Return of the Living Dead Reboot in the Works

The zombie subgenre has gone through a number of evolutions and progressions over the decades, with new filmmakers finding fresh ways to bring the ghouls to life in exciting adventures. This also means that a number of seminal zombie-themed projects have earned reboots, remakes, and reimaginations, with Living Dead Media reportedly moving forward with a reboot of 1985’s Return of the Living Dead, per Bloody Disgusting. While it’s unknown when the project could be moving forward and what creatives could be involved with unearthing the project, this new take on the material could excite fans, if only for the attention the project will bring to the source material.

“Our reboot of Return of the Living Dead will expand the existing world created by the original 5 films, while staying true to the R-rated, sci-fi, horror, dark comedy roots adored by fans of the cult classic around the world for the last 35 years,” Living Dead Media shared on their website. “We are excited to resurrect this storied franchise for current fans and new generations of zombies fans.”

Part of what makes the original movie so fascinating is how it connects to another piece of zombie history in George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead.

Due to an oversight in Night of the Living Dead‘s initial copyright, that film is part of public domain, allowing anyone to draw direct connections to it without having to seek legal clearances. The premise of Return of the Living Dead is that the Romero film was based on true events, with the release of the 1968 movie meant to confuse the general public and distract them from the real-life events. Chemicals from that “real” incident made their way to a storage warehouse and, when they were released, started bringing the dead back to life.

Unlike Romero’s films, Return of the Living Dead embraces the absurdity of the premise and delivers a much sillier experience. The film does deliver grotesque gore, but it aims less to frighten audiences and more to entertain them with a madcap adventure. The original movie earned four sequels, the first of which earned a wide theatrical release, while the third entry only secured a limited release, and the final two films going straight to video.

Stay tuned for details on the Return of the Living Dead remake.

Are you looking forward to a reboot of the cult classic? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars.