Nicholas Hoult Lands Lead in Summit's 'Warm Bodies'

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Young British actor Nicholas Hoult continues his Hollywood ascent.

The actor, one of the stars of X-Men First Class and who is prepping to shoot Jack the Giant Killer, has been cast in Summit’s Warm Bodies.

Jonathan Levin is directing the story which, in a tone similiar to Twilight meets Shaun of the Dead, follows an existentially-tormented zombie named R that begins an unlikely friendship with the human girlfriend of one of his victims. The blossoming relationship starts a chain reaction that will transform him, his fellow zombies and maybe the whole lifeless world.

The project is based on a book by Isaac Marion which will be published by Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster.

The film is being produced by Bruna Papanadrea through her Make Movies banner and executive produced by Laurie Webb and Cori Shepherd Stern.

Production on the film is slated to commence this summer.

Hoult, repped by UTA and U.K.’s Independent, also appeared in A Single Man and About a Boy.