Walmart plans to destroy an iconic piece of cinema history

by Jennifer Asensio
| Published 14 seconds ago

Walmart has purchased a piece of western Pennsylvania’s movie history. The Monroeville Mall, in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville, was the setting for George Romero’s 1978 classic film, Dawn of the Dead. The mall is still standing today, but in true Walmart fashion, the box office company is already planning to demolish it.

Many of Romero’s zombie films are set in Pennsylvania, starting with the original, Night of the Living Dead. Choose the mall as a group Dawn of the Dead It was a statement at the time about mindless consumerism, but the second film in Romero’s popular series stayed close to its roots. Both Monroeville and its mall have evolved significantly since the film was filmed, and visitors to the mall may not recognize it compared to the structure featured in the film.

Today the mall contains familiar mall staples, such as Auntie Anne’s and Macy’s, but also includes a storefront museum celebrating the Living Dead franchise and its roots in Pennsylvania. Bronze bust George Romero It also decorates the mall near the museum. Both the museum and the mall itself draw horror fans on a pilgrimage to one of the most famous locations in the genre. They even hold an annual event called “Living Dead Weekend.”

Walmart is wasting no time in its plan to “improve” the mall by demolishing it. The investment firms representing the box store giant have already told storefront tenants they need to move out by April 2027. Plans are to transform the mall into an open-air marketplace featuring Walmart, Sam’s Club, restaurants and other venues.

It’s true that the mall is no longer what it was in the movie, but the hidden plans for the location are tragic. It is ironic that a site famous for satirizing mindless consumerism will be demolished by the same mindless consumerism. Hopefully, the Monroeville Mall will be like the zombies that made it famous and rise from the dead by somehow evading demolition plans. Otherwise, fans should plan their last visit before 2027.