Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the late George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, one of the most influential and iconic films ever made. Not only is the seminal zombie classic arriving in the Criterion Collection early next year (a release that boasts a 4K restoration!), but this morning we’ve also learned it’s headed into the world of VR!

Leading VR/360° production company Supersphere has reached an agreement with Image Ten to exclusively develop the popular Night of the Living Dead IP into a multi-platform VR experience. The project is expected to launch in 2018 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original Night of the Living Dead film’s theatrical release.

“Virtual reality is incredibly stimulating and offers a whole new slate of possibilities for Night of the Living Dead fans to engage with the world and its characters,” commented Gary Streiner of Image Ten, who served as the film’s sound engineer and co-investor. “We are excited to partner with Supersphere to explore what that will look like, and to deliver something special to fans in the new year.”

“Night of the Living Dead is one of those films that has become a cultural touchstone; it revolutionized the horror genre and to this day it influences how we envision zombies,” shared Doug Allenstein, Partner and Executive Producer, Supersphere. “Over the last fifty years the original film has generated a vast franchise and we’re thrilled to be working with the team at Image Ten to now expand that franchise to the next generation of storytelling: virtual reality.”