Zombies Like Us? Comedy legends Dan Aykroyd & Chevy Chase re-team for R.L. Stine's 'Zombie Town'

Former Saturday Night Live cast members Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase are combining their comedic forces for the first time in three decades for Zombie Town, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed today. An adaptation drawn from the 2012 novel of the same name written by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, the film is currently in production up in Ontario, Canada. Peter Lepeniotis (The Nut Job) sits in the director's chair, working off a screenplay by Michael Samonek (No Strings Attached). 

Per a report by Entertainment Weekly, Chase's deal to appear in the movie is still in the process of being finalized. Madi Monroe (Attaway General), Marlon Kazadi (Riverdale), and Kim Coates (The White House Plumbers) are confirmed as supporting cast members. Trimuse Entertainment is executive producing with Toonz Media Group, Lookout Entertainment, Viva Pictures, and Coates.

An ode to undead genre touchstones like Night of the Living Dead, Zombie Town tells the story of Mike, a young high schooler who is petrified of films centered around flesh-eating ghouls. His best friend and crush, Amy, however, can't get enough of that rotting zombie goodness, particularly when it comes to the works of legendary director, Lee Carver (most likely a stand-in for zombie godfather, George A. Romero). His latest effort is set to premiere in their hometown of Carverville on Halloween night. Despite his phobia, Mike agrees to attend the screening at the local theater where he works as the projectionist. Things go horribly wrong when the cursed 35mm print turns everyone, except the two teenagers, into real-life zombies. The duo must dodge the shambling monsters and track down Carver, the only person capable of reversing the situation.

“We are delighted to bring the pages of R.L. Stine’s Zombie Town to the screen and equally thrilled to be working with such an exceptional cast and crew on this production. A three-time Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award winner with book sales of over $500 million, R.L. Stine has a phenomenal track record of crafting stories that engage and entertain audiences,” John Gillespie, founder and executive producer of Trimuse, said in a statement published by THR.

In addition to their tenure on the early days of SNL, Aykroyd and Chase are also known for their big screen collaborations on 1985's Spies like Us and 1991's Nothing but Trouble. Both actors are no strangers to the supernatural genre, given their respective experiences with Ghostbusters and Memoirs of an Invisible Man.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Goosebumps franchise with SYFY WIRE earlier this summer, Stine explained that young readers like to be scared "if they know they're safe at the same time." He continued: "I think they like to have these creepy adventures [where] they're fighting ghosts and they're invisible, but they know they're safe in their room reading. And they know with my books, it's never gonna go too far and it's gonna let them off okay. There's gotta be a happy ending. There's always a happy ending."

Want to see more of Aykroyd and Chase's comedy chops? All seasons of SNL are currently streaming on Peacock.