Pride and Prejudice and Zombies took to the blood red carpet at London’s Leicester Square for its European premiere.

Actress Lily James, 26, plays heroine Elizabeth Bennet in the mash-up movie of corpses and corsets in the horror/romance spoof of the Jane Austen classic novel Pride and Prejudice. Boyfriend and former Doctor Who star Matt Smith, 33, is also among the cast.

The film is based on the 2009 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith and transforms Austen’s most famous heroine Elizabeth into a master of martial arts and weaponry.

James said: “I got to fight. I got to save the men. I got to be part of the Bennet sisters who are the coolest group of girls and I got to be an action hero.

“There was blood, sweat and tears and we fought together and that really bonded us in a strong way, I think.”

The spoof sees a plague falling upon 19th-century England and Elizabeth unites with Mr Darcy to rid the country of the terrifying zombie menace.

From left, Hermione Cornfield, Ellie Bamber, Suki Waterhouse, Millie Brady and Bella Heathcoate at the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies European premiere at Vue West End, Leicester Square, London. Photo: PA Wire

Smith said he would have quite liked to have “got in to a bit of zombie action” did not think it would fit in with character of the pompous cleric Mr Collins.

He added: “Isn’t that quite nice though that it is the women who are the ninjas? I think that is quite cool, a refreshing spin.”

He also thinks that Austen would approve of this new take on her writing.

Charles Dance, 69, who plays Mr Bennet, said it was fun working with a young cast who were “a bunch of extremely talented and mostly very beautiful people”.

“I do not think that Jane Austen or her most ardent admirers would be offended by this [film]. It is done with great affection.”