George A. Romero's all-time classic zombie film Dawn of the Dead is rising from the grave in three dimensions this Halloween. Rue Morgue revealed that Regal Cinema has partnered with the film's producer Richard P. Rubinstein's company New Amsterdam Entertainment Inc. to release Rubinstein's 3D alteration of the film in theaters around the country for Halloween weekend. From Friday, October 28 through Monday, October 31, fans will be able to see the horror classic in a whole new light at 250 locations with a minimum of six shows at each.
Romero's 1978 masterpiece is arguably his best zombie film, even when stacked against the groundbreaking black and white film Night of the Living Dead. The film shows a much wider perspective of the zombie outbreak than its predecessor, showing how society has deteriorated in the face of the apocalypse. Much of the events revolve around four survivors - traffic reporter Stephen (David Emge), his girlfriend and television producer Fran (Gaylen Ross), and two SWAT deserters Peter (Ken Foree) and Roger (Scott Reineger) - who take refuge in an American shopping mall to make what may be their final stand against the undead. The film also received an impressive remake courtesy of Zack Snyder in 2004, arguably the director's best film.
The second piece of Romero's six-part franchise, Dawn of the Dead was an immediate hit on release and is still a mainstay in popular culture, inspiring plenty of zombie media beyond it. It's also the film that's most responsible for launching the career of horror effects whiz Tom Savini whose stellar work creating the bites, scratches, and severed limbs put him on the map.
Adding an extra dimension to Dawn of the Dead was a painstaking process through DNext Media under Rubinstein's supervision, requiring frame-by-frame reworks to make everything work smoothly. Aside from that change, the producer ensured that Romero's vision remained intact during the process. While not the first time the 3D adaptation has been shown to the public, this will be the first occasion where it's been widely available on the big screen.
Romero's work has seen a bit of a re-emergence of late thanks to re-releases of his most iconic work and more examinations of his masterpieces. Regarding his zombie films, Night of the Living Dead will be made available as part of October's Criterion Collection, just in time for Halloween. And a new biopic about the film from The Walking Dead's Greg Nicotero explores the film's impact and the legacy of Romero's genre-defining zombie films.
Dawn of the Dead returns to theaters in 3D this Halloween weekend. Tickets for the screenings can be purchased directly from Regal's website.