Key Takeaways:
– Twin directors, Jen and Sylvia Soska, have confirmed their sequel to ‘Night of the Living Dead’, ‘Festival of the Dead’, will premiere on Tubi on April 5th.
– The film script, written by Helen Marsh and Miriam Lyapin, takes place 50 years after the original zombie attack and centers around a festival.
– The stellar cast includes Ashley Moore, Camren Bicondova, and Andre Anthony, among others.
– Ashley Moore’s character, Ash, symbolizes a direct connection to the original by playing the granddaughter of the Ben character from George A. Romero’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’.
The legacy of George A. Romero’s seminal 1968 film, ‘Night of the Living Dead’, has been deeply embedded in pop culture for the last couple of decades. With the film being in the public domain, countless sequels, remakes, and adaptations into different media have been made. The film’s appeal appears to remain undying as more creators continue to breathe new life into the classic horror tale.
Bringing Back the Undead
On the latest roster of Romero-inspired creations is the ‘Festival of the Living Dead’, a follow-up project undertaken by the Soska sisters. This dynamic directing duo recently announced that their film will be released on the Tubi streaming service on April 5th, giving fans something to eagerly anticipate.
A Gory Plot Unfolds
‘Festival of the Living Dead’ takes place half-a-century after the original movie’s zombie attacks. The story revolves around a character named Ash who attends the Festival of the Living Dead. The event takes a horrific turn when radioactive space dust impacts the festival, compelling the attendees to defend themselves from the living dead. This plot twist seems to add credence to the suspicion from the original film that a crashed Venus probe may have caused the initial zombie outbreak.
A Cast Tailor-Made for Horror
The film features Ashley Moore, known from ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, in the central role of Ash. Moore’s character has a significant tie to the original ‘Night of the Living Dead’ – she’s written to be the granddaughter of Ben, a character from Romero’s classic. The cast also includes other commendable talents such as Camren Bicondova of ‘Gotham’ fame, Andre Anthony from ‘The Night Agent’, and Christian Rose known for ‘Holiday Baggage’, among others.
As reported by Deadline, Moore’s character Ash is portrayed as a college-bound young adult torn between her old life and what lies ahead. Likewise, Bicondova’s character, Iris, faces dilemmas surrounding the impending separation from her closest friend, Ash.
Shared Horror Legacy
Nurturing Romero’s legacy, the ‘Festival of the Living Dead’ is not the only project inspired by the original. Various other initiatives are in the pipeline, such as a podcast sequel titled ‘The Dead’ backed by the George A. Romero Foundation and Bloody Disgusting. A film sequel directed by Nikyatu Jusu released by MGM is also on the horizons, along with a movie chronicling the creation of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ by Greg Nicotero.
Anticipation for the Festival
The Soska Sisters, known for their direction in films like ‘Dead Hooker in a Trunk’, ‘American Mary’, and ‘Vendetta’, enrich the long-standing tradition of remakes and follow-ups of the classic zombie apocalypse movie. Evidently, the legacy of ‘Night of The Living Dead’ remains as lively as ever. As the countdown to April 5th begins, fans worldwide await another thrilling exploration of the world George A. Romero created over half a century ago.
