Its boy scouts vs the undead in Paramount Pictures' new horror-comedy “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse.”
Directed by Chris Landon (writer of “Disturbia”), the film follows the story of three scouts and lifelong friends who join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead.
“Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” stars Tye Sheridan, David Koechner, Cloris Leachman, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont and Patrick Schwarzenegger.
Director Chris Landon explains what drew him to “Scouts Guide” and his segue into the horror-comedy genre, “When I read the script for this film, I was instantly struck by the playful, Amblin-esque tone. It felt silly and crazy but in a totally fresh and entertaining way. As a writer and director, I have always used comedy in my work, even in the horror genre. `Disturbia' had very comedic moments. I love using comedy to disarm an audience and connect them with my characters. I also feel that comedy and horror make strange yet perfect bedfellows. They both rely on the set-up and the pay-off. There’s a rhythm to comedy that is very similar to horror.”
On his creative inspiration for the film, Landon says “I grew up watching movies like `The Goonies,' and `Gremlins.' They had such a playful and quirky energy. I wanted to bring that same spirit to `Scouts Guide.' But to push things a little further, I added a dash of Sam Raimi to the mix. I think the result is something that feels contemporary but at the same time undeniably throw-back. I wanted the movie to have an 80’s type of charm that I feel has been missing from the mainstream for some time.
There is also definitely a personal connection between myself and the three Scouts in the movie. I had a hard time letting go of childhood things and was sort of reluctantly dragged into manhood. I also identified with the desire to feel included by my peers but knowing I was a little on the “outside.” In my case, I was just a gay kid trying to figure myself out but I feel like the struggle to fit in is a universal experience for so many people. I really enjoyed exploring the theme of wanting to fit in but also trying to stay true to yourself. All of this while people are dying in a zombie apocalypse. LOL.”
As to what audiences can take-away from the film, the director concludes, “I want people to walk into the theater and spend an hour and a half screaming and laughing their heads off. This movie is an amusement park ride. But I think the surprising take-away for the audience will be their affection and connection to the characters. They’re loveable and very relatable. We all worked hard to make this movie as fun as possible and I hope people enjoy it as much as we did making it.”
Opening across the Philippines on Nov. 11, “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.
