnant of the show that never was. In the series, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick hoped to include that same gimmick on a weekly basis throughout the course of the series. While the gimmick may have gotten old over the course of a TV show, we certainly hope to see it back in the sequel later this year.
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Birthday Rescue
Before we learn the sad truth about Tallahassee’s “dog”, we're treated to some adorable flashback footage of Woody Harrelson playing with a puppy as he regales the group with the tale of his awesome pupper. What most fans of the film probably didn't realize s that the puppy Tallahassee is seen playing with actually belonged to Abigail Breslin, the actress who played Little Rock in the film. Breslin actually celebrated a birthday while filming Zombieland, during which she decided to go down to a local animal shelter and pick up her new friend as a birthday present to herself. Pretty good as far as self-bought birthday presents are concerned.
Faux Super Market
For some reason, many fans of the film have convinced themselves that the scene shot inside the grocery store was actually filmed on location in an actual grocery store. Eagle-eyed fans of the film, however, may have noticed something off about the grocery store where the boys meet up with Little Rock and Wichita. Well, that’s because rather than paying a location for all the damaged product, the production team built a grocery store of their very own. If you go back and watch the movie again you might realize that all the products inside the fridge doors are actually just printed on paper and stuck where they’ll be seen.
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Wichita/ Krista
Fans of Zombieland probably noticed that the only character that actually revealed her name is Emma Stone’s Wichita, or Krista as she later tells Jesse Eisenberg’s Colombus. But what fans may not have realized is the Emma Stone’s character Krista, is actually named after Stone’s mother. Another fun fact about Wichita’s name in the film is that her name, Wichita, is the only to go unchanged from the original script. There must’ve been something that just felt right about Wichita.
Like Looking For Twinkies In A Sno ball truck
Anyone who has seen Zombieland can tell you that Tallahassee is a man on a mission. That mission? Get Twinkies. Simple as that. Tallahassee spends the entire film traveling across the country in search of the light, cream-filled, fluffy goodness that only a Twinkie can provide. And for 98 percent of the film that delicious cream-filled pastry eludes him. Or does it? Viewers may remember early on when Tallahassee and Colombus find an abandoned Hostess truck that Tallahassee states is filled with nothing but Sno balls. Well, had Tallahassee looked just to the right of the door where he stood, he would have been treated to an enormous stack of Twinkies much sooner than the final the final minutes of the film.
Say Hello To My Little Friend (Rhett Reese)
This Easter Egg is one that happens pretty early on in the film, so fans hoping to catch it have really got to pay close attention to the opening credits of Zombieland. While there are many things that happen throughout the course of the Zombieland’s opening credit sequence (seriously, who saw that lady go flying through her windshield? Buckle up is a rule for a reason.) on of the relatively normal things we see, at least when it comes to the zombie apocalypse, is a man in a white suit with an assault rifle trying to fend off the oncoming zombies. That man is Rhett Reese, one half of the pair that brought Zombieland to life.
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Unfortunate Extras
Some eagle-eyed fans may have noticed that few of the extras that we see meet their end during the rule cuts actually make their way back on screen in their undead forms. For instance, the “poor fat bastard” we see meet his end as Colombus explains the importance of cardio during the zombocalypse manages to make his way back on screen when Tallahassee and Colombus are exploring the supermarket. He’s the Zombie with “real purtty mouth”. Another unfortunate extra we see is the man in the restroom while Colombus explains the importance of caution in a restroom. He’s that same attendant we later see Wichita and Little Rock fool with their fake engagement ring con.
