Night of the Living Dead: Origins (in 3D)

[StS]

ShockTillYouDrop.com reports that Danielle Harris has been cast as Barbara in the 3D CGI pic Night of the Living Dead: Origins.

The film, to be directed by newcomer Zebediah de Soto and produced by Simon West and Simon West Productions president Jib Polhemus, will be an origin story without the involvement of George A. Romero.

De Soto, who wrote the script with David R. Schwartz, wants to update the tale partially by bringing out the characters' backstories and make what he called "an American-style anime."

Zombie movie Night of the Living Dead is coming back, this time in a 3D CGI format and without the involvement of George Romero (the film is public domain). Titled Night of the Living Dead: Origins, the re-imagining is being directed by newcomer Zebediah de Soto (who has done some incredible trailer work for BD, Dread Central, Screamfest and the now extinct Horror Channel) and produced by Simon West and Simon West Productions president Jib Polhemus. You can get the full skinny on this project below (along with a look at his work), but let me tell you from my own personal experience, Zebediah de Soto is going to knock this one out of the park - and that's a guarantee.

On the story front, De Soto, who wrote the script with David R. Schwartz, wants to update the tale partially by bringing out the characters' backstories and make what he called "an American-style anime."

The latter will be done by using new technology the filmmaker is inventing. De Soto, along with partner Gus Malliarodaki founded New Golden Digital, a digital effects company which develops cutting-edge hardware and software.

The duo created and designed a real-time effects system, known as 'The Beast', which allows filmmakers the ability to direct CG performances the same way they would direct real live actors. The aim of the process is to make tennis balls on a stick representing real people or monsters a thing of the past by allowing actors interact with CG elements as if they are tangible.

Matty Miranda and Anthony Le are executive producing. George Passakos is co-executive producing while Warren Davis and Tiffany Shinn acts as associate producers.

De Soto, who has no agent or manager, directed a short titled "War Dogs" – sort of Vietnam War set in space - that made the rounds in Hollywood late last year. West (the director of movies such as "Con Air," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," and the upcoming TV show "Human Target") and Polhemus were impressed at how the short manage to look like the production had a higher budget than it actually did, and began looking for a project to partner on.

De Soto was a fan of the original "Living Dead" and once the trio realized the rights were in the public domain, zeroed in on that project.  (Bloody Disgusting)

[McHolsten]

 :kotz:

Ja haben die denn beim 3D Remake nicht schon gemerkt was für eine Schändung sie damit begangen haben? Da sollten sie sich lieber mal bemühen die Unrated Fassung vom Savini Remake zu bringen. Das hat jedenfalls noch seine Daseinsberechtigung.

[Roughale]

"an American-style anime" - DAVOR habe ich Angst! Das ist aber auch kein Lob! Wie oft muss dieser Klassiker denn noch vergewaltigt werden? Gegen die Millenium Version von dem Spasten, der auch noch den Soundtrack verhunzt hat, steht das 3D Remake ja noch richtig gut da!

[StS]

ShockTillYouDrop.com talked exclusively to Zebediah de Soto about directing the upcoming 3D CGI film Night of the Living Dead: Origins, in which Danielle Harris (Halloween II) will play Barbara. The film, co-written by David Schwartz and produced by Simon West Productions, is a re-imagining of the George A. Romero classic. Here's a clip from the interview:

"I want to see a helicopter clipping its propeller on a building and careening into a crowd of people. Zombies going through the streets. A thousand people tearing each other apart, zombies tearing them apart, total chaos," De Soto expresses with an air of enthusiasm that is fighting off waves of fatigue from working all night. But wait, helicopters, explosions, and a sea of zombies - this sort of contradicts George A. Romero's original vision put on screen in '68, doesn't it? You bet. De Soto is bringing, to the Dead universe a sense of scope that, he says, has never been seen before in the zombie genre.

You can check out the full interview, in which another possible cast member is revealed, by clicking here:
http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=12107

[StS]

[StS]

Teaser:
http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=20491

[Roughale]

Teaser:
http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=20491

:kotz:

[brachialromanti]

:kotz:

Aber sowas von!! Jedes Silent Hill-Intro der späten 90er spricht einen da grafisch mehr an. Und ich dachte, dass es nach dem letzten 3D-Verriss (mit Captain Spaulding) nicht noch schlimmer werden könnte. Hat George sich denn nicht die Rechte an seinem Stoff gesichert, dass solch ein Schund erst gar nicht auf die Menschheit losgelassen werden würde?!

[StS]

Hat George sich denn nicht die Rechte an seinem Stoff gesichert, dass solch ein Schund erst gar nicht auf die Menschheit losgelassen werden würde?!

Nope, den Zug hat er wohl abfahren lassen...  ;)

Night of the Living Dead entered the public domain because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, neglected to place a copyright indication on the prints. In 1968, United States copyright law required a proper notice for a work to maintain a copyright. Image Ten displayed such a notice on the title frames of the film beneath the original title, Night of the Flesh Eaters. The distributor removed the statement when it changed the title.

A limited number of theatrical release prints were distributed by Walter Reed and these copies could have been shelved if Romero and Image Ten had elected. This would have given Romero the opportunity to rename the film, do a few brief "creative" edits, and then obtain a new Copyright. But this was never done and the theatrical releases continued to be distributed until eventually reprinted and distributed by home video distributors.

Because of the public domain status, the film is sold on home video by many distributors. As of 2006, the Internet Movie Database lists 23 copies of Night of the Living Dead retailing on DVD and nineteen on VHS. The original film is available to view or download free on Internet sites such as Google Video, Internet Archive and YouTube. As of October 31, 2010, it is the Internet Archive's second most downloaded film, with 708,608 downloads.

(Wikipedia)

[StS]

*UPDATE* zum Teaser - via Dread Central: "Heard from De Soto, turns out the trailer is leaked test footage from two years ago made specifically to test some 3D effects work. It is not indicative to the final product."

[Roughale]

*UPDATE* zum Teaser - via Dread Central: "Heard from De Soto, turns out the trailer is leaked test footage from two years ago made specifically to test some 3D effects work. It is not indicative to the final product."

Macht das Projekt auch nicht besser, ich finde schon das Poster echt doof - Zombies und reine CGI Animation gehört in die Gamer Welt aber nicht ins Kino oder sonstige Filmmedien - meine ich zumimdestens...

[Enton]

Ach, wieso? Sowas wie hier http://informationsschaum.de/2010/02/08/ad-zombie-animationsfilm-teaser/ sieht doch ganz witzig aus.  
Von daher ersteinnmal abwarten, was aus NotlD wird.