Zombie Classic ‘Return of the Living Dead’ to Get a Reboot after 40 Years

Cult-classic zombie comedy Return of the Living Dead is set to get a fresh reboot nearly 40 years after its original release. 

Based on a John Russo novel of the same name, the original film was a comedic reinterpretation of the zombie cult and was immortalized by epic soundtracks that included songs from LA-based punk rock bands like The Cramp and 45 Grave.

Although the movie generated moderate-to-mixed reviews, it inspired a whole new genre of comedic horror films and spawned four additional sequels in the future.

Per Living Dead Media, a return of the Living Dead sequel is in the works, which aims to ‘expand the existing world’ of the franchise.

Set to be directed by Muck and Kill Her Goats director Steve Wolsh, the website also suggests that the remake will remain true to the original film’s comedic themes and satirical roots.

Due to the glaring similarity in the title and theme, people have often confused the Return of the Living Dead franchise with George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. 

Considered by many to be the torchbearer of modern zombie movies, Romero’s work helped establish the groundwork for Dan O’Bannon, who later took inspiration from it to make Return of the Living Dead. 

Thus, O’Bannon’s work has much more in common with Romero’s than just its focus on the zombies. These similarities in theme and title gave birth to many controversies, ultimately resulting in a legal battle between the creators.

After finishing Night of the Living Dead in 1968, Romero parted ways with co-writer Russo, who took with him the rights to any titles featuring ‘Living Dead.’

The problem arose when Romero released the sequel in 1978, called Dawn of the Dead. On the other hand, Russo had already written Return of the Living Dead as an alternate sequel to the 1968 masterpiece. 

This was eventually solved inside the courtroom, with Russo and O’Bannon emerging victorious. Although they could keep the title and release the film, the legal controversy severely impacted the marketing and revenue.

Legal battle aside, O’Bannon introduced several new facets to the zombie concept of the franchise. He introduced a zombie-making compound called Trioxin and also revamped the undead creatures by making them more intelligent and fast-moving than Romero’s shambling cadavers.

If Wolsh’s Return of the Living Dead will indeed pay homage to the original roots, it’d be interesting to see how he references Romero’s films in the story.

About The Return of the Living Dead

The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 American comedy horror film written and directed by Dan O’Bannon in his directorial debut and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Matthews, and Don Calfa. The film tells the story of how a warehouse owner, accompanied by his two employees, a mortician friend, and a group of teenage punks, deal with the accidental release of a horde of unkillable, brain-hungry zombies onto an unsuspecting town.

The film, described as a “mordant punk comedy,” is known for introducing multiple popular concepts to the zombie genre: zombies eating specifically brains, as opposed to eating any form of human flesh, and zombies being invulnerable to a gunshot to the head.

The movie’s soundtrack was noteworthy, as it featured several Los Angeles-based deathrock and punk rock bands of the era. The film was a critical success and performed moderately well at the box office. The film has spawned four sequels.