Lily James turned to Angelina Jolie for zombie film inspiration

Actress Lily James launched an Angelina Jolie fan club on the set of her new film Pride And Prejudice And Zombies, so she and her co-stars could study the mom-of-six's action films.

The former Downton Abbey star, who gave Jane Austen's literary heroine Elizabeth Bennet a revamp in the new movie, reveals she drew inspiration from watching Angelina in films like Salt and Tomb Raider as she prepared for fight scenes.

"Learning to fight was great," she told WENN. "I felt really empowered. It was just so fun to have the physical expression of all that strength that was within. All that frustration and sexual tension came out.

"I got really into watching action films making this, like Salt; getting all of Angelina in there. We had a Bennet sisters group text, messaging her moves to each other: 'Look at Angelina in Tomb Raider, Jesus!'"

Lily, Bella Heathcote and their female castmates also turned to Terminator action woman Linda Hamilton for inspiration.

"She is unbelievable," Lily added. "I watched her and those muscles. I didn't get that far!"

The group texts and the shared movie viewing experiences helped Lily, Bella, Aisling Loftus, Emma Greenwell, and Suki Waterhouse really bond on the set.

"We were like The Spice Girls with swords!" Lily chuckled. "Ninja Spices."

Meanwhile, Dark Shadows star Bella admits she got turned on watching her co-stars in action on the film's set: "I found the girls very sexy," she beamed. "The fact that they're strong and tough and fighting in the corsets and heaving breasts..."