Originally released in 1997, the Sega video game The House of the Dead spawned a franchise that includes several sequels and spin-offs, as well as a remake. Uwe Boll directed a film adaptation back in 2003, and that received a sequel in 2005 that was directed by Michael Hurst. We recently heard that Paul W.S. Anderson, who previously made video game adaptations like Mortal Kombat (1995), Monster Hunter, and six Resident Evil movies, will be directing a House of the Dead film reboot – but while he’s working on that project, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Uwe Boll is working on a “sort of” sequel to his House of the Dead! Boll’s project is called Return to Zombie Island and it “picks up with characters from the original movie, 23 years on. All the original cast are returning.“
We’re getting dueling House of the Dead projects from Uwe Boll and Paul W.S. Anderson!
House of the Dead Refresher
Directed by Boll from a script crafted by Mark A. Altman, Dan Bates, and Dave Parker, the 2003 version of House of the Dead has the following synopsis: Simon and Greg meet a group of friends and set out to attend a rave on a remote island. When they miss the ferry, they decide to ride with Kirk, a smuggler. They find the island deserted and discover that the partygoers have been killed by zombies. Now, the group must evade the deadly creatures and try to find safety. However, the only means of escape — Kirk’s boat — has been overrun, forcing the survivors to ward off the undead. The film stars Jonathan Cherry, Tyron Leitso, Clint Howard, Ona Grauer, Ellie Cornell, Will Sanderson, Enuka Okuma, Kira Clavell, Sonya Salomaa, Michael Eklund, David Palffy, Jürgen Prochnow, Adam J. Harrington, Colin Lawrence, Steve Byers, Erica Durance, Jay Brazeau, Bif Naked, Kris Pope, and Elisabeth Rosen… and apparently a bunch of them are going to Return to Zombie Island.
Going by Boll’s social media, including the short teaser he released on YouTube (you can watch it at the bottom of this article), he’s aiming to send Return to Zombie Island out into the world sometime in 2026.
Bottom 100
Like Anderson, Boll has made a lot of video game adaptations. Here’s his list: House of the Dead (2003), Bloodrayne (2005), BloodRayne 2: Deliverance (2007), BloodRayne: The Third Reich (2011), Postal (2007), Far Cry (2008) In the Name of the King (2007), In the Name of the King 2: Two Worlds (2011), In the Name of the King 3: The Last Mission (2014), and Alone in the Dark (2005). He was also a producer on 2008’s Alone in the Dark II.
Some of his movies rank on on IMDb’s “Bottom 100” film list, with House of the Dead recently sitting at 7th and Alone in the Dark at 13th – but that isn’t stopping him from revisiting them. Not only is he working on Return to Zombie Island, but he has also secured the rights to reboot the Alone in the Dark film franchise.
Are you ready to Return to Zombie Island with Uwe Boll? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
