'Zombieland 2: Double Tap' Trailer, Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Poster

We can hardly believe the first Zombieland is already a decade old, but a sequel is happening after ideas for Zombieland 2 spent years in limbo. Perhaps best of all, the new film will be out right around Halloween 2019.

The first Zombieland was released in 2009, just a year before The Walking Dead brought zombies fully into the mainstream. So it was an era just before zombies really peaked. Years ahead of its time, Zombieland smartly satirized the subgenre in a way that felt uniquely American, achieving a very different style of comedy than something like Shaun of the Dead with its British sensibilities, but pretty much matching it in terms of overall quality and enjoyment.

Director Ruben Fleischer returns for the Zombieland sequel, having achieved a great deal of success recently directing Venom. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, who also wrote the first film, have returned to write the sequel, and they’re joined by David Callaham.

But what can fans expect from a violent, undead follow-up a decade in the making? Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s the Title of Zombieland 2?

Because Zombieland 2 would’ve been a bit too on-the-nose, Columbia Pictures went with a reference from the first movie that fans should recognize: Zombieland: Double Tap.

On January 29, the official Zombieland Twitter account tweeted its own version of the #10YearChallenge that’s been popularized in recent months. The second image appears to be the first official photo from the film, and it boldly debuts “Double Tap” as the subtitle.

In the first Zombieland, the protagonist Columbus outlines his rules for survival, the second of which is Double Tap. Because zombies are undead, Columbus suggests shooting them once to take them down and then a second time directly in the head to make sure they’re fully dead. This isn’t exactly a novel concept by any means, but Zombieland is really the first instance of codified survival rules in the zombie apocalypse.

What Is the Zombieland: Double Tap Release Date?

Sony Pictures announced in July 2018 that the Zombieland sequel would release on October 11, 2019.

Is there a Trailer for Zombieland: Double Tap?

Not yet. Filming only began in January, so the most we might get soon would be something like a character test of a very limited teaser. We’ll probably have to wait until closer to the October release for an official trailer.

What’s the Plot of Zombieland: Double Tap?

Deadline has reported since July that the sequel will pick up a decade after the first with all of the same characters.

“Through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and through the heartland, the Zombie slayers must face off against many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family.”

The most noteworthy detail here is that the undead have evolved in some capacity. Are they faster? Did they gain some kind of new abilities?

Super Bro Movies reported on further plot details in late January, claiming that the core cast now lives inside the White House. But after a disagreement between Columbus and Wichita, Little Rock runs away with a new character.

On a road trip to rescue her, they encounter the new types of zombies: “Homers (dumb ones), Hawkings (smart ones) and Ninjas (deadly ones).”

Who’s in the Zombieland: Double Tap Cast?

Zombieland: Double Tap reunites Emma Stone as Wichita, Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee, Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, and Abigail Breslin as Little Rock.

Actress Zoey Deutch has also joined the cast as some kind of love interest to Columbus named Madison. Avan Jogia also joins as “Berkeley, the epitome of the bad boy musician that you would hate for your daughter to fall in love with.

In December 2018, the blog Geeks Worldwide reported that Bill Murray would reprise his role from the first film and that his fellow Ghostbusters star Dan Aykroyd was joining in as a fictionalized version of himself too. (This, despite Columbus accidentally killing Bill Murray during Zombieland.)

In late January, Deadline also reported that Rosario Dawson had joined the cast in an undisclosed role, later clarified as a zombie killer going by Nevada that Tallahassee may become infatuated with.

On February 11, Variety reported that Silicon Valley star Thomas Middleditch had also joined the film. He resembles Zombieland star Jesse Eisenberg enough for some redditors to theorize they’ll be brothers. Others fear Zombieland 2 might ape a joke from Shaun of the Dead when the core group encounters another group of survivors that mirrors them.

There’s no telling what other celebrity cameos or new, undisclosed roles that might be included in the sequel, but check back here for more updates as they roll in.

Zombieland: Double Tap will be released October 11, 2019.