After stepping in as director on *Now You See Me: Now You Don’t*, the third installment in the Lionsgate magician heist franchise starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, Ruben Fleischer is ready to get his own franchise to a threequel with *Zombieland 3* in 2029.

Launching his career with the original 2009 horror comedy *Zombieland*—starring Eisenberg, Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin—which was a huge hit for a debut filmmaker at a worldwide gross exceeding $102 million, Fleischer earlier this week looked back at the film for the first time since hatching *Zombieland: Double Tap*, the sequel released in 2019, which pulled in over $122 million globally.

The revelation of his sincere ambition to make a third film in the series was one of many insights shared during a career retrospective on Wednesday at the Los Feliz 3, arranged by the American Cinematheque. There, Fleischer talked about, among other things, his desire to tackle something much more grounded than the studio tentpoles for which he’s known—*Gangster Squad*, *Venom*, and *Uncharted*, among them.

### Early Career: From PA to Director

In our conversation, Fleischer discusses getting his start in the industry as a production assistant (PA), through The White Lotus’ Mike White, working on projects like *Dawson’s Creek* and the Sundance hit *Chuck & Buck*. He also talks about his early work on *Jimmy Kimmel Live!* and *Between Two Ferns*, going from $47,000 in debt as a director of music videos and commercials to becoming the talk of the town with his first feature, and how he wound up turning down a *Mission: Impossible* movie as his sophomore feature.

**DEADLINE:** Can you talk about how you came to commit to filmmaking as a career? I know that for you, this came after college, after studying history at Wesleyan University, and working for a period as a freelance HTML programmer in San Francisco.

**RUBEN FLEISCHER:** I moved out to L.A. not exactly knowing what I wanted to do. I was working on this website thing; about three months after I moved down here, it folded, so I was broke and needed a job. I knew Mike White, who plays the gas station attendant in *Zombieland*, through a Wesleyan connection.

**DEADLINE:** Well before Mike White hit the peak of his fame with *The White Lotus*.

**FLEISCHER:** This was *Dawson’s Creek*-era Mike White, so he got me a job as a PA in the writer’s office of *Dawson’s Creek*. This was pre-email, so I had to copy the scripts, and then I would drive them around to distribute every new draft, whether it was to the studio in Culver City or to Warner Bros. Then, at night, I’d drive around with a Thomas Guide to all the executives’ houses to deliver the scripts and get lunches and that kind of fun stuff.

At the end of that season, Mike went on to make this movie called *Chuck & Buck*, and I got a job as the assistant to the director, Miguel Arteta, on this $200,000 feature film shot on a video camera. I did pretty much everything—I was the guy who clapped the clapperboard, helped scout locations, got coffee, even did laundry at a laundromat. I was like a pig in sh*t because I was just so happy to be on a film set. I had no direct ambition to be a director back then, but I was thrilled to watch something being made, even though it was shot in four weeks for no money.

That experience was the best film school I could’ve had because it made it seem like anything was possible—the tools were all available, and the crew was incredibly small.

My big aspiration after that was to be a television executive, so I worked at DreamWorks TV for a year as an assistant. I quickly realized I did not want to be a television executive. Then Miguel and Mike made *The Good Girl*, and I became Miguel’s assistant again, though the union rules meant I couldn’t do as much as before. It was there I really got to watch Miguel make a movie and saw what a great mentor he was. He included me in the process, and it just seemed like the coolest job possible.

After that, I set my sights on making short films and music videos, teaching myself how to direct.

—

### Lessons from Early Mentors

**DEADLINE:** Were there specific lessons you took from your time with Mike and Miguel?

**FLEISCHER:** It was more the spirit of collaboration and the creative process. Miguel was really inclusive, and there was this network of people working together on those films. I learned that if you surround yourself with really talented people all committed to the same vision, you can make something pretty cool.

—

### Cinematic Inspirations

**DEADLINE:** What were the big cinematic inspirations for you growing up? How did you conceptualize early on who you wanted to be as a filmmaker?

**FLEISCHER:** I think I’m still figuring that one out. But as far as touchstones go, I love all the ’80s classics like *Star Wars*, *Back to the Future*, and Tim Burton’s *Batman*. I also liked more indie films from the ’90s—Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne, Spike Jonze, David O. Russell, and Quentin Tarantino. So it was a mix of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters and indie films.

—

### Music Videos and Commercial Work

**DEADLINE:** Talk about your early experiences in commercials and music videos. Was there a project you remember being particularly artistically satisfying?

