Live-Action DEAD RISING Movie Casts Rob Riggle To Lead

It was probably a matter of time before post-apocalyptic zombie game would follow in the footsteps of its predecessors toward cinema territory Granted, previous results like those stemming from that of the Resident Evil franchise don’t fare critically as well despite its commercial success, although maybe something different or better will come along to help provide some optimism.

On that note, hopefully Legendary’s latest foray into live-action territory with Capcom’s Dead Rising game franchise is on its way to fans following an announcement back in June. Leprechaun: Origins helmer Zach Lipovsky is directing the film for its upcoming multiplatform digital release as of August, and this week, Dumb And Dumber To and 22 Jumpstreet co-star, actor and comedian Rob Riggle is now set to take the lead, according to the latest press release from Legendary which has more info below:

Burbank, CA – October 20, 2014 – Legendary’s Digital Media division and Crackle announced today the principal cast for the upcoming feature-length project Dead Rising: Watchtower.  Rob Riggle (LET’S BE COPS, 22 JUMP STREET), Harley Morenstein (Epic Meal Time, Epic Meal Empire, TUSK), Keegan Connor Tracy (Bates Motel, Once Upon A Time), and Aleks Paunovic (THIS MEANS WAR) will join previously announced cast members Jesse Metcalfe, Meghan Ory, Virginia Madsen and Dennis Haysbert.  

Riggle will join the cast as Frank West, a weathered photo-journalist skilled in surviving Zombie attacks; Morenstein will play Pyro, a menacing biker and Logan’s (Paunovic) second-in-command; Paunovic portrays Logan, a hard criminal and the head of a biker gang and Tracy will take on the role of Jordan, a straight-laced journalist.Deafd 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.  

The project is written by Tim Carter, who is also producing with Tomas Harlan under their Contradiction Films banner.  Contradiction most recently produced the hit digital series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers, Red, G.I. Joe) will executive produce. 

Crackle will debut Dead Rising: Watchtower in its feature-length form in the U.S. After Crackle’s exclusive distribution run, the project will also be released on SVOD, DVD, VOD and TV. Content Media Corporation will distribute Dead Rising: Watchtower in both feature-length and episodic formats for all international platforms. 

The Dead Rising® game franchise has sold over 7.6 MM copies worldwide. Publisher Capcom has sold over 200 MM game copies worldwide, including those from juggernaut series Resident Evil®, Street Fighter® and Mega Man®.

H/T: Polygon

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