'Night of the Living Dead' Creator George A. Romero Dead at 77

Legendary horror filmmaker George A. Romero, best known for creating the “Night of the Living Dead” and catapulting the zombie film genre, has passed away.

George had been battling lung cancer. He died Sunday in his sleep surrounded by his family as the score to his favorite film “The Quiet Man" played, according to the L.A. Times who reported it first.

George's 1968 cult classic "Night of the Living Dead" spawned a bunch of sequels including “Dawn of the Dead,” “Day of the Dead,” “Land of the Dead,” “Diary of the Dead” and more. He's regarded as the godfather of zombie films and inspired several modern day horror filmmakers including Eli Roth, who commended George for casting a black man as the lead in "NOTLD" in the '60s after news of his death broke.

George was 77.