George Romero, Pioneer Of Zombie Films, Dies Listening To His Fave Score

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Published

July 17, 2017

Grandfather of zombie movies, George Romero, has passed away in his sleep on Sunday, after a short but intense battle with lung cancer.

Confirmed to the Los Angeles Times by his long-time producing partner, Peter Grunwald, Romero died at the age of 77 with his family around him, listening to the score of his favourite film – 1952’s ‘The Quiet Man’.

Romero leaves behind a huge legacy, as he was the man who brought about the “modern zombie” into horror films in the late 60s, through the of the ‘Night Of The Living Dead‘ franchise.

We have Romero to thank for the popularisation of the zombie/gore/exploitation genres, and without Night Of The Living Dead, we probably wouldn’t have popular zombie franchises like ‘The Walking Dead‘ or ‘Evil Dead‘, or modern slasher films like ‘Halloween‘ or ‘Nightmare on Elm Street‘.

Industry heavyweights including Stephen King and Guillermo del Toro have shared their memories and gratitudes to Romero on Twitter, showing just how much influence he had over the realm of horror films, shows, and games.

Sad to hear my favorite collaborator–and good old friend–George Romero has died. George, there will never be another like you.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 16, 2017

Romero has passed away. Hard to find words right now. The loss is so enormous.

— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) July 16, 2017

RIP George Romero… as a student I had the privilege of briefly working with you. The Last of Us wouldn’t exist without your inspiration.

— Neil Druckmann (@Neil_Druckmann) July 16, 2017

Just heard the news about George Romero. Hard to quantify how much he inspired me & what he did for cinema. Condolences to his family. ??

— Eli Roth (@eliroth) July 16, 2017

Our thoughts go out to Romero’s wife and three children at this heartbreaking time.

Source: Los Angeles Times.
Photo: Michael Tullberg / Getty.