The cult classic horror film series Return of the Living Dead will return in 2025 after nearly 20 years.
Not to be confused with George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead franchise, which was more often an introspection on people surviving the end of the world, John A. Russo's Return of the Living Dead is an irreverent horror-comedy series.
All but one film in the franchise is freely available on streaming services, like Vudu. Only Return of the Living Dead Part II is unavailable on any streaming service, but can still be purchased digitally. Something that wasn't the case for fellow zombie tentpole 28 Days Later until recently.
Both franchises are rising again in 2025, with Return of the Living Dead finally returning after a terrible sequel in 2005 for a new Christmas-themed horror romp.
When Will Return of the Living Dead Release?
Announced in July 2023 as a franchise reboot, an official teaser for Return of the Living Dead was finally released on December 13, 2024.
The teaser, which features franchise antagonist Tarman dragging a Christmas tree through a graveyard to a creepy rendition of "Silent Night" in the snow, confirmed that it will be released in theaters at Christmas 2025.
Official Announcement Teaser:
What Will Return of the Living Dead Be About?
While Return of the Living Dead was initially announced as a franchise reboot, according to the official website, it will instead be a direct sequel to the original film, ignoring its other sequels by taking place only "18 months" after the original:
"'Return of the Living Dead' (2025) takes place in the winter of 1985, a whole 18 months after the events of 'The Return of the Living Dead' (1985)."
The story will focus on "new characters" in a "quiet Pennsylvania town" who have to deal with Tarman and another outbreak during a blizzard:
"A new Trioxin leak kicks off a zombie outbreak in quiet Pennsylvania town and if surviving a zombie outbreak isn't hard enough, the new characters will have to also contend with blizzard conditions. Next Christmas, it's Tarman who will be coming to town."
Who Is Cast in Return of the Living Dead?
According to second-hand knowledge from Instagram, Tony Gardner, who worked on the special effects for Return of the Living Dead, "confirmed" that Tarman will be played by veteran creature actor Alexander Ward, who most recently appeared as the vampire Kurt Barlow in Salem's Lot.
Tarman is a franchise staple with his iconic, slimy appearance resembling tar. He's also the first zombie in pop culture to verbally express his desire to eat brains, which quickly became a common association with zombies.
There have been no other official casting announcements, but considering the focus on new characters and the ending of The Return of the Living Dead, fans shouldn't expect any of the previous characters to return unless they've been transformed into zombies.
Will Return of the Living Dead Use CGI?
The official website for the sequel boldly declared that writer, director, and producer of Return of the Living Dead Steve Wolsh "fought for it to be one of the most ambitious modern films ever made that is completely free of CGI."
The recently released teaser trailer, filmed in Fall 2024, was also supposedly filmed with "no CGI" according to the film's official Instagram account:
"From the behind the scene of our teaser shoot in the fall. All practical snow, no CGI, just Tarman on location in all his glory."
With the heavy use of practical effects and on-location shooting, this sequel is already shaping up to be far more promising than its predecessors. Hopefully, fans won't take a pick axe to it if it turns out toxin in all the wrong ways or has as dour an ending as Apocalypse Z.
Return of the Living Dead will be released in theaters at Christmas 2025.
