While the chemistry between stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin helped make Zombieland a major success in 2009, one of the most memorable sequences in the zombie comedy was the four survivors meeting a still-living Bill Murray.
However, according to Zombieland co-writer Paul Wernick, Murray’s role in the film was originally written for the late actor Patrick Swayze before his unfortunate death in 2009 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
“Since we’re all currently living in #zombieland, [co-writer Rhett Reese] & I thought it’d be fun to take you behind the curtain, back to the early days,” the writer shared on Twitter. “The role Bill Murray played started in the original draft as Patrick Swayze. Patrick tragically got sick and we never had the [opportunity] to offer him the part. But we did WRITE IT.”
Since we’re all currently living in #zombieland, @rhettreese & I thought it’d be fun to take you behind the curtain, back to the early days. The role Bill Murray played started in the original draft as Patrick Swayze. Patrick tragically got sick and we never had the opp (1)
— Paul Wernick (@paulwernick) March 19, 2020
Wernick added that, in addition to Swayze and Murray, there were multiple versions of the sequence written that included Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Mark Hamill, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Joe Pesci, Matthew McConaughey, and more.
to offer him the part. But we did WRITE IT. Along with a dozen or so, including for @therock @kevinbacon @HamillHimself @theslystallone, JCVD, Pesci, McConaughey among others. @rhettreese and I are going to post a new scene every day, as written, just, well, just because… (2)
— Paul Wernick (@paulwernick) March 19, 2020
What are your thoughts on the Zombieland script originally featuring Patrick Swayze rather than Bill Murray? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @flickeringmyth…
