MILLA Jovovich, best known for her role as the zombie-slaying hero in the Resident Evil franchise, is set to return to the undead genre in Twilight of the Dead, the posthumous final film by legendary director George A. Romero.
Leaving behind the chaos of Raccoon City, Jovovich will take her battle against zombies to a new, apocalyptic landscape envisioned by Romero himself.
Though Romero, the iconic director of Night of the Living Dead, passed away in 2017, he left behind a treatment for Twilight of the Dead, which he considered the seventh and final installment in his groundbreaking zombie saga. Writers Joe Knetter (12 to Midnight), Robert L. Lucas (That’s a Wrap), and Paolo Zelati (The Profane Exhibit) have adapted Romero’s vision, setting the story on a tropical island where the last humans on Earth are caught between rival factions of the undead. The film is said to explore the dark side of humanity amidst a crumbling society, promising to blend horror with deeper emotional themes.
Acclaimed filmmaker Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Beirut) has been tapped to direct the project. Sharing his perspective on the film, Anderson remarked, “I see Twilight of the Dead as a post-apocalyptic thriller that combines horror with intense emotion, similar to I Am Legend, A Quiet Place, and The Road. When I first read the script, I was moved to tears. It’s rare for a film in this genre, but it has that unique combination of horror and heartbreak.”
The film’s special effects will be crafted by veteran makeup artist Greg Nicotero, a longtime Romero collaborator whose work with KNB EFX Group is expected to bring authenticity and intensity to Romero’s final vision.
Producer Suzanne Desrocher-Romero, Romero’s widow and founder of the George A. Romero Foundation, expressed her excitement for the project: “Bringing Twilight of the Dead to life has been a goal for years. With Brad Anderson’s direction, we’re confident this will be a fitting tribute to George’s legacy.”
For Jovovich, returning to the zombie genre feels like a natural fit, as she starred in six of the seven live-action Resident Evil films. This time, however, she faces the challenge of closing out Romero’s legendary franchise—a series that redefined the modern zombie with 1968’s Night of the Living Dead. Romero’s films not only shifted zombies away from their mystical roots to the concept of reanimated corpses, but also used the undead as a mirror for societal criticism, forever altering the genre.
While Twilight of the Dead has yet to receive an official release date, fans of Romero and zombie films are eagerly awaiting this final chapter, hoping it will honor the legacy of the filmmaker who redefined the undead as we know them.