I just watched "Shaun of the Dead" (2004), and I couldn't help noticing its ending had a number of similarities with that of 2007's "The Mist." (Spoiler alert for both films.)

Near the end of "Shaun," the zombies are closing in on Shaun and his girlfriend and his best friend, who's already been bitten, as they all hide in the pub cellar. They discover they have only two bullets left. They seriously consider a murder-suicide pact with the remaining bullets. Then they decide to rough it out, they exit the pub to fight the zombies for as long as they can manage, and all looks lost when suddenly a military tank arrives on the scene, and we realize humanity is saved.

Sound familiar?

While obviously the outcome of this situation is a lot happier than "The Mist," you wouldn't have to change much to concoct a scenario in which Shaun shoots his girlfriend and his best friend with the only bullets he has left, and a few moments later gets saved by the military. I actually think that sort of contrived ending would be more appropriate for a black comedy like "Shaun" than a dramatic horror movie like "The Mist."

Does anyone think Darabont got the idea for this ending from the earlier film? We know he has an interest in the zombie genre given his involvement in "The Walking Dead" (where, incidentally, Thomas Jane was the original choice to play Rick Grimes). Is it possible he watched the earlier film, gamed out a slightly different scenario in his head, and then applied it to the Stephen King story?