Dead Actors Return in ‘Return of the Living Dead’ Reboot

by

In a thrilling development related to the well-known horror series “Return of the Living Dead“, a fresh project named “Trash’s Revenge” is reviving two original cast members who once breathed life into their roles. Linnea Quigley, Beverly Randolph, Thom Mathews, Miguel Nunez, and John Philbin are among the returning actors, while the news outlet Bloody Disgusting reveals that the characters played by James Karen and Don Calfa, who have passed away (Karen in 2018 and Calfa in 2016), will be brought back to life through the wonders of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI). This innovative move is bound to stir up debates. The late actors were known for their iconic roles as Frank and Ernie, respectively, in the first film of the comedy horror series. It remains unclear how extensively they will appear in “Trash’s Revenge“.

No Thanks, Keep Reading

The movie is being funded through Cinebacker at the moment, with a description that pays tribute to devoted fans who have maintained the essence of ROTLD, and it’s portrayed as a follow-up. The narrative centers around Quigley’s character, Trash – a death-fixated punk rocker who turned into a zombie in the initial film – living like a grotesque version of Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard. Additionally, Quigley will portray a fictionalized version of herself within this narrative. She will disclose that certain aspects of the original Return of the Living Dead were real events, and she’s concealing three containers from the first film in her basement. If history repeats itself as it did in the original movie, one of those containers is bound to leak, resulting in a horde of undead yearning for brains.

Filming for “Trash’s Revenge” is projected to start in February 2025, however, no release date has been announced yet. This film is part of another franchise project, a Christmas-themed “Return of the Living Dead” movie that will be a direct sequel to the original. Interestingly, these two projects are not connected in any way.

Are CGI Resurrections Disrespectful to an Actor’s Legacy?

It’s worth noting that the movie “Return of the Living Dead” isn’t unique in using digital resurrection to bring back deceased actors. For instance, the 2021 film “Alien: Romulus” showcased a practical or computer-generated replica of actor Ian Holm, who portrayed an android character similar to the one he played in the original 1979 “Alien.” Similarly, the movie “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” used CGI to bring back Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler. The 2016 film “Star Wars‘ Rogue One” also employed this technique, resurrecting the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin.

The outcomes of these CGI remakes can be unpredictable. For instance, the director of “Alien: Romulus,” Fede Álvarez, admitted to enhancing the effects for his film’s home release following criticism during its initial run that the effects seemed more like low-quality deepfakes than high-budget studio CGI. However, some viewers argue that the quality of the effects was not the problem but rather the concept itself being disrespectful to Holm and his legacy. Álvarez justified this move by stating he had the approval from Holm’s family, but even family or estate approval doesn’t grant an actor control over their portrayal in a new film on their own terms. Time will tell how well this attempt at CGI resurrection is received in the remake of “Return of the Living Dead.

Read More

2025-01-22 18:05