Zombie Plane
WRITTEN BY : William Strong and Lav Bodnaruk
DIRECTED BY : Lav Bodnaruk and Michael Mier
About the Film
When a plane from Brisbane to LA is taken over by zombies, an eclectic group of high-profile passengers led by undercover agent Vanilla Ice must fight to save humanity.
90s rapper, turned secret agent, Vanilla Ice has less than 2 hours to take control of the unmanned plane overtaken by Zombies, before it is shot down by the US Air Force. With Zombies munching on unsuspected travellers, and the cockpit locked and overrun by an unknown entity, he gathers a band of unlikely survivors for a Zombie killing mission. Only with his trusted tools will they be able to break open the cockpit door and take control of the plane. On their way, they face harrowing encounters with never-before-seen Zombies, who’s DNA has been infused with different animals - including super fast cheetah like Zombies, strong bear like Zombies, mind controlling ant-like Zombies and even a Zombie Chihuahua!
Meanwhile, in Premium Economy, two well known Australian female celebrities have arrived on the plane after eating gummies in the lounge. They are oblivious to the entire zombie attack going on around them and end up having a fever dream about Australia’s most iconic multi-coloured children’s band. Afraid of the outbreak unfolding, Australia’s sweetheart, John Jarrat hides in the economy class toilet hoping to survive the massacre.
Over 200 people jetting their way to LA have no idea that, on the ground, two Generals are arguing as to whether Vanilla Ice is capable of saving the day. If not, Commander Chuck Norris loses out and the plane will be blown out of the sky.
Zombie Plane is a high-octane undead action-mashup of laughs and screams in equal measure.
Cast:
VANILLA ICE - Vanilla Ice
SOPHIE MONK - Sophie Monk
CHUCK NORRIS - Commander Chuck Norris
TERESSA LIANE - Tonya
DAN EWING - Davies
ANN TROUNG - Dr. Fan
CHRISTINE MILO - Ying
ELLIE GONSALVES Tiffany
JOHN JARRATT - John Jarratt
JOEY VIEIRA - Samson
JOHNNY HUANG - Captain Chen
MATT O’KINE - Waiter
Film Details
Year of Production : 2023
Release Date : end 2023/2024 (negotiable)
Budget : $6.2
Running Time : approximately 85m
Country of Origin : Australia
BTS Video : Teaser (password required)
Classification : TBA
Genre: Action, Comedy
Director’s Statement
‘Zombie Plane’ is one hell of a flight! With its striking colour pallet and clean, polished aesthetic it won’t look like any Zombie film you’ve ever seen before! We’ll craft a perfect mix of comedy and horror - a true homage to the zombie genre, with edge of seat scares, action and non-stop laughs that will take our audience on a cinematic rollercoaster from the moment we take off.
As filmmakers, it is our duty to let the world know the truth - in 1989, Vanilla Ice’s family was killed by Zombies! Ever since, Ice has been fighting to keep us all safe. Vanilla Ice is a pop culture icon and as life-long fans, we’re pumped to manifest his massive nostalgic appeal and persona into a contemporary "cool as ice” action Hero.
Just like the plot - he can’t do it alone - so with a talented and diverse support cast, we’ll craft a modern day “buddy film” that showcases our characters journey, whist trying to stay alive and save the day, amidst the blood splattering carnage. Tonally, let’s play to the amazing tongue-in-cheek setup of Vanilla Ice playing himself - as an undercover CIA Zombie killing agent, all the while keeping our film’s reality grounded and believable. We want to be invested in our hero’s journey and their survival.
The stakes and peril need to feel real. The script plays to our Directorial strengths of comedic performance, visual spectacle and premium VFX. Combining comedy and heart of “Shaun of the Dead” with the suspense and horror of "World War Z” and the look and feel of “The Barbie Movie”, we’ll craft memorable, iconic scenes, that will become part of Zombie genre folklore.
By Lav and Mike
Directors
About the Directors
Lav Bodnaruk and Mike Mier are an award winning co-directing duo renowned for crafting dynamic performance based storytelling, rich in comedy and heart. The multi-skilled Directors are known for their unique approach to filmmaking, with Lav helming the role of cinematographer and the duo also deft in supervising and creating complex, high-end Visual Effects.
Their love for the technical craft of film making and desire to continually innovate the boundaries of technology led Lav and Mike to establish their own boutique post production house in 2011 - “The Chop Shop”, with which they have worked with and delivered high end feature film and TV series to Disney, Paramount +, Universal, Amazon Prime, Discovery ect.
About the Writer
William Strong is the pen name of Bill Hargenrader, an award winning, USA Today Best-Selling author, screenwriter and producer. He writes stories that thrill and inspire (often with a dark or humorous twist), and has written and produced several award-winning indie films, in the horror, comedy, and action genres. He is also a US Army Veteran and a former Fortune 500 cybersecurity professional that leverages his life experiences throughout.
Press
"Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway in Bonnie And Clyde…Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Titanic…Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born…Redford and Newman in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid…Clint Eastwood and Clyde in Every Which Way But Loose…Hanks and Wilson in Cast Away…Sophie Monk and Vanilla Ice in Zombie Plane.."
FILMINK | Read full article
"When passengers on a jet flying from Sydney to Los Angeles become infected with new strains of zombie viruses, Vanilla Ice and Sophie Monk are forced to team up to contain the contagion before the US Air Force shoots it out of the sky."
VARIETY | Read full article
" Vanilla Ice and Australian TV personality, Sophie Monk star in the homegrown film, teaming up to contain a contagion that breaks out on their flight from Brisbane to LA. The question is, will they succeed before the US Air Force shoots their plane out of the sky?
The infectious Zombie Plane is sure to thrill fans of the ever-popular zombie genre and is set for release in 2024. "
SCREEN QLD | Read full article
" Currently shooting at Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, ZOMBIE PLANE stars Aussie reality tv royalty Sophie Monk along with popular nineties rapper come COOL AS ICE star Vanilla Ice."
MONSTER FEST | Read full article
Poster
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