Devon Sawa Joins Return of the Living Dead Reboot, Breathing New Life Into a Cult Classic

Zombies never stay buried for long. Case in point: Return of the Living Dead is suddenly back from the grave with not one, but two rival projects, plus a little legal drama. And now there is an actual casting splash to talk about: Devon Sawa has joined Steve Wolsh's new take, revealed via a fresh teaser at LA Comic Con.

How we got here

Almost 40 years after Dan O'Bannon unleashed The Return of the Living Dead and spun it into a franchise, the series has been quiet for about two decades. For the refresher course: Part II leaned hard into goofball comedy, Return of the Living Dead III went full tragic romance (as in Romeo-and-Juliet-but-decaying), and then we got two largely ignored follow-ups, Necropolis and Rave to the Grave. Since then, radio silence.

Two projects, one brain (and a bunch of lawyers)

Now we have dueling Return projects. On one side: 'Trash's Revenge,' billed as part of the Return of the Living Dead universe, coming from ROTLD Originals LLC and DRagonSTUDIOS. On the other: a new Return of the Living Dead led by director Steve Wolsh (Muck, Kill Her Goats), who also happens to be CEO of Living Dead Media. The rivalry is not subtle; both sides have been lawyering up and trading lawsuits.

Wolsh's version dropped a teaser about 10 months ago and then went quiet. That changed at LA Comic Con this past weekend, where a new teaser played and confirmed Devon Sawa is in the cast.

Devon Sawa, Santa hat, and a run-in with Tarman

Sawa (Idle Hands, Final Destination, Chucky) talked about the gig in a chat with Victoria Venin, saying he shot his scenes over the summer. He was wearing a Santa hat for at least part of it and crossed paths with the franchise's sludge-dripping icon, Tarman. He shared the tidbit in an interview clip that hit Instagram.

So is this a reboot or a sequel?

Here is where it gets a little inside baseball. Despite everyone calling it a reboot, the story actually picks up 18 months after the original film's UNEEDA Warehouse fiasco in Louisville, Kentucky. The setup: it is Christmas 1985 in a small Pennsylvania town when another Trioxin 2-4-5 leak pushes things toward a fresh outbreak. The Army is involved, a blizzard is pounding the area, and yes, Tarman is back in the mix.

"This Christmas, it's Tarman who will be coming to town."

Given the timeline and continuity, you can argue this is a sequel in reboot clothing.

Practical gore and familiar names behind the curtain

The team is promising an R-rated, bloody return to the franchise's sci-fi/horror/dark-comedy roots, done with practical effects and no CGI, and releasing exclusively in theaters via WithAnO Productions. FX legend Tony Gardner is on board; he created the unforgettable half-corpse in the 1985 original and now he is back building a new Tarman for this chapter. Sawa says Gardner is the one who brought him into the project. Storyboards for the teaser came from Pete Von Sholly, who has history with the series from Part II and III.

Release timing (because of course that moved)

The early goal was Christmas 2025. Word out of LA Comic Con is that it has likely slid to November 2026.

What we know right now

• Devon Sawa is in the cast; he shot over the summer, Santa hat and all, and shares a moment with Tarman.
• The story is set at Christmas 1985, 18 months after the original, in a Pennsylvania town dealing with a new Trioxin 2-4-5 leak, a blizzard, and the Army.
• Steve Wolsh (also CEO of Living Dead Media) is directing; a new teaser screened at LA Comic Con.
• Effects are all-practical, no CGI; Tony Gardner is crafting the new Tarman and previously created the original film's half-corpse.
• Pete Von Sholly handled teaser storyboards; he worked on Part II and III.
• Exclusive theatrical release via WithAnO Productions; target date appears to be November 2026 after an initial Christmas 2025 aim.
• Meanwhile, a separate project, 'Trash's Revenge,' is moving forward from ROTLD Originals LLC and DRagonSTUDIOS, amid ongoing legal back-and-forth between the camps.

Bottom line: the franchise is back in a big, messy, very on-brand way. If you are a Return loyalist, the continuity nods and the practical FX promise should hit the right nerve. And Sawa trading quips with Tarman at Christmas? Yeah, I am curious. How about you?