After almost two decades, cult-classic zombie film series The Return of the Living Dead is getting two new sequels, the first of which is planned for December 2025. In anticipation of the series’ return, the original The Return of the Living Dead from 1985 is getting a premium steelbook release on June 10, and preorders are now open at Amazon. Originally released on 4K Blu-ray in 2022, this upcoming limited edition 4K steelbook looks like it’ll quickly become a sought-after collector’s item, thanks to gorgeous (and slightly haunting) artwork spanning both the front and back of the steelbook.
$45 | Releases June 10
Since this 4K steelbook was just revealed, we’re still waiting on official word as to what exactly is included. The only thing that’s known so far is that you’ll get the premium steelbook and a 4K version of the hit film–though we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s packed with common extras like bonus features and standard Blu-ray and digital formats of the movie. Amazon lists this as a “limited edition” release, so consider locking in your preorder before it sells out. If you preorder now, you won’t be charged until the item ships, and if the price changes between now and June 10, you’ll only pay the lowest amount.
The Return of the Living Dead 4K Steelbook Bonus Features
While we don’t have a list of bonus features for this upcoming version of The Return of the Living Dead, we’d expect it to offer many of the same features available on current editions. For example, there’s already a Walmart exclusive 4K steelbook available for $35, and it includes the following:
- Audio commentary with author Gary Smart
- Audio commentary with cast and crew
- The Decade of Darkness featurette
- The FX of the Return of the Living Dead
- Still galleries
- And more
Keep in mind that these special features are not yet confirmed for the upcoming steelbook, but we’d be surprised if it didn’t contain similar content. We’ll update this section when more details are revealed.
The Return of the Living Dead is a 1985 zombie horror-comedy film directed by Dan O’Bannon and written by Night of the Living Dead’s co-writer John A. Russo. The movie follows a group of punks who face down a horde of zombies who rise from their graves to hunt the living. The movie received critical acclaim when it premiered and remains a standout in the zombie film genre, in part thanks to its awesome soundtrack featuring several 80s LA punk bands. It’s also notable for introducing common zombie fiction tropes, such as zombies eating brains and only being killed by total incineration.
If you don’t mind skipping out on the steelbook, you can buy The Return of the Living Dead 4K Collector’s Edition for $28.60 (was $40). This gets you many of the bonus features listed above and it’s relatively affordable at under $30. You can round out your collection with Return of the Living Dead 2 and Return of the Living Dead 3 on Blu-ray. Two made-for-TV sequel movies, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis and Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave are also available on DVD. These will get you caught up before the planned Return of the Living Dead reboot premieres later this year.
There’s also the Night of the Living Dead: Criterion Collection (4K Blu-ray), which offers a gorgeous 4K digital restoration that was supervised by George A. Romero and John A. Russo.
