Aspiring screenwriters, take note. To sell a spec script in Hollywood nowadays, you need only follow this simple three-step formula:

1. Base the story on an existing comic book
2. Come up with a catchy and/or ironic title
3. Add zombies

It really is that simple. Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes production company is currently setting up a project called Zombies vs. Robots, based on an IDW comic by Ashley Wood and Chris Ryall. It may sound like it could be a sequel to Jon Favreau’s upcoming Cowboys vs. Aliens, but the two are apparently unrelated. Sony Pictures has picked up the distribution rights after a bidding war with multiple studios. Hey, at least it’s not another board game movie, right?

The plot revolves around a young girl who is the last survivor on earth. A group of robots must protect her from roving zombies that are “intelligent and evolved.” What remains to be seen is whether or not these robots are, in fact, GIANT F’N ROBOTS™. There is also a follow-up comic called Zombies vs. Robots vs. Amazons, which I’m sure made the project even more attractive to studios.

The one thing that makes me a little bit interested in this is the fact that the script is being written by JT Petty, who did S&Man and The Burrowers and was also attached to do a Faces of Death remake at one point. Still, it’s hard not to roll your eyes at these fanboy-centric “Versus” scenarios, which are probably only going to multiply in the coming months. Seiji Chiba’s Alien vs. Ninja just hit DVD and Blu-ray this week in North America, and The Asylum has their illustrious Mega Shark vs. series going strong. All Platinum Dunes needs is a few washed up d-list celebrities to star in the thing and they’ve got a surefire Syfy hit on their hands!