Exclusive: Night of the Living Dead II in Development, Announcements Incoming
The Wait Is Almost Over.
Recently making their presence known on social media, Dissecting Fiction can confirm that major announcements concerning the long awaited sequel will be made at Living Dead Weekend this July 2nd – 4th in Monroeville, PA. An appropriate location, as much of the original film was shot mere miles away.
Produced by Vincent Petrosini, Elyssa Rabinowitz, Elizabeth Piper S., Stephen Conca, and Karin Agstam, the film is set to be written and directed by Marcus Slabine. While Slabine may be a new face to some, he has been making a name for himself in horror circles with the award winning short The Last Call and his upcoming feature The Dark Offerings, which he co-wrote with Elizabeth Piper S.
After speaking with both Producer Conca and Slabine, one thing is very clear; Night of the Living Dead II is being taken very seriously. Furthermore, when speaking to Slabine, his enthusiasm and reverence for Romero’s Dead films is palpable.
“We’ve seen fast zombies, slow zombies, medium zombies, shark zombies. What sets a film apart from the rest are the characters in it.” Slabine noted.
He continued “There is so much great [story] a zombie movie can tell, but it all comes back to Night of the Living Dead.”
The director spoke to the tone of the coming sequel, citing Romero’s rejection of the typical Hollywood ending across his Dead films as a major influence on his script.
“You have to make people fall in love with the characters and then tear [the audience’s] heart out.”
Though Slabine was understandably quiet on the details of the film, Conca noted “What we have will set a tone…It will leave you saying “What the f**k?”.
This tone is to be paired with gut-wrenching effects, something we’ve gotten just a taste of in recent days.
Slabine also admires the production of the 1968 film, calling it the “original independent horror film” and proof that “passion and drive” can result in truly great cinema. He hopes to craft a unique vision in Night of the Living Dead II, while maintaining reverence for what has come before.
Night of the Living Dead II is currently in development and no release date has been announced. Stay tuned to Dissecting Fiction for more on this production as it develops.