Watch Greg Nicotero's award winning short that lead to directing The Walking Dead
By Renee Hansen
Greg Nicotero is a staple within The Walking Dead universe. He has been a part of the franchise since before the main series was green-lit and has taken on many roles during this time. He began in SFX and would then become a director, executive producer, and actor in the main series as well as several of the spinoffs. In 2010, Nictotero would direct a comedy short, The United Monster Talent Agency.
The short film is a fun classic monster-themed ad by "Movietone News," highlighting The United Monster Talent Agency, which hires real monsters for their films. The agency has searched worldwide to collect an impressive list of monsters, including The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster, brought them to Tinseltown, and put them to work in movies.
NIcotero was awarded Best Short Film at Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards for the film and this would lead to the beginning of his directorial career within The Walking Dead universe.
The United Monster Talent Agency features a great lineup of actors for this mock featurette that goes behind the scenes at the agency.
- Andy Schoneberg - Dr. Zaius, Narrator
- Cerina Vincent - Kay
- Sam Page - David
- Carey Jones - Creature from the Black Lagoon
- Frank Darabont - Director #1
- Eli Roth - Director #2
- Dana Gould - The Wolfman
- Arden Myrin - Luanne
- Sam Witwer - Dracula
- Jake Garber - Frankenstein's Monster
- Joe Giles - The Mummy
- Brian Goehring - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- John Paul Fedele - Sun Demon
- Robert Rodriguez - Jaws Scientist
- Derek Mears - UMTA Handler
Watch the 8 minute The United Monster Talent Agency short below.
Nicotero talks about the project with Fear.net at Fantastic Fest where he premiered the short.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - Greg Nicotero
Nictotero has directed the first episode of the second season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon series, subtitled The Book of Carol. This series will premiere its second season in 2024.
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