You have to admire anyone willing to sit down and make a zombie movie. Over the past 20 years or so, the zombie genre has been done in so many ways, by so many different people, with such varied results, you’d think we’ve seen it all. The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later, Zombieland, World War Z, just zombies after zombies, and then, guess what? More zombies.
So, to actually make and release a new zombie movie now, there’s got to be a new spin. Something that makes you stand apart from the rest. And, for writer-director Zak Hilditch, it appears he has that. His new film, We Bury the Dead, opens on January 2, 2026, and besides having Star Wars icon Daisy Ridley in the lead role—already a strong start—he’s envisioned a world where zombies exist, but they aren’t what we’re used to.
We saw a teaser trailer for the film a few weeks back, but now, here’s a longer, more revealing, and action-packed look at We Bury the Dead.
So, a few things to mention here. The most striking thing is that, in this world, while a huge disaster did seem to wipe out most of the people on Earth, most of them are actually just dead. However, the few that aren’t dead, the few that return from the dead, the zombies, do so for a reason. The trailer says they have unfinished business. The press release says, “the dead don’t just rise—they hunt.” And, as the hunt goes on, the creatures get faster and more dangerous.
We like that. It’s just enough of a twist to give you something new in the zombie genre but also keep all those classic zombie tropes intact. Add to that the more emotional core of the story of a woman trying to find her husband, and, well, this might be a solid way to ring in 2026.
Co-starring Brenton Thwaites (Pirates of the Caribbean 5), We Bury the Dead opens January 2.
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