'Zombieland' writer announces the series is dead at Amazon

‘Zombieland’ writer announces the series is dead at Amazon

By Patrick Kevin Day

May 17, 2013 11:34 AM PT

Amazon hasn’t yet announced which of the 14 pilots it released last month will be getting series orders, but there’s already been one confirmed casualty: “Zombieland.”

Co-creator and co-writer Rhett Reese, who also co-wrote the hit film the pilot was based on, took to his Twitter account to break the news to “Zombieland” fans. Though maybe that’s not who he wants to speak to right now.

“Our Zombieland series will not be moving forward on Amazon,” he wrote. “Sad for everyone involved.”

But then he continued: “I’ll never understand the vehement hate the pilot received from die-hard Zombieland fans. You guys successfully hated it out of existence.”

Despite having a script by the film’s original writers and the same producer, as well as some of the same make-up and visual effects people, fans never quite took to the pilot the way they did to the film, which benefited from the performances of Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and, of course, one sweet Bill Murray cameo.

“Zombieland” was one of the 14 pilots Amazon released online, looking for audience feedback as to which should be picked up for a full season. Amazon said it would be looking at the number of streams, how many people watched the entire episode and audience ratings and reviews.

The “Zombieland” pilot averaged 3.7 out of 5 stars based on over 5,000 reviews. The lowest-rated of the comedy pilots, “Browsers,” averaged 3.1 stars, while the highest-rated, “Those Who Can’t,” grabbed 4.4 stars.

Coincidentally, one of the highest profile pilots, “Alpha House,” was, like the “Zombieland” film, graced with a Bill Murray cameo.

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