While Hollywood’s zombie obsession has tapered off a bit, it’s far from dead. Though some of the recent zombie output suggests profit rather than creative fascination is the motivating factor, director Jonathan Levine’s (50/50) adaptation of Isaac Marion‘s novel Warm Bodies sounds like a wholly intriguing and incredibly fun zombie pic. The “zombie love story” stars Nicholas Hoult as “R”, a zombie who falls in love with Julie (Teresa Palmer) after he eats her boyfriend’s brains and absorbs his memories. It’s a really cool premise anchored by a stellar supporting cast (Rob Corddry, John Malkovich) and an exciting young filmmaker.
The first official image of Hoult as the zombified “R” has been released, and it’s pretty great. The look is different enough from the gruesome zombies of The Walking Dead to appear fresh, yet still maintains the vacant stare and pale skin that says “I hunger for brains.” The stain is a nice touch as well. Hit the jump to check out the image. Warm Bodies opens August 10th.
[Update: Summit has released three more images, now included after the jump.]
Click here to see more images from Warm Bodies.
Here’s the full synopsis for Warm Bodies:
Zombies love people, especially their brains. But R (Nicholas Hoult) is different. He’s alive inside, unlike the hundreds of other grunting, drooling undead—all victims of a recent plague that drove the remaining survivors into a heavily guarded city. Now the Zombies roam about an airport terminal, searching for human prey and living in fear of the vicious Boneys, the next undead incarnation.
One day, R and his best friend M lumber toward the city in search of food. There, R first sets his eyes on JULIE (Teresa Palmer), a beautiful human. Determined to save her—first from the other Zombies and then from the Boneys—R hides her in his home, a cluttered 747 aircraft. Julie is terrified, and R’s grunted assurances of “Not…eat” do little to calm her. But when R begins to act more human than Zombie, coming to her defense, refusing to eat human flesh, and even speaking in full sentences, Julie realizes that R is special.
After a few close calls with the Boneys, and with her father mounting an armed search for her, Julie realizes she can’t hide forever. So she sneaks back home, leaving R broken-hearted. Desperate to see her, R decides to comb his hair, stand a little straighter, and impersonate a human long enough to get past the city guards. If only he can prove to the humans that Zombies can change, maybe R and Julie’s love might stand a chance. But with the rampaging Boneys heading toward the city and Julie’s father intent on killing R and his Zombie friends, the stage is set for an all-out battle between the living and the undead.
A genre-bending tale of love and transformation, WARM BODIES is a story about a boy who loves a girl…for more than just her body.
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When I was reading the summary I thought “oh great, it’s Twilight with Zombies” then I scrolled down and saw that the book cover has Stephanie Meyer’s stamp of approval… FFFFUUUUUUUUUUU!
And Simon Pegg’s approval too.
It was actually a lot better then Twilight, I wouldn’t just not read it because of her approval.
Anyone able to take Hank seriously as a zombie? I can’t…
that’s what i mean! it’s probably the producer’s fault, i think i wont like it at all
that’s what i mean! it must be a great movie, but the producer it’s awfull
Of course Stephenie Meyer approves, Marion’s book was a million times better than anything she’s ever written. I wish people would stop saying it’s “Twilight with zombies.” It’s really not.
looks like edward has competition
eh, sounds awful!
Zombies have been ruined in recent years from being creatively abused and over used in all forms of media with people jumping on the fandom band wagon so now we get trashy “zombie” films catering for the commercial masses….Word War Z with Twat Pitt for example will be a terrible, watered down piece of pg13 rated crap that will be nothing but in name like the book, that book is genius and its to be stripped down and reduced to a hollywood turd just like what they did with I Am Legend, booooo!
I will be sticking with the old school zombie flicks, with two massive exceptions; The Walking Dead & Shaun of the dead, oh and a mega low budget flick called Colin…
Soo, yeah this is definitely Zombie Twilight. But, I always liked Zombies better than Vampires so maybe it wont be as unbearable. It’ll be like when Bella finally tells Edward to F- off he decides to eat her out of anger/hunger and feed on her “lack of” brains.
to be honest he looks more like a crack head than a zombie
Necrophilia much?
ahhh this is going to be awesome fun! I think im just going to be smiling the whole movie!
WHAT THE HELL!!!! FIRST THEY TAKE THE VAMPIRE AND TURN THEM INTO SPARKLY SISSIES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MAKE WEREWOLVES LOOK LIKE CHIP-N-DALE DANCERS , NOW THEY’RE TAKING EVERYTHING THAT MADE ZOMBIES SCARY AND THROWING IT OUT SO IT CAN LOVE?????
come on, this is EXACTLY Twilight with zombies. I’m sure the writing and story are better, but that’s not hard since Meyer isn’t our greatest writer….
Looks like he died from too much eye makeup. The zombie hair stylists are doing some serious good work on his hair too.
I wonder how you sneak anywhere when you smell like rotting flesh? The girl’s father is probably going to smell this guy when he sneaks in her second floor bedroom window. Good news for the father is the romance will remain pg-13, since I’m pretty sure zombies don’t have circulating blood that can be rerouted to certain areas.
It’s actually a really good book, and not at all a syrupy romance; I haven’t read and never will read Twilight, but my impression is that it is far better written and infinitely less cliche and sappy.
What the hell! R wears a suit and tie in the book! why change it? He took pride in his appearance!
i’m kinda shocked right now. i red the sipnose and i tought it might be a good film, because several people approve the book, but THEN i saw the picture. and i was like COME ON they’re just like twilight, and i’m talking about the one with nick and the girl. i mean, he is one of my favorite actors, but this?
i hate this so much. i love nick, but i HATE this
I am a boogerloon. And tkhnas Sweetie! *smile*@MeMe I loved your post! It touched me. hee hee@Joanne I’m starting to abhor the game and myself because I keep on playing it! I might have to go cold-turkey! Ack! @JennThorson Ah! Great movie! Loved it!@Ettarose *drumming fingers* Waiting, waiting, waiting! I can’t wait! Want link! hee hee@Donna Zombies do need love and thank-you for understanding this. *grin*@Kablooey You did? Good girl! And I like your video zombie game ideas! I’ll have to use whatever is leftover of me brainz to make it happen.Okay brainz. Do your thing. Um, brainz?Open, open, open, open, open!hee hee
Me fascina la película Sarmiento bodies mi novio es un zombie por que Nicolás hoult es todo un galán y les recomiendo que vean esta película te amo nicho las hoult eres mi zombie de amor
Me fascina la película Warm bodies mi novio es un zombie por que Nicolás hoult es todo un galán y les recomiendo que vean esta película te amo nicho las hoult eres mi zombie de amor
hewy i love the movie and he is soooo cute