Ten episodes of “Day of the Dead” are headed to SYFY beginning this Friday, October 15, the series of course based on/inspired by George A. Romero‘s same-titled horror classic.
The good news? Steven Kostanski (The Void, Leprechaun Returns, Psycho Goreman) directed the first four episodes of the show, a fact that lends instant credibility to the project.
The big question in regards to SYFY’s “Day of the Dead” is in regards to its connections to Romero’s movie. Are there any? Does it take place in the same world? Or is this an entirely fresh and original series, only tied to the 1985 classic by its title? Chatting with BD’s Boo Crew Podcast this week, Kostanski gave us a much clearer idea of what to expect from the show.
“When I read the script, I was like oh okay, this is a totally new, fresh thing. And that got me excited,” Kostanski explains. “I would rather go way off in a different direction, than just copy the beats of something. If you’re just going to retread that ground, why are you even bothering. I’d rather take a bold risk than a safe retread. So it definitely goes in different directions.”
He continues, “It might be jarring at first. There’s certain similarities and characters that share some DNA with the original movie, but it’s more of a tonal thing. And a broader, kind of Romero tone in terms of the feeling and the vibe of his movies. At least on my episodes. I wanted to try and instill that. And have it feel more like a classic horror movie. Just feel like, the way the original Dawn of the Dead or Day of the Dead felt to me.”
The connections, in other words, are more “spiritual” than anything. Kostanski explains…
“I don’t think the show necessarily has any hard connections to the original movie, but I think it’s like, spiritually, and in terms of little tidbits here and there, give it the same flavor.”
You can listen to the Boo Crew’s full chat with Steven Kostanski below.
“Day of the Dead” is the story of six strangers trying to survive the first 24 hours of an undead invasion. This ode to George A. Romero’s famous flesh-eaters reminds us that sometimes all it takes to bring people together is a horde of hungry zombies trying to rip them apart.
George Romero’s 1985 classic was followed by an unofficial prequel in 2005 as well as two different remakes in 2008 and 2018, none of which were able to hold a candle to Romero’s masterful work. Needless to say, there’s a pretty low bar in place for all things Day of the Dead at this point. Here’s hoping Kostanski and the team can raise it a little bit this year.
Scott Thomas and Jed Elinoff are the creators and showrunners.
Watch the trailer for the new series here.
