Dread Central Checks In to Zombie Boot Camp at Universal
The phenomenal success of “The Walking Dead” has done wonders for our genre – chief among them, making sure the old-school George A. Romero zombie stayed put. In the age of “make it faster and scarier,” the hit AMC show has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that slow and steady wins the race.
Universal Studios has had huge success incorporating “The Walking Dead” into its previous Halloween Horror Nights, and the public’s insatiable thirst for walker mayhem has now given rise to a permanent attraction opening this July. Now you don’t have to wait till October to get your undead fix. You can grab a Butterbeer and experience it any day of the year!
In anticipation of the upcoming opening, Universal invited Dread Central out to witness makeup FX icon turned director/producer Greg Nicotero host a “Zombie Boot Camp” day.
“We really want to make sure that the attraction feels always as tied into the show as possible,” Greg says as he rounds up several dozen of the park’s actors and begins instructing them on the basic moves and movements of the show’s zombie hordes. Having cut his teeth on Romero’s Dawn and Day of the Dead, there’s no better person on the planet more qualified to bring the dead to life than Nicotero, who has brought his KNB crew on to recreate the show’s intricate makeup and animatronic effects for this experience.
Out stumbles Joe Giles, a fully-made up actor who has been a zombie on the series since the pilot. Nicotero calls him “Patient Zero,” since he was the very first person they ever made up for “The Walking Dead.” Giles stumbles around the auditorium like a pro as all the other “zombies in training” study his movements. After several minutes of pep talk, the entire class begin lurching around the area like an undead bullpen, and Nicotero steps in to make slight adjustments and add little quirks to each of the actors.
On several occasions, he points to a journalist in the crowd and says. “That person just opened up a door to roomful of walkers! Get her!” Even without the makeup applied, it’s pretty terrifying to see an army of shambling people coming right at you, which really bodes will for this exhibit.
The Walking Dead Attraction opens for business this July 4th – and what better way to celebrate your independence?
Photos by Justin Cruse
Categorized:News
