"Dead Rising: Watchtower," a film based on the hit series of video games published by Capcom, has cast its leading man. And it is a rather bold and curious choice...comedian Rob Riggle.
Riggle is a former "Daily Show" correspondent, a retired U.S. Marine and had roles in "21 Jump Street," "Let's Be Cops" and "Step Brothers." He'll play Frank West, the world-weary photojournalist with a knack for showing up in the thick of zombie outbreaks, Legendary Entertainment revealed in a casting announcement Monday. Joining Riggle in "Dead Rising: Watchtower" are "Epic Meal Time" host Harley Morenstein and Aleks Paunovic, who play members of a biker gang. Keegan Connor Tracy of "Once Upon a Time" will play Jordan, a "straight-laced journalist."
The actors and actresses Legendary has previously announced for the film are: Jesse Metcalfe, Meghan Ory, Virginia Madsen and Dennis Haysbert.
The plot synopsis of "Dead Rising: Watchtower," which will be an exclusively digital release, is as follows:
"'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."
The film is written and co-produced by Tim Carter, who produced "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" and wrote the script for the Square Enix game, "Sleeping Dogs."
"Dead Rising: Watchtower" will take its bow on Crackle, Sony's streaming video service. Crackle apps are currently available for PlayStation and Xbox platforms, as well as PC and mobile devices.
