EXCLUSIVE: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead universe is expanding with a new audio series.
The classic horror franchise is getting a scripted podcast series, The Dead, that will tell new stories and expand characters from the universe.
The original 1968 film was directed by Romero from a screenplay by Romero and John Russo. It follows seven people trapped in a farmhouse in western Pennsylvania, who are under assault from zombies.
It has spawned five sequels and a slew of spinoffs.
The Dead will be set in that world and comes from Cinedigm-backed Bloody Disgusting, which is co-producing with the George A. Romero Foundation.
It will feature 24 episodes as well as a full cast and will be distributed by the Cinedigm Podcast Network.
Writers will be chosen to pen the stories following an application process through which the George A. Romero Foundation will select the best candidates. The Bloody Disgusting team will then work with the selected writers to produce stories.
Bloody Disgusting’s Bloody FM, which has over 4M monthly downloads, includes 25 horror podcasts, both scripted and non-scripted from anthology Scare You To Sleep to the Stephen King-inspired The Losers’ Club.
It comes as Deadline revealed last month that Amazon’s MGM was in final talks to acquire worldwide rights to another sequel, directed by Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny).
“We strive to work with amazing storytellers, and George A. Romero is one of the best to ever bring horror to the screen. Our goal with this project is to introduce and support a new generation of horror writers who are influenced by George, while honoring and preserving his legacy through socially conscious horror,” said Tom Owen, co-founder of Bloody Disgusting.
Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, founder and president of the George A. Romero Foundation, added, “The George A. Romero Foundation is delighted to partner with Bloody Disgusting to foster George’s innovative legacy. This unique model opens up new opportunities for writers and encourages their creative spirit. Under the guidance of Bloody Disgusting, I know that the final stories produced will entertain us all.”
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