Tina Romero is proud to continue a family tradition with her latest film, which she describes as “a fun ride full of laughs, scares, fun characters and love.”

“Queens of the Dead,” which opens in theaters Friday, follows a diverse group of New York City drag queens and club kids as they fight to survive a zombie apocalypse on the eve of a Brooklyn warehouse party.

News got a sneak peek at the horror comedy, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and screened at NewFest, the New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival, earlier this month, through the clip below. In it, event organizer Dre (played by Katy O’Brian) is pushed into full-on crisis mode when her party’s next headliner, Yasmine (Dominique Jackson of “Pose”), says she’s sick.

Check out “Queens of the Dead” below.

“,”guy”:”video”,”goal”:{“author”:”IFC films”,”author_url”:”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOn923UnbV8H9zo_lO6ZCRw”,”cache_age”:86400,”description”:”Katy O’Brien and Dominique Jackson star in this clip from QUEENS OF THE DEAD, which will be released in theaters on October 24.nnDirector: Tina Romero nStarring: Katy O’Brian, Riki Lindhome, Jack Haven, Shaunette Renée Wilsonnn#IFCFilms #QueensoftheDead nnSubscribe to IFC Films: https://bit.ly/2K4KMZVnnConnect with IFC OnlinenIFC Films Official Site: http://www.ifcfilms.comnFollow IFC Films on Twitter: http://twitter.com/IFCFilmsnFind IFC Films on Facebook: http://facebook.com/IFCFilmsOfficialnFollow IFC Films on Instagram: http://instagram.com/ifcfilms”,”options”:{“_cc_load_policy”:{“label”:”Closed Captions”,”worth”:FAKE},”_end”:{“label”:”Result in”,”placeholder”:”ex.: 11, 1m10s”,”worth”:””},”_begin”:{“label”:”Start from”,”placeholder”:”ex.: 11, 1m10s”,”worth”:””}},”supplier_name”:”YouTube”,”thumbnail_height”:720,”thumbnail_url”:”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/flVEOHxRHSw/maxresdefault.jpg”,”thumbnail_width”:1280,”qualification”:”Queens of the Dead: Official clip | Baby, baby | independent film company”,”guy”:”video”,”URL”:”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flVEOHxRHSw”,”version”:”1.0″},”flags”:[],”improvements”:{},”complete bleeding”:FAKE,”options”:{“issue”:”news”,”device”:”office”,”editionInfo”:{“ID”:”us”,”name”:”US”,”link”:”https://www.News.com”,”place”:”y_US”},”Original edition”:”us”,”esMapi”:FAKE,”esAmp”:FAKE,”it’s mobile”:FAKE,”esAdsFree”:FAKE,”enVideoEntry”:FAKE,”enEntry”:TRUE,”also mount”:FAKE,”Entry ID”:”68f9420be4b0d0ec549cb554″,”entryPermanent link”:”https://www.News.com/entry/queens-of-the-dead-zombie-film-teaser_n_68f9420be4b0d0ec549cb554″,”entryTagsList”:”movies, drag-queens, horror, @queer_voices, @us_News_now, @voices”,”sectionSlug”:”entertainment”,”departmentSlug”:”entertainment”,”sectionRedirectUrl”:”https://www.News.com/entertainment”,”subcategories”:”queer-voices,tv”,”it is wide”:FAKE,”enShopping”:FAKE,”Override header”:null,”no video ads”:FAKE,”disable float”:FAKE,”is native”:FAKE,”commercialVideo”:{“supplier”:”habit”,”site_and_category”:”us.entertainment”,”package”:null},”enHighline”:FAKE,”vidibleConfigValues”:{“cid”:”60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf”,”cancels”:{“front_page_top_videos”:{“office”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”mobile web”:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”},”top_media”:{“office”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”mobile”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”anthology”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”},”content”:{“office”:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”mobile”:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”iPhone”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”iPad”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”android phone”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”android tablet”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”}},”playerUpdates”:{“5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8″:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″,”5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f”:”60b8e355cdd90620331ba185″,”58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895″:”60b64316b171b7444beafdb2″,”58b74698f78ced31417819ae”:”60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52″,”58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1″:”60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5″,”58cff690d85a100b9992bc39″:”60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba”,”58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d”:”60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6″,”58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180″:”60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66″,”58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7″:”60b643c82e76be41f112735c”,”592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd”:”60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c”,”5b35266b158f855373e28256″:”60b64354b171b7444beaff4d”,”5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a”:”60b64440b171b7444beb040b”,”5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9″:”60b646102e76be41f1127ffc”,”5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f”:”60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147″,”5c477987a6b48b35f164773d”:”60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee”,”5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371″:”60b8e747cdd90620331bb861″,”5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2″:”60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b”,”5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6″:”60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9″,”58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321″:”60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c”,”58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3″:”60d0dic19340d7032ad115a0″,”58cff8eccebcea42931e0436″:”60d0e005b627221e9d819d44″,”592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b”:”60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf”,”58cff72fd85a100b9992c112″:”60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da”,”56b4d34fe4b022697697c400″:”60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443″,”60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d”:”60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81″}},”connatixConfigValues”:{“default