When websites I’ve contributed to in the past go offline, it’s time to resurrect and update some of those favourite pieces here. More than 10 years ago, I discovered A Little Bit Zombie (ALBZ) by an up-and-coming filmmaker, Casey Walker. Since then, he produced The Void, an excellent Lovecraftian-style movie, and directed a few episodes of The Hardy Boys.
In his latest work, he’s reworking a tale based on the Ithaqua indigenous legend. This film stars Luke Hemsworth, Kevin Durand, and Michael Pitt. A lot has changed since it was first announced. The website Upcoming Horror Movies suggests it may debut late 2025 or next year. At the time of writing, all we know is that Hammer Films picked up the rights.
According to HollywoodNorthbuzz.com, the story is as follows:
Cole Franklin, an American mercenary, is recruited as a hired gun and guide at the remote outpost of Fort William, which is struggling to survive the decline of the fur trade. With dwindling supplies, the keepers of the Fort blackmail Cole into leading a trading party to a nearby Indigenous village where they discover a massacre and encounter the remaining half-crazed inhabitants for the bloodshed.
Though the trading party survives with minimal losses and returns to the Fort with a bonanza of food and furs, the supernatural force responsible for the carnage follows them back. As the casualties stack up, it becomes evident that something unnatural is driving the residents insane with murderous hunger. The rag-tag band of survivors forces Cole to put his military expertise to use in organizing their last stand against what can only be described as some kind of madness.
Although I haven’t found further updates since this announcement, I’ll share more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, please enjoy this interview I conducted when he and the cast came to town! This film made its worldwide debut at the Victoria Film Festival. Interview follows:
Casey Walker on A Little Bit Zombie (2012)
Casey Walker is an up-and-coming director with a fun hit on his hands. A Little Bit Zombie (ALBZ) made its world premiere at the Victoria Film Festival 2012. For his crew, making this movie was both a pleasure and a worthwhile experience.
“I can tell you we all had a stupid amount of fun,” said Walker. “We laughed all day, every day, and I’d work with them all again in a heartbeat.”
The camaraderie was sure to be evident during the screening. Cast and crew appeared Saturday night, February 4th, at the Cineplex Odeon to introduce the film, followed by a gala at the Absolute Underground store. Without a doubt, the same fun carried through the night. For Walker, the film was also a homage to the movies he grew up with.
“The Blob” (1958) was one of the first movies he saw. For a young fertile mind, “I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen,” said Walker. “I couldn’t sleep for months. I think that’s when I really understood what Death was.”
With death being one theme in A Little Bit Zombie, other issues explored go beyond pre-wedding jitters. In the movie, Steve (Kristopher Turner) is about to get married. During his bachelor party, a mosquito carrying the zombie virus bites him. While he tries to keep his body from falling apart, his bridezilla-to-be Tina (Crystal Lowe) has other plans. To make things worse, a zombie hunter, Max (Stephen McHattie), is not far behind. This mix sets the stage for plenty of laughs and references, like the classic cabin-in-the-woods trope.
“I’m influenced by a lot of stuff,” said Walker. “If you look closely, you’ll see a lot of influences in there, because we went out of our way to subtly put them in. The Texas Chainsaw reference is one of my favourite.”
“And I’m sure a lot of people are going to compare this to Shaun of the Dead,” continued Walker. “I love the film. I think I just borrowed from the same places Edgar Wright did. He just had a much larger budget.”
Mymilliondollarmovie.com was a website Walker started to help fund ALBZ. Another similarly funded movie was The Tunnel, where fans purchased a digital frame and were recognized as contributors. For ALBZ, $1.9 million was raised, which put the film into production, but that wasn’t the only hurdle.
“I’ve done lots of live TV. It’s stressful because you only get one shot at it,” revealed Walker. “Sometimes directing a film is like that too.”
In the final product, Walker paid close attention to the story. He and writers Trevor Martin and Chris Bond (Evil Dead: The Musical) spent three years developing the script.
Casting went smoothly because Walker believed he found the right people for the roles. These veterans of the Vancouver TV scene gave him more than their all, even though they were initially nervous about working with a first-time director.
“I really do think myself fortunate that they all put up with me!” said Walker, with a wide grin.
Discover more from Otaku no Culture
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
