Radar Pictures has come on board to produce writer-director Cameron Romero’s “Origins,” the genesis story of his father’s iconic “Night of the Living Dead.”
Production is planned for later this year.
“Night of the Living Dead” was released in 1968 and starred Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea and Karl Hardman. The film, which follows seven people trapped in a rural farmhouse attacked by zombies, was shot in black and white for $114,000 and grossed $30 millon worldwide, spawning five more “Living Dead” films.
It was selected in 1999 by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
The new film’s story is by Romero, who will also direct, with a screenplay by Romero, Darrin Reed and Bryce C. Campbell. Radar’s Ted Field will produce with Aldo LaPietra, Campbell, Reed and Romero. Executive producers are Mike Weber and Thomas van Dell.
The project is set at the height of the Cold War, when one scientist tried to give the world its best hope for survival and instead unleashed its worse nightmare.
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“I’m a longtime fan of Night of the Living Dead,” said Field. “I have tremendous belief in Cameron.”
“‘Origins’ is a great opportunity for me to continue the family tradition of creating haunting and ever-evolving depictions of the undead, and a great opportunity for Romero fans to see a story of zombie inception never portrayed before,” Romero said.
Producer Reed’s “Lila and Eve” will have its world premiere at Sundance on Jan. 30. The cast includes Jennifer Lopez and Viola Davis.
Field was a producer on “Spring Breakers.”
Cameron Romero launched a crowdfunding campaign in October for “Origins” and raised over $30,000 for pre-production costs.
