Tina Romero, daughter of the late George Romero, is directing the new zombie horror-comedy movie Queens of the Dead. It will be her first full-length movie as a director and writer.
It's not yet known if this will be canon to the Living Dead franchise or Tina Romero's own zombie universe.
In an exclusive interview with Fangoria, this is what Romero had to say about her father's legacy:
“My dad created this monster in the form that we all know it, and he used it as a way to look at society over the course of several decades.”
“My dad’s zombies were always reflecting what was going on in the world, and I almost feel a responsibility to take the torch and keep the Romero zombie alive, upholding, respecting, paying homage to it, while also introducing myself and my own voice as a filmmaker, and my own perspective. Which is different from his.”
Here are some interesting tidbits from the interview:
"I really believe that zombie movies should be fun. And my hope is that audiences find this movie to be a fun ride that’s packed with some good jump scares, and some yummy gore and some pretty amusing characters.”
Romero also teases that her zombies will have a “new flavor” added.
“I’m excited to put the Romero zombie in this world — and when I say ‘the Romero zombie,’ it’s sticking to the mythology: slow moving, one bite turns you, got to take out the brain, a little lingering sense of humanity.”
“My perspective on the world is female, it’s queer, and it’s very dance-y. And I describe what I’m going for as a ‘glam gore zom-com.’”
“There will be no guns in this movie. I think it’s very boring to kill zombies with guns. And this is all about DIY. What kind of weapons is a drag queen going to make on this night, out of what they have in the green room? ‘No guns’ is one of the large conceits of this film.”
It does seem like Tina Romero has an excellent understanding of her father's legacy and the social commentary in his movies, such as racial tensions and injustices, consumerism, failure of government, the one-percenters, and so on, reflecting the era in which they were made. Adding LGBTQ to this list seems like a no-brainer if one takes a look at today's society and struggles within.
Plot
Drag queens and club kids battle zombies craving brains during a zombie outbreak at their drag show in Brooklyn, putting personal conflicts aside to utilize their distinct abilities against the undead threat.
Crew
The movie is directed by Tina Romero. Romero and Erin Judge are co-writers.
Cast
The cast has already been revealed, and among them you'll find:
- Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding)
- Margaret Cho (Fire Island)
- Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw the TV Glow)
- Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story)
Production
Queens of the Dead films this summer (2024) and is set to release in 2025.
