'Zombieland' TV series pilot to rise on Amazon Prime
Based on a 2009 movie, "Zombieland" will be one of 13 original pilots to see the light of day on Amazon Prime Instant Video.
A "Zombieland" TV series could rise from the grave on Amazon if enough Prime members give it the thumbs-up.
"Zombieland" is the 13th and latest original series to bite off a pilot on Amazon's Prime video service. Six other comedy pilots and six children's pilots will also air on Prime Instant Video and Lovefilm UK exclusively for paying subscribers. Viewers will be able to watch and review each pilot, helping decide which of them will score a full season's worth of episodes.
Amazon told CNET that the pilots are "coming soon" but it has yet to announce an official date. The company didn't reveal how many spots will be available in the lineup. But obviously not all of the pilots will make the cut to a full series.
Based on a 2009 Columbia Pictures film, "Zombieland" is a horror comedy that follows the survivors of a Zombie-filled America as they cross the country trying to outfox the walking dead. The pilot will be written and produced by the same people who cooked up the feature film.
"'Zombieland' is a fan favorite, and we can't wait to see where this story line goes in a serialized format," Roy Price, director of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. "We've been announcing a lot of exciting exclusive content for Prime Instant Video, like "Downton Abbey," "Under the Dome," and "Justified," and we think adding original shows to that lineup is going to make Prime even more enticing for customers."
The 13 shows are all being produced by Amazon Studios, the retailer's production house.
Filming has already begun on the six comedy pilots -- "Alpha House," "Browsers," "Dark Minions," "Onion News Empire," "Supanatural," and "Those Who Can't" -- and the six children's series: "Creative Galaxy," "Oz Adventures," "Teeny Tiny Dogs," "Tumbleaf," "Sara Solves It," and "The Untitled J.J. Johnson Project."
Amazon has been taking a page out of Netflix's playbook by offering original productions to try to draw in viewers. The retailer has also been outbidding Netflix and Hulu to win exclusive deals to stream such popular series as "Downton Abbey."
Updated 9:35 a.m. PT with comment from Amazon.