Almost forty years ago, writer/director Dan O’Bannon delivered one of the most highly entertaining zombie movies of all time with The Return of the Living Dead (watch it HERE). A company called Living Dead Media LLC claims to own the copyright to the original screenplay and the underlying script for that film, as well as other trademarks, which is how they’re able to move ahead with a new Return of the Living Dead film that’s aiming for a Christmas 2025 release. But earlier this year, a new company called ROTLD Originals LLC was formed, with Return of the Living Dead cast member Beverly Randolph, a.k.a. Beverly Dawn Hartley, signing the formation document. And now it has been revealed that ROTLD Originals LLC is teaming up with DRagonSTUDIOS, a company that owns the trademarks to The Return of the Living Dead and ROTLD Universe, for a movie project called Trash’s Revenge, which is described as being part of the “Return of the Living Dead Universe.”
Trash was the character played by scream queen Linnea Quigley in the original film – and Quigley and Randolph are both coming back for Trash’s Revenge. Quigley is also producing the film, with Randolph serving as an associate producer.
Here’s what it’s all about: As the saga continues decades after the horrific events of the 1985 cult classic, Trash the notorious punk rocker, played by Linnea Quigley, finds herself trapped in a past where fame has faded. Once a rebellious icon, Trash now embraces the persona of a grotesque Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, attending conventions to sign autographs while her co-stars rise to greater heights. For Linnea, her legacy as a star of Return of the Living Dead becomes both a curse and a twisted ticket to notoriety in an industry obsessed with horror and scandal. But when a young filmmaker approaches her to make a documentary with staged re-enactments from the original film to celebrate the film’s 40th Anniversary, Linnea sees an opportunity to reclaim her place in the spotlight no matter the cost. As the documentary delves into her past, a shocking truth emerges: Return of the Living Dead wasn’t just fiction, part of it was real. Linnea confesses that she still possesses three original cannisters from the film, hidden away in her basement. Cannisters that were never revealed to the public… until now.
Trash’s Revenge will be launching a crowdfunding campaign on CineBacker.com next month – and to find out more about that campaign, click the link. Filming will take place in Los Angeles, New York, and London.
Back in August, Living Dead Media LLC filed a lawsuit against ROTLD Originals LLC, arguing that “simply being an actor in a film does not grant or convey any particular rights to that character or any other character or any rights to the Original Film, any derivative works, or related intellectual property.” There’s no word on what’s going on with that case, but it’s clearly not slowing down Trash’s Revenge.
Does Trash’s Revenge sound like an interesting idea to you? Share your thoughts on this “Return of the Living Dead Universe” project by leaving a comment below.
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