The Outbreak (film)

Editor's note: This idea is basically a loose adaptation of a video from 2018 titled School Surprise, which unfortunately no longer exists as of 3/12/2024.
The Outbreak is a 2013 American post-apocalyptic zombie film written and directed by Emily Campos in her directorial debut. It stars Megan Lee, Dylan Reagan, Lucy Courtnez, Josh Hutcherson, and Gabe Frost as five high school seniors who attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse in the fictional city of Crow's Bay, California.
The idea for the film was conceived in 2009, when Campos wrote a script inspired by many zombie films such as Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later. It was announced in 2011 by 20th Century Fox. Filming took place in Vancouver and Topeka in August 2012.
The Outbreak premiered at the Dolby Theatre on May 31, 2013, and was released theatrically in the United States on June 14, 2013. Critics praised its atmosphere, screenplay, and performances, but criticized some of its humor. It grossed $100.2 million worldwide on a $37 million budget. A spin-off, titled The Outbreak: Lost Cause, was released on April 15, 2016.
== Plot ==
Simone Park, a Korean-American student, is running late for school after sleeping through her alarm clock. During school, Stephanie, a local bully, beats up Simone. A passerby named Elijah Spears reports the incident to the school principal, to which Simone is taken care of by the nurse. After this, Elijah's friends Teri Spring and Jake Corbert make fun of Elijah for his secret romantic feelings on Simone, but Elijah attempts to change the subject by poking fun at Zach Perry, a student who also has a crush on Simone.
After school, Simone is out of the nurse's office, feeling well, when she notices abnormal behavior from another student, who bites another. To her surprise, zombies are attacking the school. Trying to avoid all the obstacles in her way, Simone finds an open classroom with Zach, Teri, Jake, and Elijah inside. Stephanie also breaks into the classroom, taking shelter.
A few hours pass, and the six students are unsure as to what to do in order to escape the school, but Stephanie and Simone consider clearing the way.
TBA.
== Cast==
*Megan Lee as Simone Park, an 18-year-old Korean-American student.
*Dylan Reagan as Zach Perry, a 17-year-old student.
*Lucy Courtnez as Teri Spring, a 17-year-old Spanish-American student.
*Josh Hutcherson as Jake Corbert, an 18-year-old student.
*Gabe Frost as Elijah Spears, an 18-year-old student.
*Erika Henningsen as Stephanie, a student who tends to bully other students, including Simone.
==Production==
===Development===
In 2009, Emily Campos began writing a script where a group of college freshmen fight for survival when a zombie apocalypse invades their school. The film's screenplay was originally more humorous in tone, but was altered to include more character drama, and to show how hard it can be to survive such an event. The characters were also changed to high school seniors.
On September 5, 2011, it was announced that Fox 2000 Pictures had acquired Campos' script, and was slated for a release date of late-spring 2013. Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping were announced to produce the film under their Chernin Entertainment banner, and Steven Rales would produce via Indian Paintbrush.
===Casting===
Following the film's announcement, Josh Hutcherson and Gabe Frost were already part of the cast, with more expected to come in later dates. In November 2011, Megan Lee was announced to star as the film's main protagonist Simone Park. Later that week, newcomers Dylan Reagan and Lucy Courtnez made their respective film debuts.
=== Filming ===
Filming took place in Vancouver and Topeka from August to October 2012. Some scenes were filmed at the West Ridge Mall.
==Release==
===Theatrical===
The Outbreak had a wide release on June 14, 2013. It was originally planned to be released on May 24, 2013, but was pushed back to its initial release, citing "post-production issues" as its reason for the delay.
===Home media===
The Outbreak was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 17, 2013 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The Blu-Ray version includes three deleted scenes, a VFX breakdown of the zombies, and an alternate ending that was cut from the final film. A 4K UHD version was released on April 5, 2016. On October 10, 2017, it was re-released on a 2-movie pack alongside The Outbreak: Lost Cause.
==Reception==
===Critical reception===
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 76% based on 231 reviews, with an average rating of 7.12/10. On Metacritic, it has a weighted score of 64 out of 100, indicating: "generally favorable reviews."
==Spin-off==
In January 2014, a spinoff titled The Outbreak: Lost Cause was announced to be in development, with Arry Frost and Nat Wolff starring in main roles.
== Credits ==
Main article: The Outbreak (film)/Credits
== Transcript ==
Main article: The Outbreak (film)/Transcript
Category:2013 films
Category:Films
Category:Movies
Category:20th Century Studios
Category:20th Century Studios films
Category:Horror
Category:Horror films
Category:Drama
Category:Drama films
Category:Zombie films
Category:Post-apocalyptic films
Category:Fox 2000 Pictures
Category:Chernin Entertainment
Category:R-rated films
Category:The Indie User's ideas