Horror fans are getting an unexpected holiday treat courtesy of the Tarman. One year ago, Living Dead Media announced that the classic zombie horror comedy franchise Return of the Living Dead would be rising from the grave with a new sequel that further expands Dan O'Bannon's zany, edgy, and sexy infected world for the first time in nearly 20 years. Now, the first teaser has arrived with a reintroduction to the series' most famous zombie with a holiday theme and a Christmas 2025 release window. Collider can also get in on the fun with two exclusive images of the Tarman dragging a bright and colorful Christmas tree through the snow as he hunts for more brains.

This new Return of the Living Dead film is no reboot or remake, but a proper sequel that takes place in the aftermath of the original film released in 1985. It will be an entirely new story set in a snowy Pennsylvania town around Christmas, 18 months after the original outbreak that took over Louisville and forced the military to unleash its nuclear arsenal. Further details about the plot are being kept under wraps, but director Steve Wolsh has insisted that, above all else, this story won't interfere with what's already been established in the first film and its sequels. Moreover, it plans to keep the same focus on dark humor and trioxin-fueled horror that takes inspiration from George A. Romero with a silly punk personality of its own.