Lily James attends the "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" panel on day 3 of Comic-Con International on Saturday, July 11, 2015, in San Diego. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (AP) --
Lily James has transformed from a princess into a zombie slayer.
The star of "Cinderella" was at Comic-Con on Saturday to show off footage from her latest film, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."
The fairy-tale princess and zombie-killer have more in common than it might seem, James said.
"Both of them are so strong and independent and fierce," she said. "And to get to play women like that is just so wonderful because it doesn't always happen and they don't always exist in film."
In "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," set for release next year, James plays Elizabeth Bennett, one of five killer zombie-slayers "who push the men aside and stride into a horde of the undead."
The 26-year-old actress said she enjoyed learning to fight and perform stunts for the role, adding, "I'm hoping that 'Cinderella 2' might have zombies in it."
Pepsi soft drinks in plastic bottles are on sale at a grocery store in New York on Weds., Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion โฆ could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More
