Movies
‘Twilight of the Dead’ – Brad Anderson Directing Zombie Movie That Began as a George A. Romero Treatment
Before he passed away in 2017, horror master George A. Romero had been developing one final zombie movie titled Twilight of the Dead, which has shown brief signs of life here and there over the years. The film is finally coming to life, The Hollywood Reporter lets us know this morning, with Brad Anderson (Session 9, The Machinist, Blood) on board to direct!
“Shooting is expected to start later this year,” THR notes in their exclusive report.
“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,” said Anderson. “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.”
The George A. Romero estate is teaming up with LA-based financier-producer Roundtable on Twilight of the Dead, being positioned as the “final installment” in Romero’s ‘Dead’ franchise. The original treatment for the planned project was penned by Romero himself, but Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati tackled the actual screenplay.
Romero followed seminal zombie film Night of the Living Dead with Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead. The upcoming Twilight of the Dead takes the zombie terror to a fresh location: a tropical island.
Twilight of the Dead is said to “delve into the dark nature of humanity from the perspective of the last humans on earth who are caught between factions of the undead.”
Producers include Suzanne Romero, John Baldecchi, Sarah Donnelly, Paolo Zelati and Ardvella Entertainment’s Stephanie Caleb, with executive producers set as Dominic Ianno, Alex Dundas, Jason Resnick, Chris Roe, and Luis Riefkohl.
Suzanne Romero said in a statement, “I’m delighted to be joining forces with Roundtable to bring the eerie evolution of Romero’s universe to the screen. Roundtable impressed me with their long-term and deep love of George’s work. I believe they have the vision to produce the best version of this movie that honors the Romero legacy. I can’t wait to start filming!”
Roundtable’s Head of Scripted John Baldecchi adds, “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Suzanne, Paolo, and Stephanie to bring the final instalment of this epic series. It is the perfect ending to one of the greatest horror legacies of all time, with a powerful and timely message about how humanity is the cause of its own destruction, over and over and over again.”
Big Daddy (Eugene Clark) in ‘Land of the Dead’ (2005)
Sunrise Films has announced the official North American release of William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort, and it’s accompanied by an energetic new trailer.
Hold the Fort debuts on digital platforms on June 23.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Watch the new trailer below, which introduces one wild HOA gathering during an equinox. Things get bloody fast.
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star.
William Bagley writes and directs, in addition to producing with Smith, Matt Dodd, Luke Williams, and Tim Reis (Adult Swim Yule Log).
Ahead of the release, Bagley said, “My goal with this film was to make a hilarious, fast-paced thrill ride while also telling a great story with heart. Hopefully, through all the blood, laughs, fights, and gags, you leave the film feeling inspired to tackle whatever life throws at you.“
Hold the Fort premiered at Fantasia last summer before going on to play FrightFest London, Toronto After Dark, and Beyond Fest.
I wrote in my review, “It’s an infectiously charming assemblage of jokes and monster vignettes bound together by a barebones plot with not much on its mind beyond delivering an entertaining time.”
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