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Zombies & Cheerleaders is an unproduced series and unaired pilot from 2011 created by David Light and Joseph Raso. It was developed for Disney Channel, but ultimately went unproduced. The series would remain dormant before getting restructured as a Disney Channel Original Movie titled Zombies, which was followed by three sequels: Zombies 2, Zombies 3, and Zombies 4.
Synopsis[]
The story follows Zed Necrodopolis, a typical high school student with one small caveat; he happens to be a zombie. Despite a high-tech wristwatch designed to curb any appetite he may have for his classmates, he and his zombie friends remain unpopular with the school’s most influential group, the pom-pom wielding cheerleaders. Never one to back down from a challenge, Zed sets out to improve zombie student body relations and win the attention of Addison, the cheerleading squad’s newest member.
Cast[]
- Luke Benward as Zed Necrodopolis
- Maia Mitchell as Addison Wells
- John DeLuca as Bucky Buchanan
- Nick Galarza as Jerry
- Kimmy Gatewood as Bunny
- Lauren Gaw as Lacey
- Mollee Gray as Casey
- Katie Sarife as Eliza Zambi
- Julian Sergi as Bonzo
- Drew Powell as Zevon Necrodopolis
Differences[]
- Besides the fact that this was intended to be a television series and the final version was a TV Movie, the basic premise of Zed being a zombie trying to fit in at school was obviously meant to be a major factor over the course of the series.
- Based on the premise, Addison does not immediately fall in love with Zed and the series would have most likely had her eventually fall for him over the course of the series had it gotten picked up.
- The make up for the zombies is radically different. In the final movie, they have pasty white skin and green hair while in the pilot, they had slightly pale skin and green veins and scars.
- Bucky was initially a jock-like character and supposedly was not related to Addison. He was made more conservative, and slightly effeminate, in the final version and made Addison's cousin, most likely to add more conflict.
- An extra character named Jerry, a nerdy human who hung out with the zombies, was deleted in the final version.
- Bunny was the only Acey who doesn't have the name -acey in her name while Lacey and Casey do.
- Eliza appeared to be more of a goth rather than an activist like in the final film. Additionally, she is depicted as being white rather than African-American, though this goes without saying.
- The high school's colors went from dark blue and green to pink and green.
- Zoey, Missy, Dale, Coach, Principal Lee, Stacey, Bree, and Tracey do not appear in the original pilot.
Trivia[]
- The series was to feature John DeLuca and Mollee Gray before they appeared in Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2.
- Luke Benward admitted that this was one of his favorite roles to portray and was disappointed that it did not get picked up.[1]
- Damien Haas from So Random auditioned for the role of Zed [2]
- If this series got picked up the Zombies movie franchise would have not existed and instead just be a Disney original series.
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