The upcoming, live-action Dead Rising: Watchtower feature has found its Frank West.
Actor and comedian Rob Riggle, who’s probably best known as a former correspondent on The Daily Show and a supporting cast member on recent comedies 21 Jump Street (as well as its sequel, 22 Jump Street) and Let’s Be Cops, will play photojournalist Frank West in the upcoming digital feature produced by Crackle and Legendary Pictures’ Digital Media division. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve who served in Liberia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan, Riggle has made a name for himself as one of comedy’s up-and-coming performers with his appearances on The Daily Show and other recent television and big-screen projects.
Here’s the official synopsis of the film, which is based on a screenplay penned by Mortal Kombat: Legacy producer Tim Carter:
Dead 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.
Riggle is joined in the cast by Harley Morenstein (Epic Meal Time), Keegan Connor Tracey (Bates Motel), Aleks Paunovic (This Means War), Jesse Metcalfe, Meghan Ory, Virginia Madsen, and Dennis Haysbert.
The star of the original Dead Rising game, Frank West is a jaded photojournalist who discovers a sinister conspiracy at the heart of a recent viral outbreak that’s turning people into flesh-eating zombies. According to a statement accompanying the casting announcement, Morenstein will play a biker character called “Pyro,” while Paunovic portrays the biker gang’s leader, Logan. Tracey will play a “straight-laced journalist” named Jordan.
Dead Rising: Watchtower will debut on Crackle.com before arriving on Video-On-Demand services. There’s no release date set for the project yet.
