Who directed the 1968 zombie film Night of the Living Dead?

George A. Romero directed the 1968 zombie film Night of the Living Dead.

The film was Romero’s first feature-length directorial effort. Made in and around Pittsburgh by the small production company Image Ten, it used a modest budget of roughly $114,000 and turned practical limitations into part of its stark, documentary-like atmosphere. Romero also co-wrote, photographed, and edited the movie, working with John A. Russo on the screenplay.

Night of the Living Dead helped redefine the modern zombie. Although its characters call the creatures “ghouls” rather than using the later familiar term “zombies,” the film established ideas such as reanimated corpses, flesh-eating undead, outbreaks, and desperate survivors barricaded indoors. Its social commentary, including racial tension and institutional failure, also helped give the horror story lasting cultural weight.

A common mix-up involves Tom Savini, who directed the 1990 remake, not the original. Romero later directed five further films in his Dead series, beginning with Dawn of the Dead in 1978.