Final 'Living Dead' Film Revived by Roundtable Entertainment for 2023 Production

In an exclusive revelation, the final movie to grace the iconic Living Dead franchise - George A. Romero’s 'Twilight Of The Dead' - gains fresh momentum, striking up a productive alliance with producer-financier Roundtable Entertainment. A late 2023 production start is slated for sunny Puerto Rico.

Having a pivotal role in propelling the project forward, the George A. Romero estate is joining forces with Roundtable, an LA-based financier-producer, for what is deemed the "seventh and final installment" of the classic horror series. The late renown horror filmmaker Romero, who developed a treatment for the movie before his transition in 2017, dubbed the 'Twilight Of The Dead' as the finale of his epic horror saga. The saga, comprising six movies with various spinoffs and remakes, had the project first disclosed in 2021. Since then, news regarding progress has been scarce.

Fast forward to now, the script stands completed. Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, who earlier collaborated with Romero on the treatment, have breathed life into it. Set against a tropical island backdrop, the movie promises an intense exploration of humanity's sinister side, as portrayed by the last living humans grappling with hordes of the undead. The producers stay true to Romero's legacy, marketing the movie as "thought-provoking sociopolitical commentary wrapped in a genre piece".

The production team, inclusive of Suzanne Romero, Romero's wife and estate manager, is onboard to steer the project to fruition. The team is currently negotiating with a director and was engaged in talks with the cast before the SAG-AFTRA strike. They’re also working towards securing an interim agreement. The team keeps options open for possible additional films under a new franchise if this installment performs well.

Serving as producers of 'Twilight Of The Dead' are Suzanne Romero, John Baldecchi, Sarah Donnelly, Paolo Zelati, and Ardvella Entertainment’s Stephanie Caleb. The executive producers comprise Dominic Ianno, Alex Dundas, Jason Resnick, Chris Roe, and Luis Riefkohl. Reacting to the collaboration, Suzanne Romero expressed her excitement about joining hands with Roundtable to cast Romero’s universe onto the screen. She foresees it as homage to Romero’s legacy and looks forward to kickstart the shooting.

John Baldecchi, Roundtable’s Head of Scripted, expressed his excitement over working with the team in realizing the final episode of the revolutionary horror series. Acknowledging its major impact on the genre and its powerful message about self-destruction, he added there is a palpable sense of anticipation in the creative community, and decisions would be made shortly.

As the creator of the groundbreaking 1968 horror classic 'Night Of The Living Dead', Romero's contribution to the genre is unparalleled. Ironically, the Romero estate holds no stake in the MGM sequel to Night Of The Living Dead, which is currently under development with Nikyatu Jusu helming the direction.

Now, ready the popcorn, dim the lights, and prick your ears to the slightest sound, horror buffs- we have some Romero legacy coming to town. And 'Twilight of The Dead’ - even the name alone has enough zing to send an anticipative shiver down your spine.

Remember the eerily intelligent zombie leader, Big Daddy, from Romero’s 2005 movie 'Land Of The Dead'? Get ready as Twilight Of The Dead might spark the second undead rise of this iconic character. Better start practicing your zombie apocalypse survival skills now!

I’m particularly thrilled to see how this alliance with Roundtable is going to refresh the Romero universe. From the looks of it, Twilight Of The Dead may be less of a Romero tribute and more like the start of a new era in the zombie genre. Perhaps we'll see a subtler, deeper exploration of societal comments through the undead parable.

So, let's fasten our seat belts for an intense journey to a tropical island, where the battle for survival is about to begin. Remember, it's not just the undead we're fighting; sometimes, the real monsters lie within us. But while we wait for the dusk of 'Twilight Of The Dead', let’s remember the dawn that Romero brought with his 'Night Of The Living Dead'.