Zombie Plane is an upcoming Australian action comedy film directed by Lav Bodnaruk and Michael Mier about a government organisation's efforts to prevent a zombie outbreak using high-profile celebrities. It stars Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, and Sophie Monk as fictitious versions of themselves. A press release on the film stated that it "uses comedy, the zombie genre and '90s nostalgia as a vehicle, to comment on pop-culture as much as it feeds it".[2]
| Zombie Plane | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Directed by |
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| Written by | William Strong[1] |
| Produced by | Jessica Butland[2] |
| Starring | |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Studio Dome (international sales) |
| Country | Australia |
| Budget | A$6.2 million |
Plot
editUndercover agent Vanilla Ice, who trained under Commander Chuck Norris, uses his skill set to dispatch a plane overrun by the undead before fighter jets can neutralise it to save humanity from a zombie outbreak.[1]
Cast
edit- Chuck Norris as Commander Chuck Norris
- Vanilla Ice as Agent Vanilla Ice
- Sophie Monk as Sophie Monk
Production
editThe Hollywood Reporter and Entertainment Weekly jointly announced on 16 October 2023 that Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, and Sophie Monk would be playing themselves in Zombie Plane, an action comedy film which was directed by Australian filmmakers Lav Bodnaruk and Michael Mier.[2][3] THR also noted that the film would feature additional celebrity cameos as well as "a '90s pop soundtrack including tracks by Ice himself".[2]
The film had completed shooting in Brisbane earlier in 2023, "mostly in a purpose-built 60-meter long airplane", as reported by THR on 1 November 2023.[1] Mier said that the idea for the film was inspired by a TMZ episode screenwriter William Strong had seen, in which Ice told the reporter that some kind of biohazard had caused his flight to be grounded. The script employs self-referential humour that "mercilessly mocks its main stars": for example, Monk spends a considerable amount of time deriding Ice's career in the film, at one point referring to him as "a one-hit wonder and a has-been".[1] In addition, Mier revealed that he had almost sanitised the film's heavy use of the word "fuck" (one of which is "mischievously" uttered toward an eight-year-old character) as demanded by American censors, but that they had reconsidered their decision and allowed him to keep it in the film.[1]
Marketing
editThe film went up for sale at the American Film Market (AFM) in November 2023,[1] as well as the Marché du Film section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Ritman, Alex (1 November 2023). "AFM Hidden Gem: "Stop, Decapitate and Listen" to Vanilla Ice in Bloody Comedy 'Zombie Plane'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Ritman, Alex (16 October 2023). "AFM: Chuck Norris, Vanilla Ice, Sophie Monk Board 'Zombie Plane' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Collis, Clark (16 October 2023). "No joke: Chuck Norris and Vanilla Ice are starring as themselves in Zombie Plane". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Kay, Jeremy (14 May 2024). "Cannes 2024: the buzz titles from North America". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 14 May 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.