Emma Stone Passes on Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Posted 06.25.11 by Ryan
Well, that was fast.
Just a day ago, Emma Stone (Zombieland, the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man) was offered the lead of Elizabeth Bennett in Liongate's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but, according to Deadline, Stone has said no. Stone isn't the first.
Initially announced in late 2009, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had Natalie Portman cast as Bennett, as well as producing the project. Writer-director David O. Russell (The Fighter) joined not long after, wrote a reportedly terrific adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's best–selling mash–up novel that combined Jane Austen's original text and added the undead, then promptly quit. So did Portman a month later, staying on only as a producer. Director Mike White (Year of the Dog) soon replaced Russell, but then also quit.
Fright Night remake director Craig Gillespie was hired in April, and ordered screenwriter Marti Noxon to perform a rewrite on Russell's script. Whatever work Noxon was able to do was not enough to convince Stone to jump on board. Either that, or Stone is holding out for Zombieland 2.