What to Know About Tina Romero's Zombie Drag Horror Comedy 'Queens of the Dead'

Damian Ali
Oct 8
3 min read

Updated: Oct 29

It's a zombie story unlike any other, centered on legacy, laughter, and community strength.

Julie J and Ahmad Maksoud in Queens of the Dead: Courtesy of Shannon Madden/IFC/Shudder

Julie J and Ahmad Maksoud in Queens of the Dead: Courtesy of Shannon Madden/IFC/Shudder

Tina Romero's Queens of the Dead is set to bring a fierce mix of horror, humor, and drag to audiences this Halloween season. The film, which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the Tribeca Film Festival, will be released in U.S. theaters on October 24, 2025, before arriving on Shudder, the streaming service known for its bold and creative genre releases.

Romero, daughter of horror icon George A. Romero, has already drawn praise for how she makes "living dead cinema her own while still honoring her father’s legacy," according to Tribeca programmer Matt Barone.

The movie unfolds on the night of a massive Brooklyn warehouse party, where a group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies must put aside rivalries when a zombie outbreak erupts. To survive, they'll have to combine quick thinking, performance flair, and teamwork to fight the undead and make it through the night.

Co-written by Romero and comedian Erin Judge, Queens of the Dead stars Katy O'Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Nina West (RuPaul's Drag Race), Dominique Jackson (Pose), Margaret Cho, Riki Lindhome (Knives Out), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), and Eve Lindley (Dispatches from Elsewhere). The cast also features Shaunette Renée Wilson (Black Panther) and New York drag artist Julie J.

Romero told Popcorn Frights that the film includes hidden nods to horror history. "We cooked up a fun treat that homages John Harrison’s Day of the Dead score," she said. "You'll hear it mashed up with a surprise remix from a pop artist we all know and love." Fans familiar with her father's work will also spot a few cameos that connect Queens of the Dead to a larger undead universe.

The Bronx honors horror legend George A. Romero with a new exhibit featuring rare photos, scripts, and the legacy of a Bronx-born filmmaker. Read how George A. Romero: Stay Scared! Exhibit Honors Bronx Horror Legend

Jaquel Spivey, Tomás Matos, and Nina West in Queens of the Dead (2025): Image courtesy of Shannon Madden/IFC/Shudder

Jaquel Spivey, Tomás Matos, and Nina West in Queens of the Dead (2025): Image courtesy of Shannon Madden/IFC/Shudder

Independent Film Company (IFC), the distributor behind The Babadook and BlackBerry, is teaming up with Shudder to release the film across North America. "With razor-sharp direction and a fierce cast, Queens of the Dead is a thrilling new chapter in a legacy of horror royalty," said Adam Koehler, Director of Acquisitions and Productions.

That legacy, of course, runs deep. "I'm playing in a big sandbox that my dad made," Romero told Popcorn Frights. "But I'm proud that this is a movie he would have never made. I do hope people can feel the reverberations of his spirit in there, because he lives inside of me."

While her father's films often explored social collapse and despair, Romero wanted Queens of the Dead to end on a brighter note. "I wanted to make a zombie film that leaves you with a little hope and levity and a sense of strength and fighting power," she said. "There's no fighting power like the queer community."

Produced by Matthew Lee Miller and Natalie Metzger for Vanishing Angle, "Queens of the Dead" stands as both a tribute and a transformation, a new chapter in zombie storytelling that honors the past while dancing boldly into the future.

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