Glitter, Gore, and Gays: A First Look at Tina Romero’s ‘Queens of the Dead’

The zombie genre is a cinematic institution, and no name is more synonymous with the shuffling, flesh-eating undead than George A. Romero. His films, from Night of the Living Dead to Dawn of the Dead, revolutionized horror and were never afraid to use the undead as a powerful tool for social commentary. Now, his legacy is being carried on by his daughter, Tina Romero, whose directorial debut is set to put a glittery, queer twist on the family business. Titled Queens of the Dead, this “big gay glam-gore zombie movie” has been generating significant buzz and looks to be a brilliant, bloody, and hilarious new entry into the undead canon.

The Premise: A Drag Show Apocolypse

Queens of the Dead follows a group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who are preparing for a massive warehouse party in Brooklyn. Their plans for a night of music, performance, and drama are abruptly interrupted when a zombie apocalypse breaks out. Now, this eclectic group must set aside their personal squabbles and use their unique skills—from quick wit and a talent for improvisation to a deep knowledge of makeup and costumes—to fight the brain-hungry undead. The film, which Romero co-wrote with Erin Judge, is a perfect blend of horror and comedy, with a style that is both a loving homage to her father’s work and a fresh, modern take on the genre. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 7, 2025, where it won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and it is now set for a theatrical release on October 24, 2025.

Tina Romero has been very open about the film’s inspiration. The idea for Queens of the Dead came from a real-life online drama within the queer nightlife community, where a rival party promoter posted a “manifesto” asking, “When will the queer community stop devouring its own?” The phrase hit Romero “like a bolt of lightning,” and she realized it was the perfect metaphor for a zombie movie. This kind of social satire, a hallmark of her father’s work, is a key part of the film’s DNA. As Romero told an interviewer, “I can’t be my dad’s daughter without making an attempt at saying something with zombies.” The film’s cast is a who’s-who of queer and comedic talent, including Jaquel Spivey, Katy O’Brian, Margaret Cho, Cheyenne Jackson, and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Nina West and Dominique Jackson. This is a film that is not only a love letter to the zombie genre but a celebration of LGBTQ+ community and culture.

Not Your Father’s Zombies

While Queens of the Dead pays homage to the classic Romero style—the zombies are slow, shambling, and a metaphor for societal breakdown—it is also very much its own beast. The film is described as a “glam-gore thrill ride,” with a focus on over-the-top, bloody, and visually stunning kills. The film’s makeup department was given a wide range of creative freedom, and the result is a zombie aesthetic that is both terrifying and beautiful. The film also adds its own unique twist by featuring zombies that are obsessed with their phones, a clear and pointed piece of social commentary about our modern, technology-addicted world. The most important distinction, however, is the film’s heart. While a Romero film often ends with a sense of hopelessness, Romero has said that her film is about community and survival. “We felt that we wanted more people to survive than not [in the film], because that’s what it’s all about: When you stick together, you’re gonna survive.”

A Promising New Voice

The early reviews for Queens of the Dead have been overwhelmingly positive, with critics praising the film for its originality, its bold use of its themes, and its “big heart.” The film is a clear signal that Tina Romero is a director with a unique and powerful voice, one who is not content to simply rehash her father’s work. She is taking the foundation he laid and building something new, exciting, and wonderfully strange. For horror fans, zombie enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a film that is as funny and glamorous as it is bloody, Queens of the Dead is a must-see. The trailer, which was recently released, offers a tantalizing glimpse into a world of glitter, guts, and queer defiance. It’s time to get ready, because the queens are ready to slay, and they’re bringing a whole new kind of zombie apocalypse with them.