Nearly forty years ago, writer-director Dan O’Bannon terrified audiences and redefined the zombie genre with the seminal 1985 classic, The Return of the Living Dead. After spawning several iconic sequels and knock-offs, the franchise is finally breaking its nineteen-year silence with a brand-new installment. Leading the charge is Steve Wolsh (Muck), the CEO of Living Dead Media, who is overseeing the film’s return to the big screen.
The latest casting news is that Devon Sawa, who will play the role of Isaac Horton, according to THR. Sawa is known for his roles in the iconic movies Final Destination and Idle Hands as well as role in the series “Chucky.”
The cast also includes Casimere “Cash” Jollette (Tiny Pretty Things), who plays Delilah Horton. Kynlee Heiman (The Best Christmas Pageant Ever) rounds out the cast as Sophia Horton.
The first trailer for the new sequel has already dropped, confirming a wild, seasonal surprise: this zombie apocalypse is happening during the Christmas holidays.
The trailer sets an eerily festive, sinister tone as a soft, almost unsettling rendition of “Silent Night” plays over a dark, snow-covered graveyard. The final unsettling image shows a zombie dragging a Christmas tree—its colored lights glowing against the winter gloom—through the cemetery. This suggests the new entry is embracing the original’s tradition of blending horror with dark humor, giving fans a fresh, holiday-themed spin on the brain-eating undead.
Additionally, horror fans will recognize Alexander Ward, known for playing “demons, monsters, and villains” in productions like Annabelle Comes Home and Teen Wolf, whose role in the new film is sure to bring a familiar brand of terror.
Word is,t he production has “finished the Los Angeles portion of production with principal photography scheduled to continue this winter in Massachusetts once there’s a baseline of snow on the ground to aid with practical effects.”