**FLEISCHER:** I was artistically satisfied with pretty much all my music videos. Commercials were harder to feel that way about. I was a real student of music videos—Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Mark Romanek, Chris Cunningham—I was obsessed. I started off making videos for $50 for my friends’ bands and built my reel that way, pre-YouTube, by putting videos on a website and emailing links around. That helped me grow my career.

—

### Setbacks and Breakthroughs

**DEADLINE:** What were some of the big setbacks as a young filmmaker?

**FLEISCHER:** Financial pressure was the hardest. I wasn’t making money doing videos, and any budget I got usually went back into the video. At one point, I was $47,000 in debt, transferring balances across credit cards. I was despondent and unsure if directing was the right choice.

Then, I made a video that went viral before that was really a thing. It spread worldwide and led to contracts with production companies in London, allowing me to start getting paid to make stuff.

**DEADLINE:** What was that viral video?

**FLEISCHER:** It was “We Know Something You Don’t Know” by DJ Format, a British rapper. The rappers weren’t available, so I made the video without them. I rented mascot costumes—turtles, sharks, tigers—and found breakdancers on Craigslist to perform. People loved watching breakdancing turtles.

—

### Late-Night TV and Comedy Collaborations

**DEADLINE:** You directed bits for *Jimmy Kimmel Live!*. What was that experience like?

**FLEISCHER:** I did it off and on for almost three years, directing first-act bits with Uncle Frank and Guillermo. It was early in Jimmy’s run, around the second season. I grew up loving Letterman, so being part of a network late-night show was exciting and educational.

**DEADLINE:** You also worked with Zach Galifianakis on *Between Two Ferns*.

**FLEISCHER:** Yes, I directed for Zach’s short-lived VH1 show *Late World with Zach*—my first real TV directing gig before Kimmel. Then I worked on a pilot with Scott Aukerman where *Between Two Ferns* was a segment. The pilot didn’t go, but we put *Between Two Ferns* online on Funny or Die, and it blew up. I directed the first episode with Michael Cera and the second with Jimmy Kimmel.

—

### Breaking Through with *Zombieland*

**DEADLINE:** Take us back to booking your first studio feature, *Zombieland*. How did you apply your skills from short-form work?

**FLEISCHER:** One of my strengths is that I don’t overthink—I just barrel ahead. For *Zombieland*, that meant bringing true enthusiasm and pouring everything I’d learned into the project.

I was very upfront about what I didn’t know—I’d never directed action before, never used guns. The short that landed me the job was a $15,000 comedy short with a comedian and a lobster. I had no right to direct a movie like this.

But my 1st assistant director, the director of photography, and Woody Harrelson were all patient and supportive. The director’s role is pointing people in the right direction; the crew supports you.

The budget was $21 million—modest by today’s standards. The production value was high, though; the set design was incredible, like putting in seven miles of string lights at the amusement park.

The very first scene I shot was with Amber Heard in an apartment, and then we shot the action-packed ending first. It was crazy, but it all came together, and watching it now, I’m pretty impressed considering I truly had no idea what I was doing.

—

### Working with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson

**DEADLINE:** You’ve worked with Eisenberg and Harrelson multiple times. Any stories from *Zombieland* illustrating your dynamic with them?

**FLEISCHER:** Casting Woody came first. He had four conditions: environmentally conscious set, input on the DP, choice over his co-star, and I had to be vegan for a week.

During chemistry reads, three actors met with Woody, but Jesse was clearly the right fit. Jesse and Woody have real-life chemistry similar to their characters: Woody is a free spirit, Jesse a neurotic New York Jewish guy.

They respect each other artistically—Woody is knowledgeable about theater, Jesse writes plays—and they make each other laugh a lot. I feel lucky to have worked with both on *Now You See Me*, the fourth film we’ve collaborated on.

—

### Turning Down *Mission: Impossible*

**DEADLINE:** After *Zombieland*’s success, you were offered a *Mission: Impossible* movie but turned it down. Why?

**FLEISCHER:** It was surreal meeting Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams. Tom was eager to work with me, but I felt it was too big and overwhelming so early in my career.

Instead, I chose to make *30 Minutes or Less* with Jesse Eisenberg, a modest action-comedy. I loved the script and was obsessed with Danny McBride, who fit the role perfectly.

That movie bombed at the box office and received poor reviews, which was a tough learning experience. Afterward came *Gangster Squad*, a much bigger movie with a significant cast, and I learned even more there.

