Nearly 20 years after a secret supermarket zombie shoot, Employee of the Dead is becoming a feature film. HAUNTED CHARLIE HALL talks to actors Joe Acres and Ellie Rae Winstone about their roles in the film
In 2008, while at university, film director Aaron Truss was set a challenge to shoot and complete a film in just 48 hours.
At the time, he was working in a supermarket where he decided to pull off an impossible feat during a night shift. With the help of four close friends, including Rob Knox, who played Ravenclaw’s Marcus Belby in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and actor and musician Joe Acres, they shot a comedic zombie horror short in Sainsbury’s, Chislehurst, called Employee of the Dead.
Little did Aaron know that this would become one of the most memorable — and life-changing — nights of his life, beginning a 20-year journey.
Tragically, Rob would never get to see the finished film. Just four days after filming on Harry Potter had ended, his life was cruelly cut short in a horrific knife attack in Sidcup.
Aaron has since made two heart-wrenching documentaries about Rob’s story, with the aim of keeping his legacy alive while raising awareness of knife crime and its devastating consequences. The films have received considerable support from a number of well-known names, and Aaron now plans to turn the story’s humble beginnings in a supermarket into a comedy horror feature film.
Employee of the Dead will be directed by Aaron Truss and produced by Razor Blade Smile director Jake West. It also boasts an impressive cast, including Sean Cronin (Mission: Impossible), Nicholas Vince (Hellraiser), Dani Harmer (The Story of Tracy Beaker), Ellie Rae Winstone, Joe Acres and Paul Casar (Detectorists), who will portray Rob Knox.
Think Supermarket Sweep with blood and guts, then throw in Tracy Beaker vs Zombies and you’ve got… Employee of the Dead!
The film promises to be something special, but filmmaking is expensive. To help bring the project to life, the team will launch a crowdfunding campaign on 28 July 2026.
I caught up with original Employee of the Dead actor Joe Acres and actress Ellie Rae Winstone, daughter of Ray Winstone, to find out more about the film and the campaign.
Charlie: Joe, you were in the original 2008 short film with Aaron and Rob. What was it like, as teenagers, secretly making a movie at work?
Joe: We were at that age where you just do stupid stuff all the time. We had no fear and nothing to lose, so it felt like a normal day. Sneaking around, making a mess and having to clean it up before anyone noticed was so much fun, and pretending to be adults working in an office was hilarious.
Playing with the warehouse equipment and trying to make everything look real without actually killing ourselves… we messed around with the baler, which you should never do. It was like a playground, but with grown-up toys. You got to act like you were living in this real adult world, and I absolutely loved it.
Charlie: How does it feel to have the story turned into a feature film, with you now in the lead role?
Joe: It feels wild. This project has followed us around for nearly 20 years and was a defining moment for Aaron and me.
He was just another weird kid from the same town who loved doing silly, random stuff. We knew each other from school, we were in rival bands, and we’d both been involved in different creative projects. But that was the moment Aaron and I decided to form a partnership and start making things together.
There were five of us that night. Rob was taken far too soon, and that tragedy drew the remaining four of us closer together. It made us realise how special that night really was.
We made loads of films after that, and Rob was always present in some way.
To be doing this now, playing the lead — who’s a bit of Aaron and a bit of me — feels like coming home. I see it as drawing a line under one era so we can begin another. It’s emotional because everything has led to this.
Joining the Project
Charlie: Ellie, how did you become involved with Employee of the Dead?
Ellie: I met Aaron for the first time at the premiere screening of The Rob Knox Story. It was incredibly moving.
We got chatting and immediately started talking about film and what drives us creatively. He’s a wonderful guy, and I think he recognised my passion for the industry almost instantly.
It went from, “I’d love to hear what you’re working on,” to, “I’d be honoured to be part of the team.”
The next thing I knew, I was reading scripts and sending in a self-tape.
Charlie: You must be excited, as this is your first feature film. How does it feel?
Ellie: This project is unlike anything I’ve done before.
I feel really lucky that every time I’ve ended up in front of a camera, it’s been because I’ve sought out fascinating people and hoped they’d see something different in me.
I remember shooting in Wales for Jayne Pierson, holding flares in a forest at midnight, then having my make-up done in a motel while Lena Headey told me, “You’ve got this.”
I’ve spent many years on stage, only to crawl back to the camera with a glint in my eye.
