Return of the Living Dead Cast Horrified by AI-Made Sequel They Were Set to Star

A sequel to the cult horror film Return of the Living Dead was pitched in 2024 as a project featuring several cast members from the original, including Beverly Randolph and Linnea Quigley as producers, alongside Michelle Bauer and Eric Roberts. Quigley envisioned a story blending Sunset Boulevard and Rocky Horror, with her character Trash now a reclusive former zombie reliving her gruesome fame. But after communication with director Richard Driscoll broke down, the planned production did not happen. Driscoll instead released The Return of the Living Dead: Aftermath on his streaming service, DragonFLIX, describing it as a sequel despite its footage being almost entirely AI-generated.

The cast says they never agreed to the film that appeared, and their likenesses are used in it despite their not having filmed the scenes. Randolph and Quigley condemned the result, which is described as featuring robotic dialogue, incoherent events, visual glitches, and other signs of crude AI generation. Other franchise alumni have also objected, especially to the use of performers’ images and Driscoll’s apparent plans to continue expanding the project. Randolph urged contributors to seek refunds through their credit card companies and called on Amazon, which owns MGM, to consider legal action. The distinction matters: the original Night of the Living Dead is public domain, but Return of the Living Dead is not.