Judith O’Dea, who played the iconic role of “Barbara” in George A. Romero’s 1968 horror classic, Night of the Living Dead, has signed on to play the role of Senator Gayle Hamlin in Ningen Manga Productions’ upcoming social horror film, Women’s Studies. Principal photography is scheduled to begin in July 2007.
“We’re honored that Judith O’Dea has agreed to be a part of our film,” says writer/director Lonnie Martin. “Her portrayal of Barbara in Night of the Living Dead was a huge turning point in the evolution of the modern horror film heroine. Since our film deals with themes of feminism, gender roles, and womanhood, we think she’s a perfect fit.”
Women's Studies tells the story of a women's academy which is home to a feminist cult bent on the destruction of men. Rather than a typical "hack & slash" horror movie, writer/director, Lonnie Martin, describes it as “an intelligent look at groupthink, women's issues, and how blind belief in any one-sided dogma can create a violent extremist.”
O’Dea’s character is the mentor to the heroine of Women’s Studies, Mary. At the beginning of the film, Mary is caught between wanting to continue her political work for O’Dea’s Senator Hamlin and her boyfriend Zack’s desire to settle down and start a family.
“Hamlin is a woman who backs up the integrity of her beliefs with her actions,” Martin explains. “Her desire to see social change mirrors Mary’s. The question becomes one of how far each woman may be willing to go to make that change happen.”
O’Dea was on Martin’s mind when he was casting the role. “When we at Ningen Manga first started talking about Hamlin, we knew the role would require a certain level of class and poise, traits I had admired about Judith O’Dea in NOTLD. Then I saw her performance in Jason Paul Collum’s October Moon and knew she was perfect. There’s a level of intensity she delivers that’s impossible to turn away from.”
