Director George Romero, creator of the modern zombie, is dead at 77

George Romero, the legendary director of the Night of the Living Dead trilogy and its follow-ups — widely considered the architect of the zombie genre as we know it — died Sunday at the age of 77 after a brief battle with lung cancer, according to a statement given by his producing partner to the Los Angeles Times. Romero got his start in the movie business after being hired to shoot short films by none other than Fred Rogers, who gave a leg up to numerous actors in the Pittsburgh area through his children’s shows, including Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. (In a 2010 interview, Romero recalled that Rogers had not only encouraged him but had also gone to see his zombie films.) From there, Romero started his own production company and made his film debut at the age of 28 with one of the greatest horror films ever made.

Source: Vox