The plot to George A. Romero's upcoming Twilight of the Dead has been revealed – and by the sounds of it, it could prove to be a welcome revamp of the genre. Or, at the very least, an attempt to take it back to its more thought-provoking roots...
According to Deadline, the flick will be set on a tropical island and "delve into the dark nature of humanity from the perspective of the last humans on earth who are caught between factions of the undead". In keeping with Romero's previous works, producers are describing it as a "sociopolitical commentary wrapped in a genre piece".
The publication also states that it'll be the final chapter in the late horror legend's long-running Living Dead series, which kicked off 55 years ago and paved the way for countless Hollywood zombie movies and TV shows like The Walking Dead. Romero wrote the treatment for the script before his passing in 2017 and has been in active development since 2021, though we've not heard all that much about it in the last couple of years. Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, who collaborated with Romero on the treatment, have since completed its screenplay.
Twilight of the Dead is said to follow on from 2005's Land of the Dead, despite Romero having released prequels Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead in 2007 and 2009, respectively. In Land of the Dead, Big Daddy was introduced, an intelligent zombie leader who discovered that he and his kind could use firearms and breathe underwater. His fate was left open, so we can only imagine he'll return in the new film. Filming is hoping to start in late 2023 in Puerto Rico.
"I'm delighted to be joining forces with Roundtable to bring the eerie evolution of Romero's universe to the screen," Suzanne Romero, Romero's wife and estate manager, said in a statement. "Roundtable impressed me with their long-term and deep love of George's work. I believe they have the vision to produce the best version of this movie that honors the Romero legacy. I can't wait to start filming!"
"It is the perfect ending to one of the greatest horror legacies of all time, with a powerful and timely message about how humanity is the cause of its own destruction, over and over and over again," Roundtable's Head of Scripted John Baldecchi. "There is a lot of excitement in the creative community to be involved and we'll be making decisions on that shortly".
For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way throughout 2023 and beyond.
