The adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has inspired countless undead puns with its talent troubles.  Natalie Portman was originally attached to star, but dropped out (she is still producing).  Since then, the lead role has been offered to the likes of Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, and Blake Lively---no takers.  Meanwhile, David O. Russell, Mike White, and Craig Gillespie all signed on to direct at one point before they eventually departed the project.Panorama Media recently came on board to produce and finance the picture.  First step: Drop the first "and" so it's just Pride, Prejudice and Zombies.  Next step: Sign a director and star.  Variety reports that Burr Steers (Charlie St. Cloud) is set to direct and Lily Collins (Mirror Mirror) is in talks to play Elizabeth Bennet.  Much as I like Collins, it's clear the producers have lowered their sights a bit from the Russell/Portman days---hopefully Steers and Collins will be easier to handcuff to the project.  Read the book synopsis after the jump.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she’s soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy.

What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry?” [Amazon].