CHARLESTON, MS— Mississippians have an opportunity to take part in a feature film this week that celebrates culture of the state. KUDZU ZOMBIES began production this week in Charleston and help is needed as a large scale scene in downtown Charleston on Saturday, June 4, requires hundreds of extras. To learn how to be part of the film, either as a zombie or as a townperson, contact Extras casting at kst_1987@yahoo.com.
The principal roles of the film have been cast and production began at the end of May with most of principal photography in early June in Charleston. Among the stars are Escalante Lundy (DJANGO UNCHAINED), Youtube star Chris Monroe (PRANK INVASION) and Moses Moseley (THE WALKING DEAD). Fleshing out the characters are Michael Emery (BONE TOMAHAWK) and veteran actor Michael Joiner, recently of SAVED BY GRACE, also filmed in Mississippi last year.
Mississippi actors include husband and wife team Susan McPhail (A Walk in The Woods, Mississippi Grind) and Johnny McPhail (Free State of Jones, True Detective), Scotty Whitehouse, Andy Douglas and Montana Byrd as well as newcomer Max McDonaldson.
Rising stars include Timothy Haug and Wyntergrace Williams and Megan Few and Kaitlin Mesh and Clay Acker.
Monroe will live vlog the production at youtube.com/prankinvasion.
Executive Producer Daniel Wood (TEXAS HEART, GOD’S COUNTRY) also focused on hiring local with the crew. The majority of the crew was hired from Mississippi including director of photography Jonathan Hammond, first assistant camera Wade Patterson, producers Laura Warner and Jason Rochelle, production coordinator Montana Byrd, Casey Heflin with makeup and hair and numerous office staff and production assistants.
Kudzu Zombies is a zombie horror film set in Charleston, Mississippi which has a plethora of kudzu, a plant of Japanese origin, that has become a native and invasive vine in Mississippi. It can grow up to a foot in one day. Kudzu was widely planted throughout the hilly parts of the south in the 1930’s and 40’s for erosion control.
In the film’s story, GloboBioTech tests their new herbicide, Quadoxin, in the area. It is aimed at controlling the kudzu, but the herbicide quickly enters the food chain through goats that have had the misfortune of eating the treated kudzu. The goats become the culprits of a zombie outbreak among the townspeople wherein the nightmare begins in the form of popular meat pies sold at the blues festival.
While emphasizing the importance of hiring local, Wood also helped work with the screenwriter Christian script changes to better highlight Charleston and the musical traditions evolved from the area. A nod to Moses Allison was added to the story to emphasize the importance of the local musician who is named a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts and has influenced many musical greats including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Tom Waits and so many more.
Mark Newton is directing Kudzu Zombies.
More information can be found on the KUDZU ZOMBIES website (http://kudzuzombies.com) as well as updates on the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Kudzuzombies/). 
