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Yet another remake/reboot/off-shoot/spin-off/whatever you want to call it of George Romero’s classic Night Of The Living Dead.

This one will be in 3D, of course.

It comes from Simon West Productions, Graphic Film Company, 2020 Entertainment and Indus Media and Entertainment, and will be titled Night Of The Living Dead: Origins 3D.

Starring in the film will be Tony Todd (aka Candyman; although some may not be aware that he starred in a remake of Night Of The Living Dead in 1990 playing Ben, the character originated by the late Duane Jones in Romero’s 1968 original), and also Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tom Sizemore, Bill Mosley, and Bollywood actor R. Madhavan.

Interesting that Tony Todd will play Ben again, in this 3D “origins” sequel/prequel of the original – an aged Ben I guess.

All we know of the story thus far is that it’ll follow a group of survivors trapped in a New York apartment, fighting to stay alive against legions of zombies.

Zebediah De Soto (making his feature film directorial debut) is directing, from a script penned by De Soto, Warren Davis II and David Reuben Schwartz.

The film will apparently be shot in a CG setting using stereoscopic 3D, so this might be more akin to CG-heavy actions films like 300, than anything close to Romero’s raw original.

“This movie represents a whole new way of visualizing the classic zombie genre. It has a fresh and exciting style that sets it apart from all other horror films seen up until now,” says producer Simon West.

Ho-hum.

Romero’s 1968 independent black-and-white horror film, which starred Duane Jones, is streaming for free on Hulu, for those of you who haven’t seen it.

A classic of horror and zombie lore in general, Romero is said to have stated that the role of Ben (played by Jones) wasn’t written for a black man, and that the racial commentary in the film wasn’t at all intended. However, one can’t ignore the significance of Jones’ casting (at the time, it was very obviously unusual for a black man to be the hero of a film in a cast that included white actors and actresses), and his commanding, take-charge presence, as he gets to smack around a few white people.

While Ben faces some resistance, race is never an issue that’s voiced. However (SPOILERS), you can’t help but read into the fact that while Jones’ Ben character survives the zombie attack through the night, he’s carelessly shot the next day by a bunch of zombie-hunting rednecks.

The cult, subversive $114,000 film has reportedly grossed some $12 million domestically, and $30 million internationally.

Since then, the films influence has been unmistakable.

Sydney Tamiia Poitier

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