Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with something cool for us '80s cheese fans out there. Now, I didn't grow up with NIGHT OF THE COMET, like some of my other favorite '80s cheese flicks like BLOOD DINER and NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. Matter of fact I've just recently seen this gem myself. I have too much nostalgia for stuff like HOUSE and NIGHT OF THE DEMONS to put it among those films, but it was a ton of fun.

Now it has been announced that a sequel with the same cast and same director is in the works. Here's the press release below!

Kelli Maroney, who starred in the sci-fi classic “Night of the Comet” as Sam (“the little girl with the big gun”), will reprise her role in the sequel, NIGHT OF THE COMET II, which she will co-produce with Charlie Mason for his company, Ride the Rail Entertainment, which is clearing the rights.

The original film, long unavailable on DVD or video, was written and directed by Thom Eberhardt, and starred Maroney, Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran, Geoffrey Lewis and Catherine Mary Stewart, some of whom will reprise their original roles.

“I’m thrilled to be able to bring this one back,” said Maronrey, dropping into character as Sam the Cheerleader. “Like, what’s up with it not being out there? I’m so sure it totally has to be….”

In the original “Night of the Comet,” a comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls (Maroney and Stewart) to fight evil flesh-eating zombies who survive the disaster. The zombies are led by mad scientists Lewis and Woronov. The girls hook up with a friendly truck driver (Beltran) and survive, presumably to repopulate the Earth.

The original film was financed by the Film Development Fund and released domestically by Atlantic Releasing Corp, Paramount, and CBS-Fox Video.

If you've seen the movie then you know the ending isn't exactly a cliff hanger... I'm curious to see where this goes. I hope it's not going to be done on the ultra-cheap with direct-to-DVD production values. The first one obviously didn't have a huge budget, but what was grade B then and what is grade B now is quite a different quality level. Maybe it's the advent of digital photography or the fact that B films hardly ever see a theater screen (thanks to the near elimination of drive-ins and the ease of video/cable), so the filmmakers skimp on the production design and lighting. Who knows? I just know I'd be sad if this is a cheapo direct to DVD follow-up.

I'm currently in the process of contacting some of those involved to get some more dirt on the project, so stay tuned!