When word got out that George Romero would begin shooting a zombie film in Toronto this month, the consensus was that it would be the sequel to Diary of the Dead that he had been discussing for months. Between this interview with Fangoria where Romero talked about the premise for the film and reports that Romero was ready to start filming, I’m not sure if anyone actually bothered to confirm that the director’s latest project was, in fact, Diary of the Dead 2. So, while everyone assumed that it was, several sites are now reporting that said zombie film is actually a tropical underwater quasi-sequel with intergalactic space wolves- and lasers.
Okay, the mutant space wolves and lasers were my contribution to this clusterfuck of misinformation that may finally be sorted out in the coming days as production begins. With no official word from Romero on this mysterious project, it seems pointless to say anything regarding the film’s premise with any certainty but there does appear to be validity to this whole island/underwater thing.
According to Shock Till You Drop, the film takes place on an island, which seems to match what Movieset learned from Voltage Pictures president Nicolas Chartier.
Finally, Nicolas did give us one tiiiny little scoop about what kind of new zombie tricks we can expect to see in the new movie. Here’s a hint: it’s a new environment for Romero but it’s a place where fellow zombie/horror helmer Lucio Fulci went two decades ago. “We’re shooting underwater zombies,” Chartier said with a grin. “They’re swimming, grabbing people’s legs, pulling them down. It’s a lot of fun.”
So what does this mean for Romero’s Diary of the Dead sequel for which he had sounded so passionate for? Will the theme of tribalism Romero discussed with Fangoria emerge in this new film or is Diary of the Dead 2 still happening down the road?