"Twilight Of The Dead" Resurrected for Late 2023 Release
"Twilight Of The Dead," the final zombie movie from George A. Romero, has gained a new lease of life with producer-financier Roundtable Entertainment, and a late-2023 start date is planned in Puerto Rico. The George A. Romero estate is joining forces with LA-based financier-producer Roundtable on the seventh and concluding installment of the influential Living Dead franchise. The iconic horror filmmaker Romero, who died in 2017, had written a treatment for the film, considering it the conclusion of his epic saga consisting of six films and various spinoffs and remakes. After being first announced in 2021, the project had gone quiet until now.
The movie's script has now been finished by Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, who also worked on the treatment with Romero. Set on a tropical island, “Twilight Of The Dead” delves into the grim nature of humanity from the perspective of earth's last humans, caught between undead factions. Aligned with Romero’s vision, the producers aim to present a thought-provoking socio-political commentary within a genre piece.
Romero's 2005 film, Land Of The Dead, introduced Big Daddy, an intelligent zombie leader. The film earned $20M domestically for Universal and nearly $50M worldwide. The production team for "Twilight Of The Dead," which includes Suzanne Romero, the late director's wife and estate manager, is in talks with a director and was in discussions with the cast before the SAG-AFTRA strike hit. The team is now seeking an interim agreement. If successful, the team suggests the possibility of additional movies in a future franchise.
The film is being produced by Suzanne Romero, John Baldecchi, Sarah Donnelly, Paolo Zelati, and Stephanie Caleb of Ardvella Entertainment. Executive producers include Dominic Ianno, Alex Dundas, Jason Resnick, Chris Roe, and Luis Riefkohl. “I'm delighted to be joining forces with Roundtable to bring the eerie evolution of Romero's universe to the screen…I can’t wait to start filming!” expressed Suzanne Romero.
Roundtable’s Head of Scripted John Baldecchi echoed the excitement: “We're thrilled to be working alongside Suzanne, Paolo, and Stephanie... There is a lot of anticipation in the creative community to be involved..." The production news comes with the recent capital injection into Roundtable. Investment management firm Klingenstein Fields led a Series B funding round, joined by former Netflix executive Sean Carey, Black Rock executive Jason Ridloff, and Orchid Ventures principal Kim Bangash.
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Now readers, let's delve into this undead Renaissance. Romero, lovingly regarded as one of horror's founding fathers, might have shuffled off this mortal coil, but his legacy isn't quite ready for the grave just yet. And isn't that delightfully fitting for the maestro of the macabre?
Isn't it fascinating how the terrors of zombies, originally borne from Romero's brain, have refused to die? Perhaps the greatest homage to Romero's classic "Night Of The Living Dead" is our continued investment in undead narratives. From "The Walking Dead" series to an untitled sequel to the original Romero classic in MGM's pipeline with Nikyatu Jusu at the helm.
A Romero film is often more than just popcorn munching gleeful gore. Romero's ability to lather his horror with pertinent social commentary has set him apart from his peers. So it's comforting to hear that "Twilight Of The Dead" will continue this tradition. The thought of the last humans on earth fighting among themselves unchecked by mortality's finality, treated with Romero's brand of horror, is captivating.
Roundtable's recent cash influx and this major project announcement may put the company, despite being a mere 18 months old, squarely on the Hollywood map. Would've Romero ever thought his zombies would one day fuel the economic machinery of Hollywood? Oh, the irony Romero might see in that!
And despite it being termed as the "final installment," the door is still ajar for potential sequels. But let’s be honest, readers, we wouldn't be surprised if the lingering haunt of the undead lures Hollywood back for another round or two. Or three. Gravestones never really manage to keep anything down in this industry, do they?
