It was only a matter of time before the zombie genre turned its attention to Cheerleaders. Horror films set in schools are certainly not a new concept and zombies invading schools even less so, with films like Zombie High School, Boy Eats Girl and Dance of the Dead all covering similar ground. But the new film by directors Lucky McKee and Chris Siverston puts its own spin on the genre, mixing elements of witchcraft and revenge into your standard gut munching. If the title sounds familiar then you may have caught this title’s original release in 2001 – the upcoming 2014 film is a remake by the same team.

The synopsis, courtesy of Dread Central:

“When tragedy rocks Blackfoot High, rebellious outsider Mäddy Killian shocks the student body by joining the cheerleading squad. This decision drives a rift between Mäddy and her ex-girlfriend Leena Miller – a loner who claims to practice the dark arts. After a confrontation with the football team, Mäddy and her new cheerleader friends are sent on a supernatural roller coaster ride which leaves a path of destruction none of them may be able to escape.”

The trailer’s a bit of a slow burner. It starts out along the lines of most teen horror movies (There are very clear shades of I Know What You Did Last Summer in there) but after time and repeated viewings it actually looks pretty cool. It’s doubtful the movie will be anything mind-blowing but the fun factor certainly seems present. Little comedy scenes like the poor cat getting killed, mixed with some interesting looking attack scenes (The women all seem to have super strength so we get those great shots of people getting flung about all over the place) offer a lot of potential. Also everyone seems to be having fun with the format and so far the cast don’t instantly make me want to rip my hair out. There is a nice mix of dark humor and horror which could confuse people who don’t know what they’re getting into, but some of the best horror flicks have this combination (American Werewolf in London, Slither) and when done right it can pay off in spades. The filmmakers seem to be pretty with it and it looks like All Cheerleaders Die has a bit more wit to it than your mindless zombies movie. It’s just hard to tell from the trailer alone if this will hold up through the whole film, or if it’ll turn into the same old brain eater flick by the end. This is one to tentatively look out for in 2014.