1985’s horror classic Return of the Living Dead ended on a note that spelled one word: sequel. Of course, it happened in the form of Return of the Living Dead: Part II, a film that was more parody than continuation. A third film and eventually two made-for-TV sequels followed. Now a new Return of the Living Dead reboot is in the works – and it will “expand the existing world created by the original 5 films.”
The project was revealed by the Living Dead Media website. In addition to their involvement, it’s been revealed that filmmaker Steve Wolsh is attached to direct. Fans will recognize Wolsh for his works that include Muck and Kill Her Goats. Of course, fans might still be hesitant to accept another entry in the franchise after so long.
On the bright side, Living Dead Media assures that this will stay true to the franchise’s roots. As shared below:
“Our reboot of Return of the Living Dead will expand the existing world created by the original 5 films, while staying true to the R-rated, sci-fi, horror, dark comedy roots adored by fans of the cult classic around the world for the last 35 years.”
An R-rated sci-fi horror film with elements of dark comedy certainly sounds right. Hopefully we’ll have more details regarding the project soon. There are plenty of routes a new story could take and the zombie genre could certainly use a little reinvention.
The original films usually revolve around top-secret canisters of a chemical called 2-4-5 Trioxin. It’s said to have caused the fictional “real-life” events which inspired Night of the Living Dead. Now, throughout each film, a group of young people accidentally unleash Trioxin into the world, and thus creating new zombie outbreaks. The best part is that these zombies can run, talk, and think for themselves. It adds for plenty of humor and carnage and it’ll be exciting to see how a modern-day reboot approaches the formula. Especially with the world-building of the original five films behind it.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the Return of the Living Dead reboot as we have them.