—

### Lessons from Failure and Success

**DEADLINE:** How do you reflect on setbacks?

**FLEISCHER:** You have to treat them as learning lessons—there’s no going back.

What made *Zombieland* successful was its clear tone. *Gangster Squad* struggled with tone confusion.

For *Now You See Me*, my North Star was “it has to be fun.” If the audience walks away feeling that, I’m happy.

—

### Big-Budget Studio Movies and Collaboration

**DEADLINE:** How did you adjust to large-scale studio productions like *Gangster Squad*, *Venom*, and *Uncharted*?

**FLEISCHER:** The challenges remain the same—finding locations, scripts, casting—just on a bigger scale.

Communication is key: clarifying your vision and surrounding yourself with talented collaborators who trust you makes all the difference.

I love filmmaking as a collaborative art. From pre-production through post-production, many people contribute, most of whom never meet each other. As director (and producer), I’m the constant through all those phases.

—

### Navigating Studio Notes

**DEADLINE:** How do you handle studio notes while preserving your creative vision?

**FLEISCHER:** It varies per project. Sometimes studios micromanage, other times they’re hands-off. Both have pros and cons.

I love test screenings; audience reactions help shape the movie’s pace, jokes, and clarity.

Ultimately, the audience is the deciding vote. While I hold on to what excites me about a film, I weigh studio input seriously if it improves audience reception.

—

### Philosophy on Action and Spectacle

**DEADLINE:** You mentioned *Zombieland* was your first action-heavy project. How has your approach to directing action evolved?

**FLEISCHER:** Keeping action original is crucial.

I learned this from Sony’s Tom Rothman, who would ask, “What distinguishes this fight scene from every other kicking and punching scene?”

It was frustrating then, but now I appreciate it. Constantly finding fresh ways to surprise audiences is the goal.

In *Zombieland*, the action was tailored to the amusement park setting—the roller coaster scene, the pendulum-swinging machine gun stuff—some actions even improvised on set.

—

### Current Motivations and Future Projects

**DEADLINE:** What motivates you now compared to when you started?

**FLEISCHER:** Finding fun stories to tell with inspiring people.

I like challenging myself with different genres.

I have a big aspiration to make smaller, more personal films focused on character-driven stories—“two Jews in a room,” as my late producer Ezra Swerdlow used to say.

Great scripts for such films are hard to come by, and since I’m not a writer, I depend on material that comes my way.

I’m also excited about a Western vampire movie I want to make—imagine *Unforgiven* if Clint Eastwood were a vampire.

I’m hoping to do *Zombieland 3* in 2029; the first was 2009, the sequel in 2019, and the third could be on the horizon as we start talking about it.

—

### Zombie Influences and the Bill Murray Story

**DEADLINE:** What were your big zombie influences for the first *Zombieland*?

**FLEISCHER:** I wasn’t a big zombie fan growing up and initially passed on the script.

I thought of it as *National Lampoon’s Vacation* with zombies—it’s really about a family road trip to an amusement park.

After signing on, I watched every zombie movie I could—*28 Days Later* was a major influence, introducing fast zombies, which we decided to incorporate.

**DEADLINE:** Bill Murray’s role as a zombie cameo is legendary. He wasn’t the first choice, right?

**FLEISCHER:** Originally, the script had Patrick Swayze as a zombie in a mansion sequence—an incredible idea.

Sadly, Swayze was battling pancreatic cancer and couldn’t do it.

We then considered Sylvester Stallone, Joe Pesci, and Mark Hamill. Everyone passed.

Mid-shooting, we had stunt doubles as those zombie characters, but Woody Harrelson felt strongly about getting the part right.

Woody heard Bill Murray was shooting nearby, so he called him.

Bill said he didn’t want to be just a zombie with no lines; he wanted a role with dialogue.

So the idea came that Bill’s character disguises himself as a ghostbuster zombie.

He agreed a week before shooting; the art department even FedExed the Ghostbusters outfits.

Bill came in and filmed his scenes over two days, including a memorable margarita pong scene.

After shooting, we drank until 3 a.m. at the mansion.

It was like a fever dream making a movie with Bill Murray. I only saw him twice—in *Zombieland* and the sequel, 10 years later.

—

Ruben Fleischer’s journey from broke music video director to helming high-profile studio films shows his persistence, adaptability, and passion for collaboration. With *Zombieland 3* and other projects on the horizon, his career continues to evolve, balancing big-budget spectacles with hopes for more intimate storytelling.
https://deadline.com/2025/11/zombieland-3-ruben-fleischer-mission-impossible-interview-1236616920/