After years of development, financing problems, cast changes, and other setbacks, Twilight of the Dead has finally made it through production. Filming has wrapped on the George A. Romero-inspired zombie movie, which is being billed as the final chapter of the legendary filmmaker’s Dead saga.
Deadline reports that production wrapped in Kentucky last month, with Kate Beckinsale leading a cast that also includes Betty Gabriel, Abigail London, John D. Hickman, Kurt Deimer, Phil Burke, Cooper Barnes, and Tait Fletcher. Romero’s longtime collaborator Greg Nicotero handled the film’s special effects.
Twilight of the Dead has finally made it through production
The road to Twilight of the Dead has been a long one. Romero, who passed away in 2017, had developed the story with screenwriter Paolo Zelati and regarded it as the conclusion to his zombie saga. The project was first revealed publicly in 2021, and getting it into production has involved several changes along the way.
At one point, Session 9 director Brad Anderson was attached to direct with Milla Jovovich and Betty Gabriel in the cast. That version ultimately fell apart, however, before the project was reworked with the Paz Brothers, Doron and Yoav Paz, directing and Beckinsale taking over the lead role. Now, that version has actually been filmed.
The Paz Brothers previously described taking over Romero’s world as both a privilege and a responsibility, promising a visceral and impactful movie that would honor Romero’s voice.
What is Twilight of the Dead about?
Twilight of the Dead is set on a decimated earth where the last vestiges of humanity are trapped between warring factions and an evolving undead threat.
Doron and Yoav Paz direct from a screenplay by Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, developed from Romero and Zelati’s story.
The movie is produced by Roundtable Entertainment, with John Baldecchi and Sarah Donnelly leading the producing team alongside executive producer and Roundtable president Dominic Ianno. The late Suzanne Romero was also involved with the project.
Greg Nicotero brings Romero history to Twilight of the Dead
Nicotero handling the special effects on Twilight of the Dead gives the movie a direct connection to Romero’s original zombie saga. Nicotero got his start in special effects working on Day of the Dead and later collaborated with Romero on Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead. He would, of course, go on to become one of the most important creative figures in The Walking Dead, where he worked as a makeup effects supervisor and director.
So having Nicotero responsible for the undead and other practical effects on Romero’s intended final zombie story is very fitting.
When will Twilight of the Dead be released?
There is no release date yet for Twilight of the Dead. Magenta Light Studios has the North American rights and plans to distribute the movie theatrically in the United States and Canada, while The Syndicate is handling international sales.
For now, though, the biggest question surrounding the movie has finally been answered: it got made. Romero’s treatment for Twilight of the Dead has spent years making its way from an unfinished idea to a completed screenplay and, finally, an actual movie. Romero isn’t around to direct his final zombie story himself, but his original concept is now one step closer to reaching the big screen.
Are you looking forward to Twilight of the Dead, and are you glad to hear that production has wrapped? Let us know in the comments.
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