By Gregg Goldstein

TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) - The dead have risen. In a sale that once seemed as slow as a zombie, the Weinstein Co. snapped up North American and Mexican rights to "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead."

While R-rated horror movies didn't perform well at the box office earlier this summer, Weinstein's "Halloween" bucked the trend with a record-breaking Labor Day opening. The latest sequel to Romero's 1968 horror classic "Night of the Living Dead" premiered late Saturday at the Toronto International Film Festival and spooked out crowds.

Weinstein paid $2 million to $2.5 million for the rights Tuesday after several offers were considered, including some for video-only distribution. The Weinstein deal includes a theatrical commitment.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
© Copyright 2007 Reuters.

Photo:
Director George A. Romero smiles at a special screening of Universal Pictures' "Land of the Dead" in the Westwood area of Los Angeles, June 20, 2005. The dead have risen. In a sale that once seemed as slow as a zombie, the Weinstein Co. snapped up North American and Mexican rights to "George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead." REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni