Amazon’s MGM division is in final negotiations for worldwide distribution rights to a “Night of the Living Dead” sequel from director Nikyatu Jusu. The follow-up to George Romero’s horror classic will come courtesy of Village Roadshow Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment, Westbrook, Origin Story and the late Romero’s Sanibel Films.
Presuming the distribution deal comes to pass, the film, penned by “The Walking Dead” scribe LaToya Morgan, will be distributed by MGM as a theatrical release.
Released in 1968, “Night of the Living Dead” is considered one of the most influential and profitable theatrical films ever made. It essentially birthed the modern zombie movie (and the modern MPA ratings system) upon its release and led to decades of rip-offs, homages and zombie-specific media such as “The Walking Dead,” “Resident Evil” and Romero’s own ongoing zombie series like “Dawn of the Dead” in 1978 and “Survival of the Dead” in 2009.
The sequel film, the synopsis of which is under wraps, will be produced by Christine Romero and Tina Romero of Sanibel Films; Jillian Apfelbaum, Tristen Tuckfield and Nic Gordon at Village Roadshow Pictures; Ryan Silbert of Origin Story; Andrew Childs for Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment; and Jon Mone and Ryan Shimazaki of Westbrook Studios. CAA Media Finance and Village Roadshow Pictures co-represented the sale of rights for the project introduced to buyers at AFM 2022, which is intended to reignite “Night of the Living Dead” as a franchise.
The film will be Jusu’s second project at Amazon after her well-received breakout “Nanny,” which has been available theatrically since Nov. 23 and debuts on Prime Video on Dec. 16. “Nanny” was the first horror film to win the Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize. Jusu was the second Black female filmmaker to win that prize.
Jusu will also be directing a feature-length adaptation of her acclaimed short “Suicide by Sunlight,” which follows Black vampires who live during the day, protected from the sun by their melanin. That project will be via Monkeypaw and Universal with a script by Fredica Bailey.
