Return of the Living Dead is an upcoming American horror film serving as the sixth installment in the Return of the Living Dead franchise as a direct sequel to The Return of the Living Dead (1985), set after the events of the first film. Written and directed by Steve Wolsh, the film stars Devon Sawa, Casimere Jollette, Kynlee Heiman, and Alexander Ward. It is set to be released in November 2026.
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Premise
Taking place 18 months after the events at the UNEEDA Warehouse in Louisville, KY, a new Trioxin 2-4-5 leak puts a small Pennsylvania town on the brink of a zombie outbreak during Christmas, 1985.
Cast
Devon Sawa as Issac Horton
Casimere Jollette as Delilah Horton
Kynlee Heiman as Sofia Horton
Alexander Ward as Tarman
Production
In December 2024, Living Dead Media revealed a teaser trailer announcing the development of a direct sequel to the 1985 film The Return of the Living Dead, simply titled Return of the Living Dead; filmmakers attached include Living Dead Media's CEO Steve Wolsh as writer and director, Christopher W. Fox (son of original Return producer Tom Fox) as executive producer, and Tony Gardener as makeup effects designer. Additionally, the film's teaser and production is committed to not use computer-generated elements or green-screen, opting to use practical effects and shoot on location. Due to a rights lawsuit prior to development, the film would not contain characters from the previous installment, with the exception of the "Tarman" zombie.
Filming
Filming occurred for an undisclosed period throughout 2025. In October of that year, Devon Sawa, Casimere Jollette, Kynlee Heiman, and Alexander Ward were announced as part of the cast.
Release
Return of the Living Dead is set to be released in November 2026. It was originally aiming to release in December 2025, but was delayed due to the filming taking longer than expected. An event was held in the London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills in December 2025, for various film industry workers, where a thirteen-minute scene of the film was exclusively shown.
Lawsuit
The current status of the film is unknown. In August 2026, a ruling in Los Angeles Superior Court found that the official chain of title for the 1985 movie resides with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and that Living Dead Media's 2017 application for motion picture production services was refused and ultimately abandoned in 2018. The court did note that Living Dead Media does possess registered rights "covering certain ancillary merchandise, including cosmetics, beverages, and costumes" but nothing in regard to film rights and production.