David Bridges
In her exciting directorial debut, Queens of the Dead, Tina Romero, the daughter of the iconic filmmaker George A. Romero, is ready to showcase her unique vision. This highly anticipated feature film will make its world premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival on June 7, marking a significant milestone in her career. Recently, in an insightful interview with Entertainment Weekly, Romero opened up about the profound impact her father had on her creative journey and filmmaking style.
“I am his kid. There’s no denying it. And he has influenced me greatly,” Romero expressed. The film promises to include exciting Easter eggs that pay tribute to her father’s legendary legacy in the horror genre. “This is his monster, this is his genre. I had fun incorporating my little Romero nods throughout the film, and we have some really memorable ones,” she revealed, featuring appearances by notable industry figures like makeup artist and actor Tom Savini and Dawn of the Dead star Gaylen Ross.
Romero passionately stated, “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 meaningful with zombies.” She emphasized her desire for the film to honor the world and the monstrous creations her father built, while also allowing her distinctive voice to resonate. “It’s important to note that this is a film he would not have made; however, it utilizes his vocabulary and adheres to the rules he established. Regarding the queer aspect, I just feel like the LGBTQ+ community needs a zombie film. It’s about time we have a significant gay zombie movie,” she concluded.
“I didn’t want to approach the genre unless it felt authentic to me,” Romero stressed. Queens of the Dead is centered around a pivotal night within the vibrant queer party scene, where the exhilarating atmosphere of a warehouse drag show is abruptly shattered by the onset of the zombie apocalypse. The inspiration behind this unique narrative stemmed from the intense conflicts she observed on social media among party promoters during her time as a DJ.
Romero recounted, “The original promoter shared a manifesto that raised the question, ‘When will the queer community stop devouring its own?’ This revelation struck me like a bolt of lightning. I realized, ‘This is how I want to explore the zombie genre within the realm of queer nightlife.’” The film features The Mandalorian antagonist Katy O’Brien portraying the fictionalized promoter who anchors the story; Romero also mentioned a special acknowledgement of Tom Cruise in the credits for allowing them to pause their Mission: Impossible shoot to focus on filming this horror project.
Romero envisions that her film will illuminate the demand for more genre films that intersect gay scream queens with the familiar blend of horror and dark comedy that her father championed. Although the legendary filmmaker did not live to see the final script, he played a crucial role in mentoring his daughter throughout the development process.
Romero reflected, “He said, ‘I love it! Run with it. Go for it.’ Sadly, he never got to read the completed script because it took me about seven years to develop this project… but I did receive his blessing.”
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