Surprise for Cast of 'Return of the Living Dead' Sequel. They Were Replaced by AI

A crowdfunded sequel to the 1985 film Return of the Living Dead was released online unexpectedly last weekend. However, the original cast involved in the project was taken aback by this development. Producer Richard Driscoll, who runs a no-budget streaming service called DragonFLIX, decided to utilize artificial intelligence to create the sequel.

The crowdfunding campaign, named TRASH's REVENGE Return of the Living Dead Universe, initially featured prominent actors Randolph Quigley, Linnea Quigley, Michelle Bauer, and Eric Roberts.

Despite the involvement of the original cast, the project fell through due to a lack of communication and coordination between the cast members and the director. Subsequently, Driscoll released a film called The Return of the Living Dead: Aftermath, which was predominantly generated using artificial intelligence. The outcome was far from satisfactory, as the robotic delivery of lines, nonsensical sequences, and objects appearing and disappearing raised numerous concerns among the cast.

Quigley expressed her disappointment, stating that she had warned Driscoll against using AI in the film, as both the audience and fans had negative reactions to such methods. Other former members of the Return of the Living Dead cast have also criticized the film, with the primary concern being the unauthorized use of their likenesses. Even those who were not directly involved in the project have voiced their disapproval, emphasizing the importance of respecting the intellectual property rights of the original creators.

Randolph Quigley urged those who had supported the crowdfunding effort to request a refund from their credit card companies. Additionally, he encouraged Amazon, the current owners of MGM Studios, to take legal action against Driscoll. The sheer absurdity of the film was highlighted by a Reddit review, which described it as "the worst film I've ever seen," a production that not only fails as a zombie movie but also represents a low point in exploitation filmmaking.