George A. Romero, Creator of the Modern Zombie Genre, Dies at 77
“I always thought of the zombies as being about revolution, one generation consuming the next.”
George A. Romero, the legendary filmmaker behind such classic zombie films Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead has sadly passed away on Sunday from complications from lung cancer. Romero was 77.
Viewed by many as the creator of the modern zombie genre, Romero’s Night of the Living Dead — which was made on a budget of $114,00 USD and went on to gross $30 million USD — was the first film to introduce the concept of zombies as undead, human-eating cannibals, and helped introduce the concept of a “splatter film.”
A statement released by his manager on Romero’s official Facebook page provided further details:
“Legendary filmmaker George A. Romero passed away on Sunday July 16, listening to the score of The Quiet Man, one of his all-time favorite films, with his wife, Suzanne Desrocher Romero, and daughter, Tina Romero at his side. He died peacefully in his sleep, following a brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer, and leaves behind a loving family, many friends, and a filmmaking legacy that has endured, and will continue to endure, the test of time.”
Sad to hear my favorite collaborator–and good old friend–George Romero has died. George, there will never be another like you.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 16, 2017
RIP George Romero.
Director, writer, visionary.
Big man. Huge heart.
Oh, how we'll miss you. pic.twitter.com/qbNWlj6b5l— Julian Richings (@JulianRichings) July 16, 2017
A few years ago George Romero was gracious enough to record this classic Alamo Drafthouse #DontTalk PSA. Enjoy. pic.twitter.com/5k3kzbBWNj
— Alamo Drafthouse ATX (@drafthouse) July 16, 2017
#RIP George Romero, director of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and truly one of the most influential filmmakers ever: https://t.co/Z7ez8PD5wD
— Matt Singer (@mattsinger) July 16, 2017
Just heard the news about George Romero. Hard to quantify how much he inspired me & what he did for cinema. Condolences to his family. ❤️
— Eli Roth (@eliroth) July 16, 2017
