The legendary George A. Romero is hoping to return to the zombie arena with upcoming film Road of the Dead, which is seeking financing at the Frontières co-production market later this month. Romero co-wrote the script with Matt Birman, with Birman set to direct.
What do we know so far? Road of the Dead takes place six years after 2005’s post-apocalyptic Land of the Dead and is set on an island where zombie prisoners race cars in a modern-day Coliseum for the entertainment of wealthy humans…
“In the darkest days of the zombie apocalypse, the last safe place on earth is anything but, as a mad despot uses the spectacle of high octane carnage to keep control of his populous.”
Speaking with Rue Morgue this week, Romero revealed a bit more about the (potentially) forthcoming project, noting that it’s going to be quite a bit different than the ‘…of the Dead’ films that he himself directed. But first, more plot details!
“It’s set in a sanctuary city where this fat cat runs a haven for rich folks, and one of the things that he does is stage drag races to entertain them,” Romero told the site. “There’s a scientist there doing genetic experiments, trying to make the zombies stop eating us, and he has discovered that with a little tampering, they can recall certain memory skills that enable them to drive in these races. So it’s a demolition derby with zombies at the wheels, and of course the shit hits the fan in other ways. It’s really a romp; it’s great fun, with stunts galore.”
Romero continued, “This one is really almost a comedy, though it’s got scares and spooky moments and all that. It’s more about suspense than blood. While there is gore, it’s not overt; there are no big, operatic sequences where people get torn apart. There’s slapstick in it, but it’s mostly stunts; it’s quite different. One character dies, for example, in a tragic way, but was once in NASCAR and is able to come back and drive. It’s that kind of looney-tunes.”
“It’s really THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS with zombies.“
Be sure to read the full chat over on Rue Morgue.
