'Night of the Living Dead' Creator Dies at 77
by EG
George A. Romero, the writer-director who made the cult classic zombie films Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, died on Sunday, July 16, at the age of 77.
The legendary horror filmmaker died in his sleep on Sunday following a “brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer,” his longtime producing partner Peter Grunwald said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.
Romero shot to fame with the 1968 movie Night of the Living Dead, which he made on the tiny budget of $114,000.
Due to a copyright error, he and his fellow investors didn’t make any money on the film that quickly became a late-night staple in cinemas, and later TV, around the world.
The Bronx-born director created the sequel, Dawn of the Dead, in 1978, which like many of his films was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he went to college. It was made for just $500,000 and went on to earn more than $55 million worldwide. He directed a third zombie movie in 1985 with Day of the Dead.
Read the rest of this article at Us Weekly.
Romero's creations inspired other zombie fare, such as 28 Days Later and The Walknig Dead.