With one eye, no doubt, on the potential for a crossover hit, Bollywood star R Madhavan has been cast in a new CGI 'reimagining' of zombie horror classic Night of the Living Dead.

Madhavan, who made his name in Indian cinema in films such as Run, Guru and 3 Idiots, will play what is described as 'an ex-marine' alongside the likes of Tom Sizemore, Tony "Candyman" Todd and Danielle Harris.

In a press release, the makers of Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D describe their film as a "new take on Romero's 1968 original ... the story of a group of survivors fighting to stay alive when a mysterious plague unleashes the undead on New York City".

Directed by Zebediah De Soto and produced by Expendables 2 director Simon West, the film will be shot in 3D using computer generated backdrops and motion capture technology to create, in the makers' words "a hybrid of graphic novel and traditional animation".

The Night of the Living Dead has proved a potent source for film-makers over the years. Romero himself made six Dead films between 1968 and 2009, while there have been at least four significant remakes (including Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead, starring Sarah Polley).



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