The ever-popular zombie genre managed to dislodge well-ensconced meatier fare at the box office this weekend, as Dawn of the Dead knocked Passion off the #1 slot, which it had held for three consecutive weeks. The remake of the George Romero horror cult classic took in over $27 million at the weekend box office, according to early estimates.
Dawn of the Dead's opening weekend was not driven only by nostalgia for the original, released in 1978, but by a sophisticated marketing campaign, which included the telecast of the first ten minutes of the film on USA Network last week.
The DVD of the original and genre film magazines featuring the new release are the best directly connected merchandise, but there's definitely enough unconnected zombie material available for a full-fledged zombie-themed display for some retailers.
