Zombie air turbulance

Last Updated on July 28, 2021

Okay, so we’ve had zombies in the woods, zombies in your neighbourhood, and even zombies under water. So what’s left for the living dead to conquer?

PLANE DEAD, helmed by writer/director Scott Thomas and produced alongside David Shoshan and Thomas and Glen Tackett, just finished 1st-unit photography in Los Angeles, according to Fangoria. The film stars David Chisum, Kristen Kerr, Kevin J. O’Connor (of VAN HELSING fame), Derek Webster, Raymond J. Barry, Dale (PET SEMATARY) Midkiff, Erick (THE MUMMY) Avari and Richard Tyson (who’s also in the upcoming SIN-JIN SMYTH and BIG BAD WOLF). “I worked with Richard last year on another project,” Scott Thomas explains. “and thought that he would be great [in PLANE DEAD]! He plays Paul Judd, a Federal Air Marshal aboard the 747.”

Ah yes, the plane. PLANE DEAD revolves around an international flight from LA to Paris on which a renegade scientist, on the run from the CIA, has smuggled a secret coffin containing a body infected with a genetically engineered virus. When the plane encounters two large storms, the extreme turbulence causes said body to escape from the plane’s hold. A life-and-death battle then ensues as the virus turns the unsuspecting passengers into the undead. Adding fuel to the fire, governments (being dicks) refuse the plane landing as well as air space, given the pathogen it’s carrying.

For bringing the undead to life (figuratively), San Fernando Valley-based FX company Optic Nerve was called on to provide PLANE DEAD’s zombie menace. Headed by John Vulich, Optic Nerve has done zombies plenty of time, from the NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake to the recent fourth and fifth entries in the RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD franchise. Thomas adds, “This is a scary and somewhat gory film with dark humor, but I’m not making a comedy!” From the looks of the stills, he’s not kidding. No word on when the film stands to be completed, so stick around. Or if you want, open another window (or tab, if you’re a Firefox fan) and head here for the rest of the stills.