CANNES, France (Reuters) - Zombies invaded a beach on the French Riviera on Monday.

Dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, the undead were not there to eat human brains, but to take advantage of the world’s press gathered a day ahead of the start of the Cannes Film Festival to publicize a movie, “Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation”.

The animated comedy follows the adventures of a part-monster, part-human family, on a cruise holiday.

Director Genndy Tartakovsky said he had decided the second installment of the Sony Pictures franchise would be the last, but was inspired to make a third after his in-laws invited his family on a cruise holiday.

“Who doesn’t want to be on a ship with their in-laws for a week?” he joked with reporters.

“But as I got on the boat I realized: ‘Hey, it’s all about family, and what a great venue for our monster family.’”

The Cannes Film Festival runs from May 8 to May 19.