The horror world lost one of its brightest stars and sharpest tongues in July 2017 with the passing of George A. Romero. But before he died at the age of 77, Romero started work on a project that will one day give fans of the “Godfather of the Zombie” and his extensive body of work a new adventure set within his iconic Dead movie franchise, one given the title of Twilight of the Dead
Ever since the project was first announced back in 2021, fans like myself have been anxiously waiting for more details on the movie Romero started writing at some point prior to his death. Though there have been long stretches of little to no information released about the project, that all changed in Summer 2023, when the project began to stumble and shuffle forward, with new information being revealed at an increasingly quicker pace.
Here is everything we know about Twilight of the Dead…
What Is The Twilight Of The Dead Release Date?
At the time of this writing, in August 2023, there is no set release date for Twilight of the Dead, but hopefully that will change in the coming months. It seems less likely that the movie will come out on the 2023 movie schedule since production has yet to kick off (more on that later), as well as due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that have been going on since May and July, respectively. However, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see the upcoming horror movie take up a place somewhere in the later part of the 2024 movie calendar.
Twilight Of The Dead Will Center On The Last Humans On Earth As They Fight For Survival On A Tropical Island
Just like the previous six entries in the Dead film franchise, Twilight of the Dead will center on a group of humans fighting for survival in a world that has been overrun and decimated by flesh-eating zombies. Going off an August 2023 Deadline report, the upcoming movie sounds like it will be similar to Romero's previous work in tone, in that it will combine elements of horror and the late filmmaker's signature biting social commentary. Though the characters haven't been revealed, the zombie flick will be set on some kind of tropical island.
It has yet to be revealed how far along the timeline Twilight of the Dead takes place, the part about the movie following the last humans on Earth makes it seem like the movie will be set at some point after the events of Day of the Dead and Land of the Dead, which featured stories set years or even decades into the zombie apocalypse.
Who Is In The Twilight Of The Dead Cast?
As of August 2023, no members of the Twilight of the Dead cast have been announced. Though none of the actors have been revealed, there’s a good chance the movie will feature some badass female characters like George A. Romero’s previous films. Expect to hear more about the cast in the coming months.
George A. Romero Started Working On The Script Prior To His 2017 Death
At some point before his July 2017 death, George A. Romero started developing Twilight of the Dead. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the late horror icon wrote a treatment for the movie with producer and writer Paolo Zelati. Following Romero’s passing, Zelati was granted permission by the director’s widow and estate manager, Suzanne Romero, to further develop the script, which he did alongside Joe Knetter and Robert L. Lucas.
At the time of the announcement, Suzanne Romero said the team had a solid treatment and that her late husband “would be incredibly happy to see this continue” before describing it as his “final stamp” on the genre. The script was eventually finished at some point in 2023, according to the Deadline article mentioned earlier. At the same time, it was also revealed that the production was in negotiations with a director, though their identity were not revealed.
The Movie Will Be The Final Installment Of The ‘Dead’ Franchise
In October 1968, George A. Romero introduced moviegoers to the new face of horror with his landmark black-and-white zombie film, Night of the Living Dead. More than 50 years, and six movies later, the franchise will come to an end with Twilight of the Dead. When Deadline announced in August 2023 that Romero’s estate had partnered with Roundtable Entertainment for the upcoming production, the movie was described as Romero’s “final zombie movie” as well as the “seventh and final installment” of the series.
The film’s title could also be seen as a full-circle moment for the original movies in the franchise, which drew their titles from various stages of the day. There was Night of the Living Dead, which led to Dawn of the Dead, with Day of the Dead coming after that. However, it must be stated that three subsequent films followed decades later – Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead. It will be interesting to see how Twilight handles the two most recent films in the franchise, which felt more like a diversion than a continuation of the original mythos.
Production Could Kick Off In Late 2023
There are plans to begin production on Twilight of the Dead at some point in late 2023, but that all depends on the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. However, like other productions that have been able to continue during the shutdowns, Deadline reported that the producers of the upcoming zombie movie are applying for an interim agreement that would allow the shoot to kick off at some point later this year in Puerto Rico, but there haven’t been any updates as of August 2023.
There’s Also A Night Of The Living Dead Sequel In The Works, But Without The Romero Estate’s Involvement
There were copyright issues during the making of Night of the Living Dead, which made it to where the movie almost immediately entered the public domain. Over the years, there have been countless remasters, remakes, sequels, prequels, continuations, and even an animated movie based on George A. Romero’s classic. Well, now there’s another zombie flick on the way, only this time it has been authorized by Romero’s Image Ten production company with MGM developing the project.
In December 2022, Deadline reported that the sequel (not Dawn of the Dead, which was given the remake treatment in 2004), will be directed by Nikyatu Jusu with a script written by The Walking Dead scribe LaToya Morgan. The plot is still being kept under wraps at this time.
Expect to hear more about both of these exciting projects from the world of George A. Romero. In the meantime, check out our list of great zombie movies you can stream right now.
