It’s safe to say that the story of the Return Of the Living Dead re-boot/reset/legacy sequel has been a bit of an interesting one. From the initial announcement, right through to where we are today, it’s been a twisting, turning journey full of, well keep reading…
Initially announced in December 2024 via a brief teaser trailer, Return Of The Living Dead (yes, that’s the actual title, the year is just added on to differentiate it from the original) purported to be a direct sequel to the original. Produced by Living Dead Media, who claimed to be the franchise rights holders, the teaser did elicit quite a bit of positive fan reaction at the time. But a storm was brewing. You see, A number of the original cast members from 1985s Return of The Living Dead began legal action against Living Dead MEdia, and it’s owner Steve Wolsh regarding unauthorised use of their images to sell merchandise without paying the performers in question.
On top of this, LDMs ownership of the title also came under question, with many believing that the rights to the film and any potential remakes/reboots lay with MGM Studios. These legal disputes were eventuallys ettled, but we shall return to them later.
Filming allegedly took place during 2025, with more details being revealed about the film. Set 18 months after the original, we were going to apparently get a snowbound film set around christmas. This was reinforced by the teaser showing an update version of the iconic “Tarman” zombie pulling a christmas tree through the snow. Devon Sawa (best know to genre fans for starring in Final Destination) was announced as the lead actor in the film, and a release date was proposed for December 2025. *UPDATE* Apparently, Devon Sawas name has been removed from the film. Make of that what you may.*
December 2025 came and went. All that was seen at that time was 13 minutes of footage screened at an exclusive event in Hollywood. The full film itself remained MIA.
It was later claimed by LDM and Wolsh that the film would be releasing in November 2026. Specifically the 13th of November. However, there was to be another bump in the road. Steve Wolsh and LDM lost the majority of the claims made against them in the court case. The chain of title for ownership of the title and franchise rights was found to rest with MGM, not LDM & Wolsh. All Wolsh held were limited, very specific rights related to “ancillary merchandise, including cosmetics, beverages, and costumes”. LDM also reached an agreement with some, but not all the surviving cast members regarding using their images (the hold outs were probably the films 2 biggest names in Beverley Randolph and Linnea Quigley). It is believed that LDM has just 2 years remaining for the few rights it does hold, and after that will have to cease promoting or licensing any Return Of The Living Dead merchandise for good.
Of course, Steve Wolsh has allegedly been telling vendors otherwise. He claims to have “won” the court case, and that it is business as usual. He even allegedly threatened court action against known horror media sites reporting on the court judgement, which has caused many of the initial news pieces regarding the judgement to be withdrawn.
So, where does this leave the film?
Well, as it stands today, LDM is still promoting the 13th of November date as when the film will hit theatres in the US. This happening is highly doubtful to say the least. At the time of writing we are 3 weeks away from this date. There is no official poster. No full trailer. No media interviews have taken place. Infact, beyond a couple of social media posts pushing the “upcoming release”, there has been effectively radio silence from LDM and Wolsh.
My personal belief is that the film won’t hit cinemas on the 13th. It does not exist in a finished form. At the absolute best for LDM, it does and it will be released to 1 or 2 screens for the weekend, allowing them to claim a “theatrical run” for whatever they have put together. But I’m not holding my breath. Because I sincerely doubt MGM will give LDM their blessing to release anything they have filmed using the Return of The Living dead moniker.
What will happen next? Who knows? But I’m sure this whole sorry saga isn’t over yet, sadly.
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