Night Of The Living Dead Prequel, Origins, Will Be Crowdfunded By Romero’s Son

The father of the modern zombie, George A. Romero, first introduced us to the shufflesome ways of the undead way back in 1968 with his lo-fi classic, Night Of The Living Dead. Shot on a measly budget, the original movie followed two siblings who seek refuge in a nearby farmhouse as a zombie invasion takes hold. It’s a genre staple that has gone on to influence countless filmmakers, including Romero’s own son, G. Cameron Romero, who is now pledging to craft a prequel titled Origins.

What’s the name of the game then? Well, seems the younger Romero is intent on paying homage to his dad’s original movie, while also offering a new slant on the zombie trope:

“I want to take back the Zombie Genre in the name of the Legacy that my father created almost 50 years ago,” says Romero. “I want to tell the Origin story of the modern zombie, in a way that my father wasn’t able to do so back in 1968. I feel carrying on my dad’s legacy is something that I not only want to do, but it’s something I HAVE to do because I, like all my dad’s fans, was raised on his creation.”

In conjunction with Bloody Disgusting, Romero Jr. has created an Indiegogo campaign with the hopes of raising $150,000 to get production rolling. There’s a ton of incentives to encourage people to donate, including posters, digital prints, lunchboxes, t-shirts, hats and the chance to bag tickets to the premiere.

Sounds like quite a lot of effort has gone into establishing a worthwhile campaign. But will Romero face a lot of detractors? It’s highly likely, as in the last decade popular culture has been inundated with the undead; from the various official sequels Romero Sr. has directed, to the countless copycats, and right down to TV smash hit, The Walking Dead. Romero Jr. has his work cut out for him, but it seems like his heart is definitely in the right place.

You can check out the official synopsis for the proposed movie, and let us know if you’ll be helping get Origins on its shaky, calcified feet.

Origins takes place in the Turmoil of the 1960′s just shortly before “Night of the Living Dead”, and explains how The ‘Original’ Romero Zombie was created.

In 1962, Dr. Ryan Cartwright was on the scientific and altruistic path to find a way for humans to sustain life in the event of M.A.D (Mutual Assured Destruction), a huge topic brought on by the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Little did he know that over the course of the next several years of his life, he would take a well-funded and military focused journey to the darkest corners of the world… as he creates the ultimate weapon for the government and a curse that will plague mankind for the rest of days.