Trash’s Revenge: Return of the Living Dead follow-up brings back several cast members, resurrects some with CGI

Forty years ago, writer/director Dan O’Bannon delivered one of the most highly entertaining zombie movies of all time with The Return of the Living Dead (watch it HERE). A company called Living Dead Media LLC claims to own the copyright to the original screenplay and the underlying script for that film, as well as other trademarks, which is how they’re able to move ahead with a new Return of the Living Dead film that’s aiming for a Christmas 2025 release. But last year, a new company called ROTLD Originals LLC was formed, with Return of the Living Dead cast member Beverly Randolph, a.k.a. Beverly Dawn Hartley, signing the formation document. It has since been revealed that ROTLD Originals LLC is teaming up with DRagonSTUDIOS, a company that owns the trademarks to The Return of the Living Dead and ROTLD Universe, for a movie project called Trash’s Revenge, which is described as being part of the “Return of the Living Dead Universe.” Trash was the character played by scream queen Linnea Quigley in the original film – and Quigley and Randolph were both previously confirmed to be coming back for Trash’s Revenge. Now, it has been announced that they’re joined in the cast by Return co-stars Thom Mathews, Miguel A. Núñez Jr., John Philbin, and Drew Deighan. Plus, the late James Karen and Don Calfa are going to be resurrected through the use of CGI!

Eric Roberts (Best of the Best) and Michelle Bauer (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers) are in the cast as well.

Quigley is producing Trash’s Revenge, with Randolph serving as an associate producer and Night of the Living Dead co-creator John A. Russo co-producing. Return of the Living Dead alums Tony Gardner and William Stout are handling the special effects and production design, with composer Francis Haines providing the music.

Here’s what it’s all about: As the saga continues decades after the horrific events of the 1985 cult classic, Trash the notorious punk rocker, played by Linnea Quigley, finds herself trapped in a past where fame has faded. Once a rebellious icon, Trash now embraces the persona of a grotesque Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, attending conventions to sign autographs while her co-stars rise to greater heights. For Linnea, her legacy as a star of Return of the Living Dead becomes both a curse and a twisted ticket to notoriety in an industry obsessed with horror and scandal. But when a young filmmaker approaches her to make a documentary with staged re-enactments from the original film to celebrate the film’s 40th Anniversary, Linnea sees an opportunity to reclaim her place in the spotlight no matter the cost. As the documentary delves into her past, a shocking truth emerges: Return of the Living Dead wasn’t just fiction, part of it was real. Linnea confesses that she still possesses three original cannisters from the film, hidden away in her basement. Cannisters that were never revealed to the public… until now.

Trash’s Revenge will be launching a crowdfunding campaign on CineBacker.com this month – and to find out more about that campaign, click the link. Filming will take place in Los Angeles, New York, and London.

Back in August, Living Dead Media LLC filed a lawsuit against ROTLD Originals LLC, arguing that “simply being an actor in a film does not grant or convey any particular rights to that character or any other character or any rights to the Original Film, any derivative works, or related intellectual property.” There’s no word on what’s going on with that case, but it’s clearly not slowing down Trash’s Revenge.

Does Trash’s Revenge sound interesting to you? What do you think of the decision to use CGI to resurrect some of the cast members? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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