There are a few, select names that as soon as you hear them, it screams horror; whether it’s Michael, Freddy, Chucky, you are bound for a delightful fright. But for fans of cult horror, the name Romero is a family business steeped in horror tales.
For the next iteration in the family business of horror, Tina Romero, daughter of the late “Godfather of the Dead”, George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead), has conjured up a new stance for indie film goers to revel in. Queens of the Dead, which stars a full-blown gaggle of LGTBQ+ characters from some of the most watched shows in the world (i.e. RuPaul’s Drag Race and POSE, to name a few).
Queens of the Dead stars Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Jack Haven (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story).
The film centers around a party in Brooklyn, where a zombie-apocalypse breaks out during a warehouse party, all while a group of drag queens, club kids and so-called frenemies have to band together to remain intact (but also still serving) and use their unique skills to fight against the undead.
“The zombie apocalypse is such a rich sandbox to play in when it comes to social commentary. I can’t be my dad’s daughter without making an attempt at saying something with zombies,” Romero recently told Entertainment Weekly. “I did want this to be a film in which I am paying homage to the world and the monster he created, but I’m also introducing my own voice.”
Romero states that her father and her bonded together growing up by watching films, with one of the biggest films to have an impact on them both was West Side Story. As she explained to Bloody Disgusting, “it would just move him to tears, and he would weep in front of me just as if it were nothing. I just saw from a young age the power that movies have to move people. That’s kind of where the bug really bit me, seeing the power that cinema can have over a person.”
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The Romero family is quick to establish a social cache to their products, with the films having a sort-of social commentary. As to whether or not her father would have produced a film like this, Romero is quick to state to Bloody Disgusting that “I’m really proud of how this is not a George Romero movie. This is a movie that he would not have made. He was a bit more of a pessimist than I am.”
Romero continues telling Entertainment Weekly “It’s very much not a film he would make, but it is using his vocabulary and is playing by his rules. As far as the queer element, on one hand, I just feel like the gays need a zombie film.It’s time that we get to have a big gay zombie movie.”
Shudder’s Director of Acquisitions and Productions, Adam Koehler, said in a recent statement, “We’re beyond thrilled to bring this wildly original vision to audiences – a fearless, glam-drenched ride that’s as funny as it is ferocious. With razor-sharp direction and a fierce cast, Queens of the Dead is a thrilling new chapter in a legacy of horror royalty.”
The cast of characters joining the films stars include a few familiar names, including Nina West (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Tomas Matos (Fire Island), Quincy Dunn-Baker (No Hard Feelings), Becca Blackwell (Bros), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Dominique Jackson (Pose), Riki Lindhome (Knives Out), and Eve Lindley (Bros).
Queens of the Dead will sashay into theaters on October 24, 2025.
