Like the shambling unᴅᴇᴀᴅ, the love for zombies will never die, and there are plenty of upcoming zombie movies and TV shows that will thrill fans of the subgenre. While zombies have long since been a part of Hollywood, the 2000s saw an explosion of great zombie movies, from horror films like the Resident Evil adaptations and the 28 Days Later movies to comedies like Shaun of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Though the 2010s saw a decline in zombie popularity, the decade still gave audiences a hit zombie show with The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
With a slew of upcoming тιтles in 2025 and beyond, zombies have made it clear — they aren’t going anywhere. Though the flagship series has ended, many TWD spinoffs are still on the air, including some with new seasons set for release in the coming months. 2025 also offers the latest installment of the 28 Days franchise, the directorial debut of George A. Romero’s daughter Tina, and more.
9
We Bury The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Release Date: March 2025
The horror-survival film We Bury the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ stars Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley as Ava Newman, a woman in search of her husband following a military experiment gone wrong in Tasmania. According to Variety, Ava joins a body retrieval unit to identify victims of the catastrophe but discovers that many of the corpses have turned into something else.
With Ridley’s star power and raw talent, as well as her first foray into the genre, We Bury the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ is certain to draw a crowd. The film had a preview screening at the Adelaide Film Festival in November 2024, and is set to premiere at SXSW in March 2025.
8
The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ City Season 2
Release Date: Spring 2025
This sequel spinoff sees the return of Negan and Maggie Greene, as they traverse the dangers of post-apocalyptic Manhattan in search of Maggie’s kidnapped son, Hershel. The end of ᴅᴇᴀᴅ City season 1 had Maggie betray Negan to the Burazi in exchange for Hershel’s freedom, leaving Negan at the mercy of the Croat and the Dama.
In a teaser for season 2, it appears that Negan has established himself as Manhattan’s new leader, as power returns to the New York City streets. Whether or not Maggie and Negan will be able to settle their long-running feud will hopefully be resolved in The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ: ᴅᴇᴀᴅ City season 2.
7
28 Years Later
Release Date: June 20, 2025
Director Danny Boyle and co-writer Alex Garland returned to helm the third film in the hugely successful British zombie apocalypse franchise. 28 Years Later boasts an all-new A-list cast, including Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. As the тιтle suggests, the movie takes place 28 years after the “rage virus” caused the downfall of society.
The film’s plot revolves around a young boy searching for a doctor to help his sick mother, as the infected continue to wreak havoc on the British mainland.
According to an Indiewire interview with Fiennes, the film’s plot revolves around a young boy searching for a doctor to help his sick mother, as the infected continue to wreak havoc on the British mainland. Despite being Boyle’s third movie of the franchise, 28 Years Later will reportedly kick off a new film trilogy from the writer-director.
6
Marvel Zombies
Release Date: October 3, 2025
MCU fans have even more reason to get excited about this upcoming Disney+ show, which is a spinoff of What If…? The animated series Marvel Zombies is inspired by the highly rated What If…? episode “What If… Zombies?!,” in which many of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have succumbed to the Quantum virus, transforming them into flesh-eating unᴅᴇᴀᴅ.
The series will pick up where What If…Zombies?! left off, and promises a regular gore-fest with plenty of action, featuring several franchise favorites like Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, and Red Guardian.
5
The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ: Daryl Dixon Season 3
Release Date: 2025
TWD fan-favorite Daryl Dixon got his very own spinoff in 2023, as the crossbow-wielding hero found himself in France. The cliffhanger at the end of Daryl Dixon season 2 promises a change of scenery for Daryl and Carol, as they cross the border into England. However, it appears that they won’t be staying for long, since the season’s story has the pair eventually making their way to Spain.
According to the season 3 trailer, it also looks like the show is getting an Old West makeover. Whatever lies in store for the survivors, fans can be sure that Carol and Daryl plan to face it together.
4
Return Of The Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Release Date: December 2025
40 years after the release of the 1985 cult classic, the new Return of the Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ serves as a sequel to the original horror comedy by director Dan O’Bannon. Directed and written by the CEO of Living ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Media, Steve Wolsh, the plot of the movie takes place 18 months after the events of the original.
The teaser for the film shows a shambling Tarman dragging a Christmas tree through a snowy cemetery, setting up what is sure to be a horror holiday romp
The teaser for the film shows a shambling Tarman dragging a Christmas tree through a snowy cemetery, setting up what is sure to be a horror holiday romp when the movie comes out in December.
3
Queens Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Release Date: Unknown
Tina Romero, daughter of legendary filmmaker George A. Romero, is the director and co-writer of the upcoming zombie horror comedy, Queens of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Margaret Cho, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Jaquel Spivey, and Cheyenne Jackson, the film’s plot follows a diverse group of club scene kids who band together to survive the zombie apocalypse during a drag queen show.
Promising scares, laughs, and LGBTQ+ representation, Queens of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ’s director hopes to pay homage to her father’s legacy.
2
Twilight Of The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ
Release Date: Unknown
Directed by Brad Anderson, Twilight of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ stars Milla Jovovich and Betty Gabriel in the final installment of the George A. Romero film franchise. The iconic filmmaker wrote the treatment for the movie before his death in 2017, with the movie taking place on a tropical island (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). It will reportedly “delve into the dark nature of humanity from the perspective of the last humans on Earth who are caught between factions of the unᴅᴇᴀᴅ.” Die-hard fans of Romero’s work won’t want to miss the final film of the iconic franchise.
1
More Tales From The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Universe
Release Date: Unknown
Headed by showrunner Scott Gimple, very little is known yet about this newest project from The Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ universe. More Tales From the Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Universe is a working тιтle for the short-form series, which consists of six parts (via ᴅᴇᴀᴅline). As with Tales of the Walking ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, the series will likely consist of short tales taking place within the TWDU — possibly with familiar favorites as well as new intriguing characters. While the project doesn’t have a release date, it’s clear that fans of zombie movies and TV shows have lots to tide them over while they wait.
