Author Stephen King is an influential figure in Hollywood, with a range of his novels being converted into Hollywood movies in the past. However, King himself is not easily impressed by films, and seldom comes out with praise. One filmmaker who managed to impress the novelist was Zack Snyder, for his 2003 horror movie, Dawn of the Dead.
Dawn of the Dead is a special movie in Snyder’s filmography, it’s the movie that made Snyder a well-known name in the industry. The film was a risk as it was a remake of George A. Romero’s 1978 horror film of the same name and if anything went wrong, it would’ve been the end for Snyder, however, he was ready to take that risk. The film also played a key role in making James Gunn, who served as the screenwriter, a popular name around the world.
Stephen King is a huge fan of Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead
Director George A. Romero’s 1978 movie is a classic zombie horror film that is often labeled as one of the best movies of all time in its genre. In 2004, director Zack Snyder released a remake of the film and thanks to the good execution, the film was a massive hit. It was so popular that even author Stephen King praised the movie in an interview with ScreenRant,
“Genius perfected would be Zack Snyder’s 2004 Dawn [of the Dead] remake, which begins with one of the best opening sequences of a horror film ever made.”
In most cases, remakes of classic movies have been a failure but Snyder managed to create an equally exciting modern remake of the film, kickstarting his Hollywood career.
Even George A. Romero liked Dawn of the Dead‘s opening scene
In 2005, the director of 1978’s Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero, was interviewed by actor Simon Pegg for Time Out. During the interview, Romero shared his views on Snyder’s remake,
“It was better than I expected. I thought it was a good action film. The first 15, 20 minutes were terrific, but it sort of lost its reason for being. It was more of a video game. I’m not terrified of things running at me; it’s like Space Invaders. There was nothing going on underneath.”
The film was quite successful financially, it ended its theatrical run grossing roughly $102 million worldwide against a budget of $26 million.
