Amazon’s move into original streaming content got a boost today as the company solidified one of the more promising pilots across the media landscape.
Sundance breakout Tyler Ross, star of indie Milkshake, and up-and-comer Izabela Vidovic have been cast as two of the four leads in Zombieland, Amazon Studios’ comedy pilot based on the hit 2009 movie….Original Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the pilot and executive produce with the movie’s producer, Gavin Polone.
The zombie genre is ablaze at the moment, what with the successful zom-com Warm Bodies leading the box office and AMC’s The Walking Dead setting cable ratings records.
Amazon has also lured fine comic actor John Goodman to star in Alpha House, a new political comedy from the creator of Doonesbury, Gary Trudeau.
The company’s aggressive pursuit of original, exclusive fare mirrors the efforts of Netflix to bring content to the masses outside the traditional cable realm. Netflix just launched its well-regarded series House of Cards and will be bringing new episodes of Arrested Development later this spring.