Legendary Pictures served up a double helping of news just yesterday for the studio’s live-action adaptation, Dead Rising: Watchtower. First up, the company’s Digital Media division showcased the first set photo to mark the start of production, which has our band of survivors covered in blood (never a good sign in the midst of a zombie apocalypse).
In tandem with the image, Legendary confirmed that Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street), Keegan Connor Tracey (Once Upon A Time), Aleks Paunovic (This Means War) and Harley Morenstein of Epic Meal Time fame will join the existing cast.
Those new recruits will step into some notable roles from Capcom’s eponymous zombie-slaying series, with Riggle playing photo-journalist Frank West — the protagonist of the first Dead Rising game and 2009’s remake Chop Till You Drop, which released on the Nintendo Wii. Elsewhere, Morenstein will put all those bacon strips to one side to take on the role of Pyro, a member of a nefarious biker gang who is second-in-command to Paunovic’s Logan.
As we previously reported, Dead Rising: Watchtower will be released first on Sony’s streaming service Crackle before appearing on other VOD platforms including SVOD and, eventually, good ol’ fashioned TV. We are yet to hear word of an official launch date for Legendary’s live-action adaptation, but in the meantime, you can check out the premise for Dead Rising: Watchtower down below.
Dead Rising: Watchtower takes place during a large-scale zombie outbreak. When a mandatory government vaccine fails to stop the infection from spreading, the four leads must evade infection while also pursuing the root of the epidemic, with all signs pointing to a government conspiracy. Politics, public paranoia, and media coverage play an important role in the story’s narrative.