By Cheryl Eddy Published February 11, 2025 | Comments (0) | Zombies looking for brains and bargains in Dawn of the Dead (1978). United Film Distribution Company The Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, Pennsylvaniajust outside of Pittsburghhas long been a beacon of horror history, having served as the filming location for George A. Romeros 1978 zombie classic Dawn of the Dead. The mall served a dual purpose for the film, providing not just a reasonably secure place for human survivors to hide out, but also slamming home Romeros social commentary about the dangers of brain-dead consumerism. Now, the mall has a new owner, and its kind of perfect: Walmart. The largest private employer in Americanot to mention the most small-business-destroying big-box store of them allmade the purchase on February 4, which as Comics Beat points out is Romeros birthday (he died in 2017 at the age of 77). The outlet points to Pittsburghs Action News 4 for the news item, which notes that Cypress Equities will manage the property that Walmart now owns, via a statement from Walmart itself: Walmart did purchase the Monroeville Mall and is very interested in being part of any future redevelopment of this site. Walmart is working with Cypress on mall operations and potential redevelopment of the site. We are unable to share any specific plans at this time. No specifics were given as to what the future of the site might hold (Cypress told the station the mall is well suited for a major redevelopment and repositioning into a mix of uses including retail and entertainment, restaurants, residential, hospitality, office and public spaces, which could mean just about anything), but WTAE does horror fans a solid by bringing up the malls Dawn of the Dead connectionas well as being home to the Living Dead Museum & Gift Shop, a Romero bust, and the annual Living Dead Weekend horror convention (which proudly bills Pittsburgh as the zombie capital of the world). Famously, Romero and his crew filmed the movie during the overnight hours in late 1977 and early 1978with a brief hiatus taken to avoid continuity disruptions caused by seasonal Christmas decorationswhen the mall was closed for shopping. Romeros widow, Suzanne, told the station that she expects redevelopment will mean change. However, she hopes Dawn of the Dead will continue to be an important part of the property moving forward: Cities need to keep history, and this is part of their history. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Germain Lussier Published November 1, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published May 27, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published May 24, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published May 8, 2024 By Germain Lussier Published April 24, 2024 By Cheryl Eddy Published April 16, 2024