Movies

Jesse Eisenberg chats 'Zombieland'

Published Tuesday, Jun 23 2009, 14:26 BST | By Simon Reynolds
Jesse Eisenberg chats 'Zombieland'

WENN

Jesse Eisenberg will be a familiar face for cinemagoers this autumn with turns in coming-of-age amusement park comedy Adventureland (it's very good, and he's witty and whip-smart in it) and horror film Zombieland. DS caught up with Jesse to talk about his movie career and the topics covered included the flesh-eating undead! Here's what he had to say about working on Zombieland, Bill Murray's mysterious cameo, and why he doesn't fancy his chances of being a Ghostbuster.

Can you tell us a bit about Zombieland?
"The movie is kind of a buddy comedy. [Woody Harrelson] plays this guy who loves killing zombies, it's his favourite thing. My character is the opposite, I run from them. I have a list of 47 rules on how to survive. [Woody's character] just loves experimenting with new ways to kill them. It's kind of a funny dichotomy and it's like a road trip buddy movie. I think it'll be really funny."

Is the aim with Zombieland to balance scares and laughs?
"I think it's primarily a comedy. I guess there are some scary parts, I haven't seen it. It seems from filming it that it's 90% funny."

Are you a big horror fan? You were in Wes Craven's Cursed.
"No, not really. I like acting in them, though, it's extreme acting. They're hyperbolic situations. I like that but no, I don't really like watching them."

You're making a habit of appearing in theme park movies, doesn't Zombieland take place in one?
"The end of it does coincidentally take place at an amusement park. They needed a big set piece to end the movie, like we're running around killing zombies at a theme park."

Is it true that Bill Murray is appearing in it?
"I don't know if I'm allowed to say that. I don't know what to say. I think I'll be sued if I say anything about it. I'm not sure, I don't know. Can I not say? I don't want to get in trouble."

As one of the new group of comedy actors coming through, would you be interested in having a crack at Ghostbusters 3?
"Oh, I've never heard of it, I didn't know they were doing another. They probably wouldn't cast me, I don't know why, but I don't get cast in those movies. But yeah, if something's good, I'd be interested. The zombie movie was an amazing script, I loved the script so that's why I wanted to do it."

Adventureland opens in the UK on September 11, with Zomebieland following on October 30.

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