Fans have waited an entire decade for the sequel to 2009's hit Zombieland. The time is finally upon us as a trailer just dropped to provide the first look at the follow-up, Zombieland: Double Tap. It presents fans with an update on where our favorite characters have been and also contains other interesting tidbits.
This trailer introduces new characters, shows where at least some of the film will be taking place, gives an idea of how these relationships have grown over time, and indicates what the story's inciting incident will be. After several viewings of the trailer, here are 10 things we learned.
The Group Has Become A Family
One of the best things about watching Zombieland was seeing how the core group of characters comes together to form a tight-knit unit. Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock are four people who wouldn't be friends in a normal situation. Being in this zombie-infested world, they bonded.
In this trailer, Columbus informs us that they've become a family since the events of the first movie. We get to see them doing typical things like playing Twister, celebrating Christmas, and dancing. It's clear that the bond between these characters has only grown and should play a pivotal role again this time around.
About A Decade Has Passed
When Zombieland: Double Tap hits theaters this October, it will officially be a decade since the original was released. One thing that people have wondered about is how much time will have passed between the two installments. Judging by the characters, the answer also seems to be a decade.
The most obvious reason for this is Abigail Breslin. It's easy to pass off the adults from the first movie as only being a few years older. However, Breslin has gone from 13 years old to 23 and that is a huge timeframe for someone to physically change. There's a line in the trailer where Little Rock gets annoyed when Tallahassee calls her a little girl, showing that she isn't too pleased that she's still viewed as a child. A lot of time has passed.
There's A New Character Named Madison
Zombieland only had four human characters. We see a few others in flashbacks and there's the Bill Murray cameo, but other than that it's just our main group and the zombies. The trailer for the sequel shows off several new characters, letting us know that the main group isn't alone.
The first new character we are shown is Madison, played by Zoey Deutch. She surprises Columbus and thinks Tallahassee is his dad. We find out that she travels with the gang thanks to a shot where she's in the card with them and we find out that she learns about the rules of how to survive in this world.
Wichita Gets Jealous
An early shot from the trailer shows Columbus and Wichita dancing together. It comes as Columbus delivers a line about them being a family. When Madison first arrives in the trailer, it seems to come as Wichita and Columbus are having an important conversation.
In the car, Madison goes flying when Tallahassee hits the brakes and then she mentions the rule about wearing seatbelts. Wichita gets irritated that Columbus has shared this information with the attractive new girl alongside them. It certainly looks like she's getting jealous of this new bond Columbus has formed.
Rosario Dawson Is In It
Again, the new characters stand out as one of the most notable bits of the trailer. Around the middle of the trailer, we get our first look at Rosario Dawson. While this video doesn't give us much information about the character, previous reports indicated that her name is Nevada.
Rosario Dawson is only in the trailer for one brief scene, but it's a fun one. We see that she's holding Tallahassee at gunpoint. He acts tough at first but quickly gives her the information she's looking for. Nevada comes across as someone who is strong and might be a threat to the heroes.
The White House Is In It
In the first film, the characters travel through the United States but we don't see many recognizable monuments. A few come in the opening credits and they pass by some, but nothing is overly featured. That changes almost instantly in this trailer as we get a clear shot of the White House.
This lets us know that the characters have made their way to the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. Not only that but the characters enter the White House and seem to live there for an undisclosed period of time. Tallahassee sitting in the Oval Office is a sight to behold.
There Are More Rules
A cool concept that we get subjected to throughout Zombieland is the rules that Columbus comes up with. They are his guidelines for surviving this situation. Anytime one came up, we'd see it appear on screen with a number accompanying it.
Most websites list between 30 and 40 rules. However, when Madison forgets to buckle her seatbelt and flies to the front of the car, she mentions that Columbus taught her rules. Wichita mentions it and Madison confirms that Columbus taught her 73 rules. That's a big increase and we hope to see more of them.
The Names Are Still Based On Places
The main group's four human characters are all named after locations: Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita, and Little Rock. Judging by what we know from the trailer, the new characters are given names that follow the same pattern.
We already know that Rosario Dawson's character is named Nevada and Zoey Deutch plays Madison. Both are names of a city or state. There's also another person introduced who goes by the name of Berkeley, which again follows the same pattern. We know these aren't the real names of these people, but it's cool to keep the trend going.
Another Tallahassee & Columbus
Usually, trailers leave something memorable for the stinger. After the film's logo comes up, we're given something to leave us wanting more. Here, it was the shot of a monster truck arriving, bringing in a still-unnamed character played by Luke Wilson. Columbus and Wichita notice that this guy is extremely similar to Tallahassee.
On its own, that's funny enough. The moment gets taken over the top when a skinny guy with curly hair is at his side. Played by Thomas Middleditch, he bears a striking resemblance to Columbus in many ways. Wichita can't believe what she's seeing and wonders if she's hallucinating. The combination of two sets of these characters is sure to bring the laughs.
Little Rock Runs Off
While it's obvious that the movie will center around the gang fighting off hordes of zombies, there is a different plot thread that stands out. Wichita runs into the picture to say that her sister Little Rock has run away. We also get a glimpse of Little Rock meeting a boy along the way. The guy's name is Berkeley (Avan Jogia) and he's a hippie with a big bag of weed.
The trailer shows us that Wichita enlists Tallahassee and Columbus to find her sister. The scenes involving Madison and the Tallahassee/Columbus lookalikes don't involve Little Rock, meaning she's probably separated for them for most of the film. Considering her anger at being called a "little girl," she may go off on her own to get away from that.