The first images have arrived online for Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, Maggie, in which he plays a Midwestern farmer charged with caring for his zombie daughter.

She’s played by Abigail Breslin, and having been exposed to a rare virus, is gradually transforming into a flesh-hungry monster, much to the chagrin of her dear old dad.

While the premise might sound like the set-up for a knockabout comedy in the vein of Life After Beth, these first images hint at a different tone entirely, with Arnie looking fraught and vulnerable as the despairing father.

Directed by first-time helmer Henry Hobson, and co-starring Joely Richardson, this looks a much more low-key, low-budget project than Schwarzenegger’s usual fare, and is that much more intriguing for it…

The film has just been added to the lineup for the Toronto International Film Festival, and while no release date has been confirmed as yet, it could yet make it into cinemas before the end of the year.