As the adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's gimmick novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has cycled through directors (first David O. Russell, then Mike White, and now Craig Gillespie), multiple actresses have passed on the lead role of Elizabeth Bennett.  Natalie Portman was originally attached to star, but then she dropped out.  The part has been offered to Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, and there have been no takers.  Now Twitch reports that Blake Lively is getting offered the chance to play the rebellious daughter who eventually gives her heart to Mr. Darcy, but she now also slays zombies.  No word yet if Lively will take the part.No offense to Ms. Lively, but she's not A-list, at least not yet anyway.  Yes, she stars on Gossip Girl which is one the CW's highest-rated shows, but it's the CW so that's a lot like being the world's richest hobo.  If she's been offered the role, it may be a sign that the production is accepting that they can't get a marquee name to sign on.  Lively recently co-starred in the awful indie Hick (although she's not why it's awful) and she'll be co-starring in Oliver Stone's adaptation of Savages.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the book.Here's the synopsis of Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, a perfect mash-up for a post-literate society:

“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. Can Elizabeth vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.* [Amazon]

*Yeah.  Booo, Classic Literature.

At least this photo of Blake Lively helped cheer me up: