EXCLUSIVE: Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Williams are attached to star in Matthew Butler’s 18th century zombie romp, The Curse Of The Buxom Strumpet.

Butler will direct and has co-written the script with Tori Hart for the feature in which the inhabitants of a small seaside town are struck down with a deadly illness.

The feature is an extension of Butler’s short comedy film E’gad Zombies, also starring McKellen.

Butler and Hart are producing for their UK production company Fizz and Ginger, with Margaret Matheson exec producing. Butler is in talks with sales agents in Cannes, with a view to shooting the £2m film in Scotland later this year.