Night of the Zoopocalypse
A comet turns zoo animals into gummy zombies in Night of the Zoopocalypse. Gracie (Gabbi Kosmidis) is a young wolf at the Colepepper Zoo, who ignores her Gramma Abigail’s (Carolyn Scott) warnings that something bad is about to happen. However, a comet crashes down into the rabbit pen and infects Bunny Zero (Bryn McAuley), turning her into a gummy-bodied zombie (or gumbie). In the initial commotion, Gracie fights with newly-arrived mountain lion Dan (David Harbour) and both end up getting locked up inside the infirmary, where they meet movie-loving lemur Xavier (Pierre Simpson).
As the gumbie infestation spreads across the zoo, a number of the animals join Dan, Gracie, and Xavier inside the infirmary. These include temperamental capybara Frida (Heather Loreto), cowardly ostrich Ash (Scott Thompson), and egotistical monkey Felix (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee). As the animals split up for survival, Dan becomes the reluctant bodyguard for Gracie, with the two soon joined by the pygmy hippo Poot (Christina Nova).
Night of the Zoopocalypse Synopsis
Night of the Zoopocalypse is an animated horror-comedy directed by Rodrigo Perez-Castro and Ricardo Curtis and co-written and produced by Steve Hoban (Splice, A Christmas Horror Story), loosely based on the short story “Zoombies” by Clive Barker. Relative newcomer and voice actor Gabbi Kosmidis stars as Gracie, a young quirky timber wolf, who doesn’t understand the need to undergo wolf pack training, when nothing happens when you live at a zoo. However, Gracie is soon proven wrong when an alien comet begins a zombie infestation at the zoo.
A co-production of Canada, France, and Belgian, Night of the Zoopocalypse features a supporting cast that includes the familiar Canadian names of Scott Thompson (Kids in the Hall) and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience, The Mandalorian). David Harbour (Stranger Things, Hellboy, Black Widow) is the token American cast member of the film, voicing the gruff mountain lion Dan, who initially helps out Grace as a way to escape from the zoo. However, the two soon learn that perhaps it is better to work as a team.
My Thoughts on Night of the Zoopocalypse
Night of the Zoopocalypse is the latest of a small group of kid-oriented animated films that also serve as an introduction to the horror genre. Previous examples would be many of the films directed by Henry Selick, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and Wendell & Wild, as well as well as 2012’s ParaNorman. While Night of the Zoopocalypse has some real thrills and chills, the film is ultimately a family adventure, right down to the gummy bodies of the “gumbies” which result in much non-permanent dismemberment.
Probably the most interesting aspect of Night of the Zoopocalypse is that the story is “from the mind of Clive Baker.” Indeed, when the film first entered production around a decade ago, it was going to be an adaptation of Baker’s short story “Zoombies” with an original title of Night of the Zoombies. However, as Clive Baker’s final credit in Night of the Zoopocalypse is just “based on an original concept,” it leaves the question of how much of the original short story remains in the final film.
Admittedly, Night of the Zoopocalypse has a bit of a formulaic plot. The formulaic horror tropes of the story are frequently referenced by the character of Xavier, a lemur who purposely gets himself admitted to the infirmary just so he can watch late-night movies. Also, being a kids’ film, there are no real permanent threats in the plot, as part of the narrative involves finding a cure for the “gumbie” infestation.
While not as high quality as animated films from the likes of Disney, Dreamworks, or Illumination, Night of the Zoopocalypse is still a fun adventure that delivers some family-friendly horror-comedy thrills. There’s also the ultra-cute character of Poot the pygmy hippo, who ends up stealing most of her scenes. Altogether, Night of the Zoopocalypse is worth checking out.
Trailer for Night of the Zoopocalypse
