Editing Dawn of the Dead (1978 film) (section)

===Development===
The history of ''Dawn of the Dead'' began in 1974, when [[George A. Romero]] was invited by friend Mark Mason of [[Oxford Development Company]]—whom Romero knew from an acquaintance at his alma mater, [[Carnegie Mellon]]—to visit the [[Monroeville Mall]], which Mason's company managed. After showing Romero hidden parts of the mall, during which Romero noted the bliss of the consumers, Mason jokingly suggested that someone would be able to survive in the mall, should an emergency ever occur.<ref name="zombiefarm">{{Cite web |url=http://www2.gol.com/users/noman/mall01.htm |title=The mall at ''The Zombie Farm'' |access-date=April 8, 2006 |archive-date=May 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060526133105/http://www2.gol.com/users/noman/mall01.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> With this inspiration, Romero began to write the screenplay for the film.

Romero and his producer, [[Richard P. Rubinstein]], were unable to procure any domestic investors for the new project. By chance, word of the sequel reached Italian horror director [[Dario Argento]]. A fan of ''Night of the Living Dead'' and an early critical proponent of the film, Argento was eager to help the horror classic receive a sequel. He met Romero and Rubinstein, helping to secure financing in exchange for international distribution rights. Argento invited Romero to Rome so he would have a change of scenery while writing the screenplay. The two could also discuss plot developments.<ref>{{cite web|last=Biodrowski|first=Steve|title=Dawn of the Dead (1979)|publisher=Cinema Fantastique|url=http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/10/02/dawn-of-the-dead-1979/|access-date=May 4, 2008|archive-date=September 25, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925163448/http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/10/02/dawn-of-the-dead-1979/|url-status=live}}</ref> Romero was able to secure the availability of the Monroeville Mall as well as additional financing through his connections with the mall's owners at Oxford Development.<ref name="zombiefarm" /> Once the casting was completed, principal shooting was scheduled to begin in [[Pennsylvania]] on November 13, 1977.