player”:”ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b”,”click to play player”:”d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0″,”video page player”:”f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145″,”vertical player”:”e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065″,”StickyPlayerControl”:”52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da”,”sticky player”:”8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22″,”noAdsPlayer”:”deeeda04-49cb-4a1d-ac6c-c388a685b58e”,”life page player”:”e1d799d2-2d81-4f27-bfa0-e6833a657659″},”topConnatixThumnbailSrc”:”https://img.connatix.com/cecdab6d-ef39-48d2-9b9b-82f330f0015a/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop”,”custom amplifier components”:[],”ampAssetsUrl”:”https://amp.assets.News.com”,”videoTraits”:null,”position in units units”:{“head_buzz”:{“count”:0},”body_buzz”:{“count”:0},”buzz_bottom”:{“count”:0}},”position in subunits”:{“article_body”:{“count”:12},”summary_blog”:{“count”:0},”before_going_happy”:{“count”:0}},”connatixCountsHelper”:{“count”:1},”buzzfeedTracking”:{“context_page_id”:”68f9420be4b0d0ec54 9cb554″,”context_page_type”:”buzz”,”destination”:”post”,”mode”:”office”,”page_edit”:”es-us”},”labels”:[{[{“name”:”Cinema”,”slug”:”cinema”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/movies”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News.com/topic/movies”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News.com/topic/movies”},”descentSubjectId”:981358,”URL”:”https://www.News.com/topic/movies”},{“name”:”drag queens”,”slug”:”drag queens”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/drag-queens”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News.com/topic/drag-queens”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News.com/topic/drag-queens”},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/topic/drag-queens”},{“name”:”ho error”,”slug”:”horror”,”golf course”:{“relative link”:”theme/horror”,”permanent link”:”https://www.News.com/topic/horror”,”mobileWebLink”:”https://www.News.com/topic/horror”},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/topic/horror”}],”enLiveblogLive”:null,”enLiveblog”:FAKE,”backfillRelated articles”:[{[{“edition ID”:”us”,”holder”:”Anna Wintour shares her true feelings about ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ performance”,”Default image”:{“guy”:”Hector”,”URL”:”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68d56e2b18000045015d032d.jpeg”,”queryParams”:{“cache”:”nnwVyLnoZe”},”broad”:3062,”height”:4592,”credit”:”Jacopo Raule via Getty Images”,”operations”:”500_281″},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/entry/anna-wintour-devil-wears-prada-opinion_n_68d43d6de4b01e99f72d34c7″,”ten”:”Vogue’s veteran editor-in-chief has surprising insight into the 2006 film.”},{“edition ID”:”us”,”holder”:”After 30 years, Elvira finally releases the cookbook fans have been waiting for”,”Default image”:{“guy”:”Hector”,”URL”:”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68e589a41800009d295d184c.jpg”,”queryParams”:{“cache”:”AIQf2q0HuJ”},”broad”:3300,”height”:2200,”credit”:”Courtesy of Cassandra Peterson, 2025″,”operations”:””},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/entry/elvira-cookbook-from-hell-interview_n_68e3bdc4e4b0bfa6f4948adf”,”ten”:”The Mistress of the Dark has rebranded herself as the “Martha Stewart of the Macabre,” but rest assured, she hasn’t lost any of her campy wit in the process.”},{“edition ID”:”us”,”holder”:”Jennifer Lopez reveals the surprising musical role she lost to another famous actor”,”Default image”:{“guy”:”Hector”,”URL”:”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68c4832318000012c08c7d9d.jpeg”,”queryParams”:{“cache”:”BxoqZEnD9z”},”broad”:3200,”height”:2133,”credit”:”JC Olivera via Getty Images”,”operations”:”500_281″},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/entry/jennifer-lopez-musical-role_n_68c482fae4b0b3dca95edc38″,”ten”:”Lopez says she is “living her childhood dreams” with this new role.”},{“edition ID”:”us”,”holder”:”Tina Fey reveals ‘a dirty secret’ from ‘Saturday Night Live'”,”Default image”:{“guy”:”Hector”,”URL”:”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68a890431800009cab8c610c.jpeg”,”queryParams”:{“cache”:”QJgsLOozz3″},”broad”:3000,”height”:2001,”credit”:”Dominik Bindl via Getty Images”,”operations”:””},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/entry/tina-fey-dirty-secret-saturday-night-live_n_68a88f59e4b0ab862cb29844″,”ten”:”The first “SNL” The star made the revelation to help the new version of the UK comedy show.”},{“edition ID”:”us”,”holder”:”‘Trainwreck: Poop Cruise’ and more hot movies on Hulu, Max and Peacock”,”Default image”:{“guy”:”Hector”,”URL”:”https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/6863043c140000d565d0cd69.jpg”,”queryParams”:{},”broad”:3840,”height”:2160,”credit”:”Courtesy of Netflix”,”operations”:””},”URL”:”https://www.News.com/entry/trainwreck-poop-cruise-netflix-popular-movies_n_686303a7e4b02e5da206ae2e”,”ten”:”A documentary of a “Law & Order: SVU” star and a horror movie starring Danielle Deadwyler are also trending this week.”}],”cet unit”:”body_buzz”,”enableIncontentPlayer”:FAKE,”bodyAds”:[[“

