According to Zombieland writer Rhett Reese, the film almost featured a cameo from Joe Pesci, who was quick to turn down the offer due to money.
Zombieland co-writer Rhett Reese has revealed that Joe Pesci was offered a cameo in the popular 2009 comedy-horror, but his agent responded with a clear no. Two months after mad cow disease became mad cow disease in the US, Zombieland follows Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), a college student with a nervous disposition, as he navigates the zombie-infested land and tries to survive by following his set of ‘rules’ (watch out for bathrooms, travel lights, and seat belts to name a few). to call) . Columbus encounters other survivors along the way and builds up an uncouth family to go on an adventure with, eventually ending up at Bill Murray’s mansion. It was previously revealed that this cameo was originally written for Patrick Swayze, who was battling cancer at the time, leading the creators to rewrite the role for multiple other actors who could fit the bill, with Murray eventually taking it on.
After the success of the first film, Zombieland: Double Tap was released in 2019, with the original cast returning, including Eisenberg, as well as Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone. Bill Murray also reprized his cameo, this time in a mid-credit scene set in 2009, day zero of the zombie outbreak. This saw Murray take out zombies while escaping from the press junket of the fictional Garfield 3: Flabby Tabby. Since the sequel’s release, director Ruben Fleischer has joked that he would be making a third film in 2029 to follow the trend of the ten-year wait between films.
on TwitterReese revealed that the role that eventually went to Bill Murray in Zombieland was also offered to Joe Pesci, but this was turned down because he was not offered enough money. Although the writer warned Pesci’s agent about the “small parts” stereotype, the answer was definitive. This potential cameo could have led to a very different scene in the film. Check out the tweet above.
What Joe Pesci’s Zombieland Cameo Could Have Looked Like
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Never one to shy away from comedic roles, Pesci’s filmography includes hits like Home alone, and home alone 2, as well as the much more serious Good friends. Depending on how the writers would have wanted Pesci to play his cameo, Zombieland could have been a cheeky prankster Pesci or a skinny mean Italian-American mobster. Most recently, Pesci returned to acting after announcing his retirement in 1999, with Pete Davidson’s comedy series Bupkis his latest venture. If he leaned further into his comedic side in his older age, it could be an indication of what Pesci might have been willing to do in 2009, if he had been offered the right amount of money to get him interested.
Although the audience could see Murray on screen in this role instead of Pesci, it feels like the Ghostbusters star was meant to be in Zombieland, with his unfortunate joke that led to his hilarious death. The thought of another actor in this role feels tonally inconsistent, even if Hollywood royalty like Joe Pesci took on the cameo role. There’s also always the possibility that other actors, including Pesci now that he’s back in action, could make a cameo in a third Zombieland movie if it ever was made, with star Woody Harrelson already eager to make another movie.
Source: Twitter
