Russell to Direct Pride, Prejudice, Zombies?

Published by Jeff Leins on December 14, 2009

David O. Russell may be stepping behind the camera for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies starring Natalie Portman.

According to Pajiba, Russell is finishing a deal to adapt the Seth Grahame-Smith novel and direct the movie.  The period piece is based on the Jane Austen novel with a little added undead to make it new again.  Portman was set for the lead, Elizabeth Bennett, late last week.

Russell is a weird choice considering his notorious history.  He had a now famous argument on the set of I Heart Huckabees with Lily Tomlin, reportedly came to blows with George Clooney during Three Kings, and a recently Nailed fell apart in a financing meltdown and James Caan walked out.  At least he managed to get through photography on The Fighter with Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg without a hitch (that we know of).  How he managed that might be the greatest achievement of his career.

Is David O. Russell the right person to depict zombies feeding on the flesh of stuffy noblemen?