It’s all culminated in this feature-length dreamscape full of insanely talented people. I’m wildly excited. This team is amazing, and I’m beyond grateful for the experience so far.
The Characters
Charlie: Tell us about the characters you’re both playing.
Joe: I’m playing Hooban, who’s disappointed with how his life’s turned out.
He always felt like he was a big fish in a small pond and believed he was destined for big things, but life just didn’t work out that way.
Parts of that are autobiographical for Aaron and me, and true for a lot of people in our generation. He’s the quintessential millennial. We were promised this amazing future, and then life went in a completely different direction.
For those of us who didn’t see it coming or adapt quickly enough, it felt like a broken promise.
Hooban feels life’s dealt him a bad hand, but he’s still desperate to create. Whenever he’s making a film, he becomes the purest version of himself.
I love seeing that in the script.
He’s constantly walking the line between adulthood and childhood. He can have some very dark thoughts, but there’s an optimism inside him that just won’t die. You’ve got to fight against the darkness.
Ellie: I’m playing Laura, one of Hooban’s colleagues, and at the risk of sounding cliché, I really see myself in her.
There’s something very relatable about being stuck in a day job while wanting something more and taking a chance on your dreams.
She knows exactly what she wants — probably more than I did when I was working my own day job.
It’s not every day you’re offered a role where your face gets ripped off, but if I accepted it, I can’t really blame Laura for doing the same.
The Cast
Charlie: What’s it like working with such a wonderful, high-profile cast?
Joe: They’re brilliant.
You don’t get to where they are without talent and skill. They’re incredibly professional, they arrive knowing exactly what’s expected of them, and then they deliver.
Watching people like Dani and Paul work is fascinating, and Ellie comes from an acting dynasty — she’s practically Hollywood royalty.
Having these amazing actors around me who know exactly how to turn up and get the job done is inspiring. There’s no messing about, and I learn so much from them.
When Dani and I sat down for our first scene together and they called “Action!”, the chemistry was instant.
It was great working with someone who immediately says, “Let’s get in the sandpit together,” and just plays. We had so much fun.
There was one scene where I had to be horrible to Paul, and the look he gave me was so genuinely hurt that I actually felt guilty afterwards.
Ellie: I genuinely can’t sing their praises enough.
They’re obviously all incredibly talented, but what’s really worth mentioning is how kind and encouraging everyone has been.
It feels wonderful to have such a supportive team in an industry that’s as intense as filmmaking.
Dani is obviously an icon — and fiercely talented — but she was wearing exactly the same Crocs that I have at home on our filming day. I only wish I’d brought mine!
High-profile or not, every single person brought their A-game.
That shoot genuinely felt like a very special kind of love and care was in the air.
Zombies
Charlie: Joe, how was it running around a shopping centre with zombies during the promo?
Joe: It felt like old times!
Everything we do tends to involve taking over a place and doing something people don’t expect. It was brilliant seeing random people walking out of McDonald’s thinking, “What on earth is going on?”
They’d stop and watch, and in a way it became a bit of market research. We could see how the public reacted while I was acting, writing and producing all at the same time.
As much as it was exciting, and the zombies looked incredible, I still don’t know how they pulled it off. The make-up was simple but so effective. It really proved to me that we’re onto something. It was genuine proof of concept.
Charlie: Ellie, is it fun having all the special-effects make-up applied? Does it take long?
Ellie: Oh, definitely!
I’ve always loved prosthetics and everything that goes into special-effects make-up. It’s an art.
Robbie Drake created an incredibly gory effect for our proof of concept in a really impressive amount of time. I remember telling him how I spilled liquid latex all over my bedroom carpet when I was 11 while trying to make my own prosthetics.
We were working to a really tight schedule and only had one chance to get the shot.
The moment “Action!” was called, with the blood pump ready to go, we all knew it had to be one of those lightning-in-a-bottle moments.
It simply wouldn’t have worked without Robbie’s incredible talent.
Charlie: How did you feel about being bitten by a zombie during the promo?
Ellie: Isn’t that every girl’s dream?!!
Charlie: As this is a zombie film, do either of you believe in mythical creatures? And if you could be one, what would you choose?
Joe: I believe in angels, and I believe in demons.
If I had the choice, I’d love to be an angel and I’d do my best to be one. But I also think there’s a demon in all of us. That’s the never-ending struggle — listening to the angel rather than the demon.
Ellie: I definitely count myself as an “I want to believe” kind of person.