rnrn”,”

rnrn”,”

rnrn”],”ad count”:0,”midArticleAdPartner”:null},”enCollectionEmbed”:false}”>

“Queens of the Dead” is the directorial debut of Tina Romero. The New York writer and director is the daughter of the late horror icon George A. Romero, whose credits include the “Night of the Living Dead” series, as well as “Creepshow” and “Tales from the Darkside,” among other spooky classics.

In an interview with News, Tina Romero said that O’Brian and Jackson were the two actors in the cast she was “most nervous to work with,” a profound statement given that the film also features appearances by Margaret Cho and “A Strange Loop” actress Jaquel Spivel, as well as another horror icon, Tom Savini.

“In our first conversations, Katy, more than anyone, asked me pointed questions about the script and I knew she hadn’t come to act,” he said. As for Jackson, he added, “To me, she’s a larger-than-life legend, and I was worried that our badass ensemble wouldn’t be fit for a true queen.”

Dominique Jackson and Tomás Matos star in
Dominique Jackson and Tomás Matos star in “Queens of the Dead,” which will be released on October 24.

Shannon Madden/An Independent Film Company and Shudder

Fortunately, she added, “Each of them made me feel comfortable right away and working with them was collaborative, charming and a lot of fun. They are both down to earth, very intelligent, naturally funny and incredibly talented. They made my job easy.”

Like her father, Tina Romero could have a potential franchise in the making if “Queens of the Dead” is successful. Early reviews have been mostly positive, with Variety describing the film as “a zombie farce that wears its dazzling heart on its sleeve” while praising its “remarkably well-rounded characters.”

TRUEdoes not haveInclination

Your supportFuelsOur Mission

Your supportFuelsOur Mission

We will not turn back

As more major networks align themselves with those in power, the space for fearless journalism is shrinking. By becoming a member, you support a newsroom that asks the tough questions, no matter who is in charge.

We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.

Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.

We remain committed to bringing you the unwavering, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.

Thank you again for your support along the way. We are truly grateful for readers like you! Your early support helped get us here and strengthened our newsroom, keeping us strong in uncertain times. As we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.

News Support

Are you already a member? Sign in to hide these messages.

While The New York Times offered a more varied view of the film as a whole, it emphasized the story’s relevance to the current sociopolitical climate, noting that “the outer apocalypse could be seen as a story of queer life under attack.”

Katy O'Brian (center)
Katy O’Brian (center) “asked me pointed questions about the script” and “didn’t come to play,” said filmmaker Tina Romero.

Courtesy of Shannon Madden/An Independent Film Company and release from Shudder