There’s a reason the late George A. Romero is affectionately known as the Godfather of Horror. He was.
The pioneering writer and director’s “Night of the Living Dead,” independently released in 1968, defined pop culture’s modern zombie. His body of cult classics, known for their social commentary, quickly piled up to include 1978’s “Dawn of the Dead,” 1985’s “Day of the Dead,” 2009’s “Survival of the Dead” and more.
“The very fact that you thought of it means that, somewhere in your mind, it’s believable to you,” he famously said. “All you have to do is convince your audience that it’s possible.”
It’s something out filmmaker Tina Romero — not only his daughter but vice president of the GARF Foundation, which honors his work and supports independent artists like her — clearly took to heart. She’s done it with “Queens of the Dead,” her feature-film debut full of guts and glamor.
Presented by Independent Film Company and Shudder, which called it “a thrilling new chapter in the legacy of horror royalty,” Romero co-wrote the feature with comedian Erin Judge. It pays homage to her father’s work while charting her own course, one that elevates LGBTQ+ charm, culture and chaos through her unique lens.
“A zombie apocalypse breaks out in Brooklyn on the night of a giant warehouse party, where an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids and frenemies must put aside their drama and use their unique skills to fight against the brain-thirsty, scrolling undead,” the film’s synopsis reads. It secured a theatrical release Oct. 24, just in time for Halloween.
View the trailer below:
“Erin Judge and I started writing eight, nine years ago,” Romero says. “It feels like an opus. We started with outlines and note cards and whiteboards and all of our characters and she and I work really well together.
“I love co-writing with her, she’s a hilarious, brilliant novelist and stand-up comedian,” she continues. “I bring a little bit more of the action, screenwrite-y stuff, and so together, our powers combined.”
Bringing their vision to life — and death — is a queer who’s-who.
The film stars Katy O’Brian (“The Mandalorian”), Jaquel Spivey (“Mean Girls”), Tomas Matos (“Fire Island”), Nina West (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Quincy Dunn-Baker (“A House of Dynamite”), Jack Haven (“Atypical”), Cheyenne Jackson (“American Horror Story”), Dominique Jackson (“Pose”), Margaret Cho (“Fire Island”), Riki Lindhome (“Wednesday”), Eve Lindley (“Bros”), Becca Blackwell (“Bros”), Shaunette Renée Wilson (“Black Panther”) and Julie J, who kicks the film off with a bang and a bite.
“It was so important to me to cast queer people in these queer roles, that was my number one thing for sure — and my producers were very supportive of that,” Romero says. “They had me writing letters long before we had a green light or any funding, and while that felt challenging at times because there were many ‘no’s’ … you would get a magical ‘yes,’ and it would be like, ‘oh!’”
Iconic “Pose” alum Jackson was her first, Romero recalls, followed by Spivey. She saw the “Mean Girls” star lead “A Strange Loop” on Broadway, where “he broke my heart in the best way.”
“When that came into place, I feel like that’s when the movie really got wings,” she says, noting that the cast consists of “absolute icons” who were all “down to play.”
“I keep saying ‘all queens, no divas,’” she explains. “This was a very family style shoot. We didn’t have private dressing rooms, we ate meals together and everyone was on a first-name basis … it is really hard to make a movie without a lot of money, but there’s a certain magic that money can’t buy from getting down and dirty with your collaborators and having to make it work.”
All of those efforts were also supported by “a very gay crew as well.”
“The story on camera is about the queer community coming together to survive something crazy — and that was the story behind the scenes as well,” Romero says. “It was very much queer strength and survival off camera, and it’s just remarkable what a bunch of gays can get done under duress — and we did somehow pull it off.
“I’m so grateful to every single person who worked on this movie,” she continues. “We really had some A-listers on every department, including the cast, including the wardrobe… every single department, people did their all to make it work.”
If audiences take anything away from “Queens of the Dead,” queer and non, Romero hopes it’s that connection and community are paramount to our survival.
“I think at the end of the day, we need each other,” the filmmaker says. “We need fellow humans to survive. It’s simple, but it’s the truth.
“We are on the brink of something — I don’t even know what’s coming our way with AI and with technology — and the next few years are going to be wild,” Romero notes. “Humanity is all we have to hang on to. We have got to find a way to stay connected, we’ve got to find a way to stop fighting and we’ve got to get off of our phones and start talking to each other in real life.”
Just not during the movie.
Tina Romero’s Queens of the Dead” is now playing in theaters. Learn more about the filmmaker at TinaRomero.film.
Looking for more Halloween coverage? The spooky season is well underway in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, detailed in our current issue, which also checks in with local LGBTQ+ advocates, digs up some tempting treats and more.
Sign up for the Watermark Out News eNewsletter and follow us for more:
BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok | Threads | YouTube
