“The Machinist” filmmaker Brad Anderson to direct George Romero's “Twilight of the Dead”

Filmmaker Brad Anderson is sinking his teeth into the zombie genre.

EW has confirmed that Anderson will direct the horror movie Twilight of the Dead, based on an initial treatment by Paolo Zelati and the late George A. Romero.

Anderson is best known for helming the 2004 Christian Bale film The Machinist. Romero, of course, essentially invented the zombie genre with his 1968 horror classic Night of the Living Dead and went on to direct a slew of other undead films, including 1978's Dawn of the Dead, 1985's Day of the Dead, and 2005's Land of the Dead. Romero died in 2017, at 77.

Rick Kern/Getty Brad Anderson and George A. Romero

"George Romero's 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead may have been the first real horror movie I ever saw and its shock value, its keen social relevance, and even the means by which it was made were all hugely inspirational to me," Anderson said in a statement. "George's 'indie spirit,' his Do-It-Yourself approach to filmmaking — outside of the main industry; on a shoestring budget; collaborating with family and friends — is exactly how I made my first film, and to some extent still make films now. Night of the Living Dead, and many of those that followed, wove together straight up horror with pointed social commentary. This unexpected combination is what elevated George's films, and for me it is exactly what is most exciting about Twilight of the Dead."

Anderson went on to describe Twilight of the Dead as "a zombie movie in which limbs fly and heads roll, but one that is also about social transformation, one that asks the question: What is it to be human? It is also a horror movie with 'heart' and, dare I say, hope. As a filmmaker who relishes combining and reinventing genres, the chance to bring to life (so to speak!) this last installment in George Romero's zombie franchise is a true honor and a privilege."

The production company Roundtable Entertainment announced last month that it was partnering with the Romero estate to make Twilight of the Dead. The screenplay for the movie, which is described as "the seventh and final installment of the seminal Living Dead film franchise," is by Zelati, Joe Knetter, and Robert Lucas.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Legendary director George A. Romero: A life in photos

• Stranger Things deep dive: 5 things you need to know about Day of the Dead

• How George A. Romero returned from the grave with posthumous novel The Living Dead