*UPDATED!* First Diary Casting

By Jon Condit
October 19th, 2006

**Update: Scroll to the bottom for more casting news!**

The first bit of casting for Romero’s next zombie film, Diary of the Dead, has come down the wire via Variety.

Shawn Roberts, who played Rogue’s boyfriend in X-Men and Mike in Land of the Dead, and will next be seen in Jim Issacs’ werewolf flick Skinwalkers, has nabbed a lead role in the film, which is currently shooting up in George’s new hometown of Toronto.

In case you had somehow missed the mad musings of George recently (you can both read and hear his latest chat with Creepy right here), Diary takes place in an alternate universe from Romero’s usual, finding some college kids making a movie in the woods right as a zombie infestation begins. Artfire is fully financing the zombie movie, which will be a true return to indie form for the master.

Just got an official announcement regarding the start of shooting for Diary, and cast members Joshua Close (The Exorcism of Emily Rose), Michelle Morgan (Alien Fire), Jon Dinicoi (“Weirdsville”), Phillip Riccio (Rent-A-Goallie), and Scott Wentworth (Elizabeth Rex) were all mentioned in addition to Shawn Roberts!

- Johnny Butane