Back in October, we reported on a list of possible directors for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies the upcoming film adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith‘s popular “zombies meet Jane Austen” mash-up novel. Well, it looks like Lionsgate has decided on a director and their man is Mike White [Deadline].
Primarily a screen/TV writer, White made his debut as a director in 2007 with Year of the Dog starring Molly Shannon. He hasn’t directed anything since then, so this will make Pride and Prejudice and Zombies only his second directorial effort and for such a hot property, Lionsgate is taking a little bit of a gamble on an unknown directing commodity.
However, I’m actually kind-of excited to see what White does with the job. I’m a really big fan of his work both on-screen and on paper (if you ever want to feel really uncomfortable give Chuck and Buck a rental, which he both wrote and starred in), and he’s a quirky enough person to be able to handle the absurdity that is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Although there may be naysayers (fellow Film Stage writer Kristy Puchko included), I think he’ll be fine. And if not, we at least have Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter to look forward to.
Do you think Mike White was a good choice, or should Lionsgate start getting nervous?