Latest news with #TinaRomero
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Everything we know about Tina Romero's queer 'glam-gore' zombie film, 'Queens of the Dead'
Gear up, queens! A new zombie apocalypse film is on its way — but this one is putting LGBTQ+ characters front and center. Tina Romero is set to carry on the horror legacy of her father, George A. Romero, with a zombie flick of her own, Queens of the Dead. The horror-comedy project was announced last summer, promising a "genre-smashing, glam-gore thrill ride through the zombie apocalypse." "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 told 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." Are you hyped yet?! Here's what we know about the movie so far: See on Instagram According to the official Instagram page for the film, Queens of the Dead "follows an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their personal dramas and use their unique skills to combat the brain-thirsty undead when a zombie apocalypse breaks out during their drag show in Brooklyn." See on Instagram Queens of the Dead boasts a stacked cast of comedy and queer faves. Katy O'Brian, Jaquel Spivey, Tomás Matos, Margaret Cho, Jack Haven, and Cheyenne Jackson are leading the charge, with Riki Lindhome, Tom Savini, Eve Lindley, Dominique Jackson, Nina West, and Shaunette Renée Wilson among those rounding out the cast. Romero directed the film, which is based on a script she co-wrote with Erin Judge. See on Instagram Most of the scenes for Queens of the Dead were filmed at a warehouse in New Jersey, with some additional shots taking place in Bushwick in Brooklyn. According to O'Brian, the location wound up helping the crew pull in favors from a larger production that had recently wrapped up filming in New York, The Bride! "Our budget was not big, and people really were doing this out of the love for the project. I think it really shows," she said. "Our hair and makeup department pulled in some favors and got all of this zombie stuff." See on Instagram There is not currently a trailer publicly available for Queens of the Dead, although it seems likely one will drop soon. See on Instagram Queens of the Dead has its official world premiere slated for June 7, 2025, at the Tribeca Film Festival. It's unclear yet as to whether the film will ultimately get theatrical distribution or go straight to streaming after running the festival circuit — let alone when that might be — but we'll keep our fingers crossed for sometime in 2025!
Gizmodo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
George Romero's Daughter Made a Gay Zombie Movie, With Her Father's Blessing
With Queens of the Dead, Tina Romero, daughter of the legendary filmmaker George A. Romero, is set to make her first directorial outing, premiering the feature at the Tribeca Film Festival June 7. The filmmaker recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly and reflected on her father's influence. 'I am his kid. There's no denying it. And he has influenced me greatly.' Romero said. Queens of the Dead will feature Easter eggs to honor her father's legacy. 'And this is his monster, this is his genre. I had fun doing my little Romero nods throughout the film, and we have some good ones,' she shared, including appearances by notable figures such as makeup artist and actor Tom Savini and Dawn of the Dead star Gaylen Ross. '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 told the magazine. '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. 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.' 'I didn't want to touch the genre unless it felt authentic to me,' Romero emphasized. Queens of the Dead revolves around a night in the queer party scene when the nightlife vibes at a warehouse drag show get interrupted by the zombie apocalypse. The inspiration came from intense conflict on social media among party promoters during her stint as a DJ. Romero recounted, 'The original promoter posted this manifesto begging the question, 'When will the queer community stop devouring its own?' And it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was like, 'Oh my God! This would be how I want to explore the zombie genre in this world of queer nightlife.'' The Mandalorian baddie Katy O'Brien plays the fictionalized promoter who leads the film; Romero noted that there's a special thanks to Tom Cruise in the credits for letting them take the time off their Mission: Impossible shoot to film the horror flick. Romero hopes the film will shine a light on the hunger for more genre films that represent an intersection of gay scream queens with that familiar flair for horror and dark comedy from her father's roots. The legendary filmmaker didn't get to see a completed script but mentored his daughter during the development process. Romero shared, 'He said, 'I love it! Run with it. Go for it.' Unfortunately, he never got to read the completed script because it took me about seven years to get this developed… but I did have this blessing.'
