Uwe Boll Announces ‘23 Years Later — The Castle of the Dead’, Unofficial ‘House of the Dead’ Sequel

Uwe Boll will start principal photography for *23 Years Later — The Castle of the Dead* on September 5 in Germany. Marketed as an “unofficial sequel” to his 2003 *House of the Dead* film, it reunites original leads Jonathan Cherry and Ona Grauer. The script is co-written by Lutz Geiger; Michael Roesch produces, with Boris Wolffgardt as co-producer. Boll lacks the official video-game rights, so the project is not legally tied to Sega’s franchise.

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

The 2003 *House of the Dead* adaptation earned a 3 % critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and is often listed among the worst video-game movies. Despite the reviews, it grossed over $10 million domestically and, per Boll, more than $100 million worldwide via home-video and VOD. Sega has commissioned Paul W.S. Anderson to produce an official reboot, a development Boll references.

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• Uwe Boll – Director

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• Jonathan Cherry – Actor (original)

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• Ona Grauer – Actress (original)

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• Lutz Geiger – Co-writer

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• Michael Roesch – Producer

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• Boris Wolffgardt – Co-producer

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• THR Event Films – Boll’s company, optioned survival-horror video-game rights from THQ Nordic

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Boll publicly denounced the upcoming official reboot as a “soulless CGI orgy” and pledged a practical-effects-driven sequel that will be “bloody, gory and handmade.” Producer Michael Roesch emphasized the shift from a house to a castle while retaining the core zombie premise.

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Industry commentators continue to label Boll as one of the modern era’s most critically derided filmmakers; the original *House of the Dead* remains a benchmark for poor video-game adaptations.

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• Domestic box office (2003 film): > $10 million.

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• Worldwide home-video/VOD revenue (per Boll): > $100 million.

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• Rotten Tomatoes critics score: 3 %.

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

• “When I heard that Paul Anderson is rebooting House of the Dead, I immediately knew that it will be a soulless CGI orgy” — Uwe Boll, Director

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• “And I want to do a completely different zombie movie: Bloody, gory and handmade.” — Uwe Boll, Director

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• “we’re upgrading from a house full of zombies to a castle full of zombies.” — Michael Roesch, Producer

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• “ The cult B-movie director is set to begin principal photography of the film on September 5 in Germany.” — Dread Central, Entertainment News

Uwe Boll Directing “Unofficial” Sequel to ‘House of the Dead’ Hilariously Called ’23 Years Later’

Sega’s official reboot, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, is in development. Boll has announced a reboot of *Alone in the Dark* and is finalizing the action thriller *Citizen Vigilante* (starring Armie Hammer) for a summer release. Two sequels to his 2024 cop thriller *First Shift* are in post-production, showing a continued output schedule alongside the new zombie film.

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