Uwe Boll Is Crowdfunding an Unofficial HOUSE OF THE DEAD Sequel as Paul W.S. Anderson's Adaptation Moves Forward

Sega’s classic Zombie shooter House of the Dead is back in the spotlight with a new movie currently in development, and in a very on-brand way, Uwe Boll is crashing the party with an unofficial sequel to his original film.

A new adaptation of House of the Dead is currently in development from Paul W.S. Anderson, the filmmaker best known for the Resident Evil franchise. That project is reportedly a major priority for Sega and is said to carry a $50 million budget.

Meanwhile, Boll has launched a crowdfunding campaign for a movie that’s meant to function as a spiritual follow-up to his infamous 2003 film, which currently sits at a brutal 3% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Boll’s new project is titled 23 Years Later: Return to Zombie Island, and the reason for that name is very specific. As he explains in the campaign’s launch video, “we cannot name it House of the Dead because they're making a $50 million House of the Dead movie with somebody else”.

The film is positioned as an unofficial sequel to his original adaptation, which loosely framed itself as a prequel to Sega’s iconic light-gun arcade games. That movie followed a group of ravers trapped on a zombie-infested island, mixing early-2000s club culture with splatter-heavy horror.

Despite its critical thrashing, Boll insists the movie has found a second life. In the crowdfunding video, he says, “[House of the Dead] turned from the most-hated video game-based into a total cult classic,” adding, “People love that movie, and I love that movie, and I called all the old cast and said, 'Would you come back to do a real, retro, bloody, new House of the Dead-inspired movie?'”

He doesn’t say whether any of the original cast actually agreed, leaving that part of the pitch hanging in the air.

So far, the campaign isn’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard. After four days, it’s raised about $5,000 toward a $20,000 goal. That’s a modest start for a filmmaker who once dominated the video game adaptation scene with projects like Alone in the Dark, BloodRayne, and Far Cry.

On the other side of the fence, the official House of the Dead reboot is moving forward with some serious studio muscle. Isabela Merced, who recently appeared in Superman and The Last of Us, has signed on to star.

Anderson is set to direct, continuing his long-running relationship with game-to-film adaptations after Resident Evil and Monster Hunter.

So now we’re looking at two very different visions rising from the same zombie grave. One is a glossy, studio-backed revival with franchise ambitions. The other is a scrappy, crowdfunded return from one of the most controversial figures in video game movie history.

Whether Boll’s undead comeback actually makes it off the island remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear. House of the Dead refuses to stay dead.