Jesse Eisenberg Wants Zombieland 3 — Is Another Decade-Long Wait Coming?

The Zombieland movies are the kind of bloody, breezy chaos I will always make time for. So, is a third one finally happening? Jesse Eisenberg says he is in. The schedule, however, might not be.

Jesse Eisenberg is game, but the calendar is not

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Eisenberg said he would happily return as Columbus, but he also thinks his other franchise is likely to move faster.

'Yes, I would like to [make Zombieland 3]. Zombieland was, I think a 10-year break in between. This movie [Now You See Me], we did one, and then like three years later, and then 10 years later. So, Now You See Me is probably more likely to have more movies than Zombieland.'

If you follow that logic, Zombieland 3 would land in 2029, keeping the accidental 10-year rhythm going after 2009 and 2019. Emphasis on accidental. That decade-long gap between the first two wasn’t a master plan; they waited until they had a story that justified getting the band back together.

The 10-year joke that might actually be a plan

Back in 2019, right before Double Tap opened, director Ruben Fleischer said everyone had such a good time that they would be lucky to do more, and he mentioned Emma Stone thought it would be funny if they just did one every decade. He even joked that Woody Harrelson is so absurdly healthy he will outlast the rest of them, so there is no reason they couldn’t keep checking in every 10 years forever. Honestly, not a terrible bit — as long as they can pry Stone away from her ongoing Yorgos Lanthimos era when the time comes.

Meanwhile: Eisenberg’s other threequel is actually locked

While Zombieland 3 floats in the hypotheticals, Eisenberg has a very concrete threequel on deck: Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which hits theaters November 14 and is also directed by Fleischer. That series is proving much easier to crank out than a post-apocalyptic road trip — three movies in 12 years — and, unsurprisingly, a fourth is reportedly already in the works. If I had to guess, that fourth magician caper will beat any Zombieland sequel to the finish line.

• Zombieland timeline: 2009 (Zombieland), 2019 (Zombieland: Double Tap), potential 2029 if the decade beat continues
• Now You See Me timeline: 2013 (NYSY), 2016 (NYSY 2), November 14 (Now You See Me: Now You Don’t), with a fourth reportedly developing

Bottom line: Eisenberg wants to do it, Fleischer sounds open, and the cast clearly likes the every-10-years gag. I’m all for another round of Twinkies and Tallahassee tantrums, but I won’t be shocked if the next rabbit Eisenberg pulls out of a hat arrives sooner than the next zombie headshot. How do you want it: stick to the decade drop or fast-track a third now while the cast can still sprint without stretching first?