Zombieland 2 is officially happening and bringing the entire gang back together. Sony found a sleeper hit in 2009 with their own take on a zombie apocalypse. The first Zombieland followed Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) as he tried to survive the various complications that come from the zombie-infested time. His journey led him to meet Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). By the end of the movie, they formed a bond and won over audiences to the tune of just over $100 million worldwide (on a $24M budget).

The film continued to find a following in the years since and has continued to keep conversations of a sequel alive. There was even a point not too long ago where rumors began to run wild that the film had already been filmed in secret and was already screening for test audiences. That wasn't true, but the sequel is now definitely happening.

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THR reports Sony is moving forward with Zombieland 2 and have all the pieces in place. The sequel has been written by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese and will once again be directed by Ruben Fleischer, following his Venom project. They aren't the only familiar elements though, as Eisenberg, Stone, Harrelson, and Breslin will all return for the sequel. Production is slated to begin in early 2019 with the intention of releasing Zombieland 2 next October around the first film's tenth anniversary. President Sanford Panitch had this to say about the project:

This is one of those projects that fans have wanted to see happen for a long time – and no one wanted to see it happen more than Emma, Woody, Jesse, and Abigail. These are some of the most in-demand actors and I think they are making this movie because they love these characters. We are thrilled Ruben was willing to come back to direct the sequel, as his work on Venom has been truly amazing.

Zombieland

This is obviously exciting news for fans of the first Zombieland as the sequel marks another adventure in this world. For those aren't familiar with the franchise, the sequel could help the movie find an even bigger fan base - especially with how the cast has grown. Eisenberg's starred in The Social NetworkBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and the Now You See Me franchise since this role, while Harrelson took on The Hunger GamesTrue Detective, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Stone may have made the biggest leap as she did The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2 and then award-favorite turns in Birdman and La La Land. Breslin appeared in Ender's Game and Scream Queens since.

The returning cast isn't the only big get for the sequel either, as Sony's interest in Fleischer could speak to the quality of work he did with Venom. Wernick and Reese have continued their rise thanks to the Deadpool franchise, but have been working on this movie for years. THR shared some plot details for the sequel too as they'll journey "from the White House to the American heartland." In this adventure, they will encounter new kinds of zombies and more human characters. This does mostly line up with the previously leaked plot details. With the film just over a year away, it shouldn't be too much longer before more news on Zombieland 2 surfaces.

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Source: THR