They won’t stay dead! 55 years after the flesh-eating undead first rose from the grave in George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, Romero’s zombies will be back among the living in Twilight of the Dead. Roundtable Entertainment is partnering with the Romero estate to produce and finance the seventh and final installment of the seminal Living Dead film franchise, which is entering production six years after Romero died at age 77 in 2017. Roundtable on Friday announced that Brad Anderson — director of Session 9, The Machinist, and Blood — will direct Romero’s Twilight of the Dead.
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“George Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead may have been the first real horror movie I ever saw and its shock value, its keen social relevance, and even the means by which it was made were all hugely inspirational to me. George’s ‘indie spirit,’ his Do-It-Yourself approach to filmmaking — outside of the main industry; on a shoestring budget; collaborating with family and friends — is exactly how I made my first film, and to some extent still make films now,” Anderson said in a statement. “Night of the Living Dead, and many of those that followed, wove together straight up horror with pointed social commentary. This unexpected combination is what elevated George’s films, and for me it is exactly what is most exciting about Twilight of the Dead.”
Anderson continued: “This too is a zombie movie in which limbs fly and heads roll, but one that is also about social transformation, one that asks the question: What is it to be human? It is also a horror movie with ‘heart’ and, dare I say, hope. As a filmmaker who relishes combining and reinventing genres, the chance to bring to life (so to speak!) this last installment in George Romero’s zombie franchise is a true honor and a privilege.”
Twilight of the Dead is produced by Suzanne Romero, John Baldecchi (Happy Death Day, The Children of the Corn remake), Ardvella Entertainment’s Stephanie Caleb (Upon Waking), Paolo Zelati (The Profane Exhibit), and Sarah Donnelly (All My Friends Are Dead), with executive producers Dominic Ianno, Alex Dundas, Jason Resnick, Chris Roe, and Luis Riefkohl. George A. Romero and Paolo Zelati wrote the treatment, with the screenplay written by Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati. Twilight of the Dead plans to be in production later in 2023 in Puerto Rico.
“Brad is the ideal filmmaker to bring this project to life. Both Brad and George began their careers in the independent film scene and have directed seminal movies in the genre space and beyond. Brad has had tremendous success both commercially and critically and Roundtable is thrilled to have him onboard to direct,” Baldecchi said. “Twilight of the Dead is the seventh and final chapter of the Dead series and we think Brad is the perfect storyteller to bring this cinematic tale about the human condition to life.”
Romero directed the first six installments in the Living Dead saga: Night of the Living Dead (1968), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985), Land of the Dead (2005), Diary of the Dead (2007), and Survival of the Dead (2009).
