Kumari Shreya
Created by Park Jin-kyung, Netflix’s ‘Zombieverse’ is a Korean reality show that takes viewers on a thrilling journey as ten celebrities try to survive in a world where they are surrounded by zombies. These supernatural scenarios keep getting complicated day by day, and not everyone is lucky enough to escape every encounter with lasting effects. While the series is undoubtedly highly entertaining, many of the viewers are curious just how much of the on-screen events are real and how much of them have been scripted. Luckily, we are here to explore the same!
Is Zombieverse Scripted?
We believe that ‘Zombieverse’ is at least partially scripted. To understand how the reality show works, one must try to distinguish between the elements of the broader plot and the cast members’ actions. The show gives viewers a disclaimer that states, “This survival game takes place in a zombie universe. The cast act of their own accord and turn into zombies once bitten. Please be advised of the immersion in the game.”
So what exactly is real, and what has already been pre-planned? Well, for the most part, it is obvious that the world that the show’s events take place is a fictional one where the South Korean capital of Seoul and its nearby areas are plagued by a zombie outbreak. More often than not, the survivors find themselves surrounded by zombies before getting saved in one way or the other. However, the zombified people certainly seem to ignore the cameramen, and the angles of the shots themselves do make it evident that the scenes have not been shot using a stationary and well-positioned camera.
In other words, ‘Zombieverse’ is almost like a simulation where the survivors have to escape from the zombies and stay alive as long as possible. Throughout their adventure, they come across complicated puzzles (the stuck truck in the parking lot), a seemingly innocent location with a dark secret (perhaps one should never trust a harmless leader of an isolated village), and a dramatic savior who seems to know quite a bit about the supernatural enemies.
The cast members almost always seem to be driving straight towards the following significant location with the camera positioned at just the right places. Overall, the Netflix show feels like a real-life zombie-adventure video game where the players can certainly make their own decisions, but the wider plot seems set in stone as the survivors try to escape the supernatural apocalypse. That being said, the show does stand true to its title of reality show due to the actions of its cast members.
While the presence of a broader plot in ‘Zombieverse’ is perhaps obvious, what is also evident is that the cast members themselves do not seem to follow any script when interacting with each other or making decisions. While they are indeed acting the part of a person stuck in a world full of zombies, their conversations with each other do seem genuine, and so do their actions when reacting to certain situations.
Overall, it seems like the cast members, while completely dedicated to the immersion of ‘Zombieverse,’ are not always aware of what might happen next in their adventure, leading to some hilariously unscripted moments. However, the broader set of events that take place is quite likely pre-planned and with the cast having a slight inkling of the same. Furthermore, the survivors who end up getting “infected” do give it their all to act the part of a person on the path to becoming a zombie, including the physical signs of the same (changing eye colors, non-functionality of certain body parts, etc.).
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Zombieverse Filmed?
