In the US, a remake of cult 70s zombie film Dawn of the Dead has proved, literally, bigger than Jesus.

BBC: Dawn of the Dead (2003)

That film was followed by Dawn of the Dead (1978), Day of the Dead (1985) and now Land of the Dead.

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Dawn of the Dead is directed by newcomer Zack Snyder and reprises George Romero's original in which a group of survivors are trapped in a shopping mall surrounded by hungry zombies.

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The golden period of the zombie movie was the late 70s and early 80s, after George Romero made the first of his Dead sequels with the apocalyptic Dawn of the Dead.

BBC: Dawn of the Dead (2003)

Like many fans, he holds the original "Dawn of the Dead" in high regard: "Except for one silly scene involving bikers throwing pies at zombies, the whole movie has great dramatic tension and a genuine feeling of horror, " he said.

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