Pride and Prejudice and Zombies opens with a terrific credit sequence: a pop up book narrated by Charles Dance explaining the onset of a Pre-Victorian England zombie outbreak. The sequence serves as a terrific bit of world building and doles out some much needed exposition. It also marks a strong dividing point from Seth Grahame-Smith’s book in which the zombies’ origin goes unexplained. The film version takes the same premise as Grahame’s mash-up source – Jane Austen’s classic novel but with zombies roaming around in the background – and adds a number of action and comedic beats. Lily James and Sam Riley star as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, the original ‘will-they-or-won’t-they’ couple. As the duo battles with their feelings for one another, they must also face off against the unruly zombie hordes.

In the following interview with director Burr Steers, he discusses the origins of the credit sequence, the testing process and how the film changed in post. For the full interview, watch below.


-

Burr Steers:

  • Steers on the origin of opening credit sequence
  • On differences between the film and Seth Grahame-Smith’s novel
  • On how much the testing process altered Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
  • On how pace dictated the editing process
  • On deleted scenes from the film
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Image via Screen Gems

pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-trailer

pride-and-prejudice-and-zombies-poster