It’s almost spooky season of the year and some zombies are welcome. Channel 4 is bringing a new series by Ben Wheatley, who puts his own gory spin on the genre, and it sounds hilarious. The six-part horror-comedy aims to combine satire and humor with blood and guts. Empire Magazine has unveiled a new look at the series, and it’s not for the faint hearted.
The first image sees a bunch of old people in the woods, feasting on a body, while another image sees two zombies coming face to face. As bizarre as the images are, they set a very intriguing tone for the series. Furthermore, Wheatley’s visual spin on the genre is aptly visible, further intriguing how this story will pan out.
What’s ‘Generation Z’ About?
When an army convoy overturns outside a care home in a fictional town, the subsequent chemical leak turns the older residents into zombies. Things take a turn when a group of teenagers are caught up in the virus and one of the gang member’s grandmother attacks her. By all accounts, the six-part series sounds extremely fun. “They’re not really zombies. It’s like a viral infection,” Wheatley explains in an accompanying interview. “Zombie apocalypses are normally unexplained. This is more science-based.”
The director further divulged the inspirations behind the series and its not other zombie features but more “Threads and Scooby-Doo” and with Generation Z, he’s twisting the zombie mythology. Wheatley’s credits include features like Meg 2, Kill List, and High-Rise, among others, and he’s well known for seamlessly blending horror with black comedy and satire. “I was thinking a lot about my own films, because they tentatively fit together, “he explains. “Tonally, [Generation Z] fits within the world of Sightseers. It’s [that] same thing of taking genre situations and putting real people in them.” How Wheatley fully re-imagines the genre remains to be seen.
The series cast Sue Johnston as Cecily, Robert Lindsay as Morgan, Lewis Gribben as Steff, Paul Benthall as Frank, Anita Dobson as Janine, Jay Lycurgo as Charlie, Buket Komur as Kelly, Viola Prettejohn as Finn and Ava Hinds Jones as Billy. Further rounding off the cast are Johnny Vegas, Rebecca Humphries, Robert James-Collier, Suzanne Ahmet, T’Nia Miller, and more. With talents across the board, Generation Z seems like the next best zombie comedy fans can swear by.
Generation Z drops on Channel 4 in October. You can check out the new images above and stay tuned to Collider for further updates.
Watch on Channel 4