Mike White is a man of numerous talents. Besides writing films such as The Good Girl, Orange County, The School of Rock and Nacho Libre, White has also directed a film (Year of the Dog) and built a pretty respectable career as character actor (including a brief cameo in Zombieland). He has also been a contestant on The Amazing Race.
White’s experience being eaten by the undead will be sure to help him in his latest venture — wrangling zombies as director of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. The film, an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel, takes the basic story of Jane Austen’s classic novel and mixes in a healthy dose of brain-eating monsters.
White’s hiring may come as a surprise considering some of the other names that have at one time been considered for the directing gig including David O. Russell, David Slade, Mike Newell, Neil Marshall, Jonathan Demme and Matt Reeves. White’s relative inexperience in the director’s chair could help keep the costs down on the movie — a high-concept film gambling on the hope that the zombie craze hasn’t imploded by its release or that audiences won’t reject the film as little more than a silly spoof.
What do you think of White as the director? Any casting ideas for Austin and Grahame-Smith’s characters?
