Richard Driscoll Releases AI-Made 'The Return of the Living Dead: Aftermath'
The film appeared on Driscoll's website on Halloween night without the involvement of the original cast, who had signed on to a different planned sequel.
Richard Driscoll published an almost entirely AI-generated film titled The Return of the Living Dead: Aftermath on his website on Halloween night, according to kotaku.com. The release went ahead without the involvement of the original cast, who had been attached to star in a separate planned sequel.
Cast members' likenesses appear in the AI-generated footage even though the cast filmed none of it. Beverly Randolph said on the Caffeinated Horror Dude podcast that the released film is not what the cast signed up for, and Linnea Quigley said she had warned Driscoll not to use AI because fans dislike it.
Randolph urged people who funded the project to seek refunds through their credit card companies and called on Amazon to take legal action.
The project traces back to 2024, when Driscoll launched an Indiegogo page for TRASH's REVENGE Return of the Living Dead Universe with much of the original cast involved. Randolph and Quigley were set to act as producers on that planned sequel, which was intended as a blend of Sunset Boulevard and Rocky Horror. Michelle Bauer and Eric Roberts were among those attached to it.
The Return of the Living Dead was released in 1985 as a punk zombie cult classic with its own sequels. Night of the Living Dead, directed by George A. Romero, entered the public domain in 1968 because of erroneous paperwork, allowing anyone to develop sequels. Amazon bought MGM in 2022.
Quick answers
What is The Return of the Living Dead: Aftermath?
It is an almost entirely AI-generated film published by Richard Driscoll on his website on Halloween night 2026, without the involvement of the original cast attached to a planned sequel.
Did the original cast take part in the film?
No. Beverly Randolph and Linnea Quigley, who were attached to a different planned sequel, said the released film is not what the cast signed up for, though their likenesses appear in the AI footage.