George A. Romero, master of zombie film genre, dead at 77

The man who kicked off the popularization of the modern zombie genre, director George A. Romero, has died at the age of 77.

His death was first reported on Sunday by the Los Angeles Times. Romero died in his sleep after suffering complications from lung cancer, according to a statement given to the paper by Romero's producing partner, Peter Grunwald.

Romero was best known for his cult classic film Night of the Living Dead, which debuted in 1968 and went on to influence some of the biggest directors in horror and Hollywood in general.

Although Romero didn't start the zombie genre, his film's impact on filmmakers tackling the idea of humanity fighting for survival against hordes of undead in a post-apocalyptic setting has had the most resonance with many directors.

However, hardcore horror fans know that it was the book I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson, that is the true origin of the modern zombie movie, a fact that Romero himself has acknowledged in the past.

And while a film based on that novel (1964's The Last Man on Earth) debuted several years before Night of the Living Dead, it's Romero's take that continues to be praised as the touchstone for all modern zombie fare, from World War Z on down to The Walking Dead.

Another thing Romero did with Night of the Living Dead was to help pioneer the act of casting black actors in leading roles in U.S. films that had nothing to do with race. Actor Duane Jones' stirring performance in the film, and the audience's reaction to it, had notable effects on how horror directors cast their films in the subsequent decades.

As testament to his influence on the genre, immediately after news of his death broke, a number of the best known horror directors in Hollywood took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his passing.

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