Tina Romero, daughter of horror legend George A. Romero, is following in her late father’s footsteps with her feature debut Queens of the Dead, with new look images from Entertainment Weekly teasing the “big gay zombie movie” event of the year.
Premiering at Tribeca Film Festival later this week on June 7, Queens of the Dead stars Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding) Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Jack Haven (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), and follows an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their personal dramas and use their unique skills to combat the brain-thirsty undead when a zombie apocalypse breaks out during their drag show in Brooklyn.
Also starring are Nina West (Rupaul’s Drag Race), Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Tomas Matos (Fire Island), Quincy Dunn-Baker (No Hard Feelings), Becca Blackwell (Bros), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther), Dominique Jackson (Pose), Riki Lindhome (Knives Out), and Eve Lindley (Bros).
Speaking with EW, Romero, who co-wrote the screenplay along with Erin Judge, explains why she feels now is the time for Queens of the Dead, as well as acknowledging her father’s impact on the world of horror:
“The zombie apocalypse is such a rich sandbox to play in when it comes to social commentary. I can’t be my dad’s daughter without making an attempt at saying something with zombies […] I did want this to be a film in which I am paying homage to the world and the monster he created, but I’m also introducing my own voice. It’s very much not a film he would make, but it is using his vocabulary and is playing by his rules. As far as the queer element, on one hand, I just feel like the gays need a zombie film. It’s time that we get to have a big gay zombie movie.”
Read the full interview with Romero and O’Brian at Entertainment Weekly here, and check out the new images below courtesy of EW, and for more Queens of the Dead make sure you’re keeping your eye right here on Fango…