I’ve had an X-Files poster on my wardrobe door for the last 10 years. I mean… aliens have to exist, right?
The universe is so vast that something more intelligent than us has to be out there. Something alive that’s beyond whatever level of science we’ve reached.
I love folklore, cryptids, creepypastas and fairy tales. Stories of Vlad the Impaler, dragons woven into history — all of it fascinates me.
I’ve had one or two paranormal experiences myself, but I can’t explain them. I just shrug and wonder.
Energy has to go somewhere, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t it be lovely if we hung around for a little while after we died and had a good haunt?
If I could be anything, I’d love to be a forest fairy.
My favourite film as a child was FernGully, and I think that tells you everything.
In my next life I’d like to spend my days perched in an ancient tree, listening to my favourite songs on a giant Walkman.
Employee of the Dead
Charlie: What can people expect from Employee of the Dead?
Joe: Tracy Beaker vs Zombies!
People will definitely get that, but I do want to make one thing clear — this isn’t really a zombie film.
People will compare it to Shaun of the Dead, because we absolutely loved that film as teenagers, and it’s one of the reasons we made the original Employee of the Dead.
But this is really a love letter to horror.
It’s a comedy about friendship and following your dreams. That might sound corny, but it’s true.
It’s never too late to do what you’re meant to do with your life. Take a chance on yourself. Sing your song. Be loud. Be proud of whatever it is you’re here to do.
People can expect laughs, brilliant zombies, and a glimpse behind the scenes of how a film gets made.
Hopefully they’ll leave feeling inspired.
At its heart, it’s a group of mates from humble beginnings who keep coming together to make something bigger and better every time.
Ellie: Blood, guts and a whole lot of heart.
If you haven’t heard the story behind Employee of the Dead, I really encourage you to look into it.
The script is hilarious, but underneath it all is a very human story about wanting to dream.
There’s plenty of action, but I actually think the emotion is the real underdog of the film.
Crowdfunding
Charlie: Tell us a bit about the crowdfunding campaign.
Joe: It’s all in the works.
We’re launching on 28 July and we’ve got loads happening across social media.
There are some amazing perks available at different donation levels, and honestly, we can’t do it without the support of people who believe in what we’re doing.
This is the first time we’ve asked for help like this. Normally we make films on a shoestring budget, but this time we thought, let’s try to raise enough money to make something truly special.
When we made the Rob Knox documentary, we had incredible support. The Rob Knox Foundation had a camera and a microphone, Aaron and I jumped in my car and drove around interviewing people. We made it with virtually no budget.
This time we want to make a proper feature film that we can share with everyone.
The crowdfunding campaign is going to be the beating heart of the project.
It all started back in 2008, with five mates messing around with Aaron’s camera, and now we want to take everyone on that journey with us.
Ellie: Our crowdfunding campaign launches on 28 July, and we genuinely need all hands on deck.
I’d like to thank everyone who’s already supported us and followed our journey. It’s been amazing to see the response so far.
Whether it’s helping us bring zombies to life or funding the production itself, every contribution helps us make the film the best it can be.
Everyone knows about movie magic, but it takes an enormous amount of time, effort and money to create it.
Charlie: What would it mean to you to see this film finally made?
Joe: It would feel like completing a chapter that’s taken up almost half my life.
The journey Aaron and I have been on has always been about honouring Rob’s memory and his legacy.
Bringing this project to life would mean so much to us personally.
The fact that people are already responding to it tells me it’s become a much more universal story. Lots of people have experienced loss or can relate to chasing a dream despite setbacks.
Of course we want to make a damn good movie.
But this one is especially close to Aaron’s heart and mine.
Ellie: It would be an absolute honour if everyone reading this took just a minute to support the project in whatever way they can.
Whether that’s signing up to our mailing list, sharing the campaign with friends, making a donation or even buying one of the perks — and we’ve got some really great ones — it all makes a huge difference.
I genuinely believe in Employee of the Dead, and I really hope other people will too.
Employee of the Dead is a film that comes straight from the heart.
Beneath the blood, guts and laughs is an inspiring story about friendship, loyalty and following your dreams. It takes an unimaginable tragedy and transforms it into something positive by keeping Rob Knox’s legacy alive while bringing a remarkable 20-year journey full circle.
Let’s help make it happen.
The crowdfunding campaign is here.
Find out more about https://eotdmovie.com/ website.
