Even non-horror fans know the name George A Romero, the filmmaker behind Night of the Living Dead and therefore the Godfather of all things Zombie (as we know them). His original low budget horror feature was shot on an ultra low-budget and broke ground not just in the realm of horror but also in social concerns and equality. Without sidetracking this whole thing, it would suffice to say the man is an icon worthy of his pop culture status.
Sadly Romero passed away in 2017, and though he had finished 6 different “of the Dead” films there was still one left to do, Twilight of the Dead a film for which he completed a treatment, but passed before completing a script. With Night, Dawn, and Day (as well as Land of, Survival of, and Diary of) Twilight of the Dead would have been the natural closing point of the franchise. It may be hard to believe but there was a 20-25 year period there where Zombie flicks just weren’t popular, making it impossible for Romero to get the funding he needed for that final movie. Thankfully Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake, the 28 Days Later franchise, and of course The Walking Dead brought renewed and really newfound interest in the shamblers before Romero passed so he was able to get a few more films made…just not Twilight (of the Dead obviously….not the shiny vampires).
Deadline revealed today that thanks to Roundtable Entertainment we may just see the film Romero outlined before he died. The LA based production firm has teamed up with Romero’s estate (including his wife) to, forgive the pun, flesh out and complete this final film and they are well on their way to doing so. A script has been written by Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, the last of which actually worked on the treatment with Romero. Directors have been reviewed and casting notices have gone out, there have even been scouting trips to Puerto Rico to film the tropically set zombie closer. Don’t worry about the strike, being a low budget feature the filmmakers were able to apply for an allowance to let them keep moving forward, though not a guarantee.
There’s still a long way to go until this thing sees the light of day but, if nothing else, it’s good to know there are still folks out there carrying the torch that George himself lit and carried for the better part of half a century.
