Claim: Dawn of the Dead is a film.

Dawn of the Dead -LRB- also known internationally as Zombi -RRB- is a 1978 American independent zombie horror film directed by George A. Romero .  It was written by Romero in collaboration with the Italian filmmaker Dario Argento , and produced by Claudio Argento , Richard P. Rubinstein and Alfredo Cuomo . It was the second film made in Romero 's Living Dead series , but contains no characters or settings from Night of the Living Dead , and shows in a larger scale the apocalyptic effects on society . In the film , a phenomenon of unidentified origin has caused the reanimation of the dead , who prey on human flesh , which subsequently causes mass hysteria . The cast features David Emge , Ken Foree , Scott Reiniger , and Gaylen Ross as survivors of the outbreak who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall .   Dawn of the Dead was filmed over approximately four months , from late 1977 to early 1978 , in the Pennsylvania cities of Pittsburgh and Monroeville . Its primary filming location was the Monroeville Mall . The film was made on a budget estimated at $ 1.5 million and was a significant box office success for its time , grossing approximately $ 55 million worldwide . Since opening in theaters in 1978 , and despite heavy gore content , reviews for the film have been positive .   In addition to four official sequels , the film has spawned numerous parodies and pop culture references . A remake of the movie premiered in the United States on March 19 , 2004 . It was labeled a `` re-imagining '' of the original film 's concept . In 2008 , Dawn of the Dead was chosen by Empire magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time , along with Night of the Living Dead .