Producers Eric Newman and Marc Abraham developed the film rather as a "re-envisioning" of the original Dawn of the Dead, aiming to reinvigorate the zombie genre for modern audiences.

Upon awakening, Ana joins police sergeant Kenneth Hall, electronics salesman Michael, petty criminal Andre and his pregnant wife Luda.

When the power goes out, C.J., Bart, Michael and Kenneth go to the parking garage to activate the emergency generator; they find a friendly dog named Chips, signifying a breach.

[8] Co-producer Eric Newman cited Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Thing (1982), and The Fly (1986) as influences on the remake, considering these to be "amazing updates" as well as "great movies that add to rather than diminish the original films".

[8] By way of respect to Romero's film, the producers cast the original's Tom Savini, Scott Reiniger, and Ken Foree in cameos; and incorporated visual references to Gaylen Ross and James A.

[10] Gunn decided to leave the origin of the zombie outbreak ambiguous, believing this would give not only equal consideration to each audience's viewpoint (scientific or otherwise) but also something to think about what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation.

So there is that foundation of love, that basic message, within even Dawn of the Dead...[21]Zack Snyder chose to direct the remake as his first feature film because it gave the television commercial director "a reason to care about every shot".

Prior to accepting the job from Universal Studios' then-executive James D. Brubaker, Anderson had been in a two-year hiatus from working as a makeup effects artist to operate his company DLA Silverwear.

Concerned about the risk thereof, Anderson developed an alternative method in which his team would attach wires to the scalps loaded with blood packs and yank them with a remote-controlled "air ratchet system", lending a similar gruesome effect as with the squibs sans potential harm.

[31] Influenced by the works of composers adept at creating dissonant themes, such as Béla Bartók and Krzysztof Penderecki,[31] he combined elements of electronic music and 20th-century orchestra with the intention of making the audience "very, very uncomfortable".

[32] In a 2023 interview with Total Film, Snyder revealed he had lobbied for the inclusion of the Richard Cheese cover of "Down with the Sickness", originally sung by the heavy metal band Disturbed, which plays in a montage where the characters relieve boredom in the mall.

"[33] Universal Pictures distributed the film worldwide, excluding the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Japan, Scandinavia, Iceland, Turkey, Israel, South Africa and the Middle East.

[35] Entertainment Weekly projected that it would outperform The Passion of the Christ in its United States opening weekend, with an audience base comprising largely young males and estimated gross of $22 million.

[45] Dawn of the Dead received generally positive reviews upon its release,[37][50] with critics praising it as a worthy remake of the original and a fine addition to the zombie genre.

[35] Michael Gingold stated, "[...] Dawn of the Dead joins The Ring and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre as an update that both honors its source and emerges as an effective horror film in its own right",[48] a sentiment also shared by IGN.

[6] Lisa Schwarzbaum praised Snyder's direction in "a killer feature debut",[46] while Roger Ebert said in a positive review that anyone paying to see it is guaranteed to get their money's worth.

[48] The lack of dark humor of the original was a source of criticism,[47][52] although the scene in which survivors shoot zombified celebrity look-alikes with a sniper rifle was considered by most to be funny, among other jokes;[46][54][55] The Hollywood Reporter cited it as some of the film's "moments of inspired audacity".

[12] Many noted that the fast-moving zombies of Dawn of the Dead were similar to those of 28 Days Later,[48][51] but felt that the Danny Boyle film was "darker and creepier",[13] "smarter, more rigorously structured",[56] and could pass for a remake of the original.

[48] In contrast, Manohla Dargis commented that Romero's consumerist metaphor has lost its significance in the years since the original's release, "with the politics of consumption now an established academic field and shopping now considered a statement of identity".

[6] The Hollywood Reporter and Chicago Tribune commented that Dawn of the Dead was content to indulge in bloody zombie killings devoid of meaning and introspection once present in the original, leaving the audience rather numbed and "less mercifully handled, even at the end-credits".

[57] Conversely, the BBC complimented the film as a "stylish, gore-drenched shoot-em-up",[49] and Dargis attributed its appeal not to the bloody violence but to "the filmmakers' commitment to genre fundamentals".

[51] Writing in a positive review, internet-based critic James Berardinelli said fans of "tight, tense, graphic horror" should be able to enjoy the same aplenty in Dawn of the Dead.

[13][52] Although Ebert was personally not on board with the characters' "risky" plan to escape from the mall in lieu of awaiting the zombies' natural death, he remarked that "taking chances makes for good action scenes".

[46][47] IGN was dismayed that least attention was given to Phifer's "naturally charismatic presence" with such a large cast, though felt that Rhames was effective as Polley's "quietly authoritative foil" and praised Jake Weber's performance in "a thankless role".

[6] While giving equal praise to Polley, Phifer, and Rhames, Gingold singled out Weber's existentialist role as "the best of all",[48] as did the BBC, who also credited the actor with "bringing a redoubtable decency and charisma to a potentially bland part, like the young Roy Scheider in Jaws".

The website's consensus reads: "A kinetic, violent and surprisingly worthy remake of George Romero's horror classic that pays homage to the original while working on its own terms.

The action – particularly the opening scene and the propane explosion climax – in addition to the fantastic special effects makeup, the brief flirtation with found footage, and the reverence for its source text while introducing something new makes 2004's Dawn of the Dead one of the best remakes on the market.

[80] Author Stephen King, in the forenote of the 2010 edition of his book Danse Macabre, saw what he believed to be Snyder's subtext conveying the horrors induced by terrorist attacks, drawing parallels between the zombie apocalypse and a post-9/11 America.

[82][83] On March 25, 2007, Variety announced that Warner Bros. Pictures would produce a new zombie film from a screenplay written by Joby Harold, based on an original idea conceived by Snyder.

In a statement, Snyder said that he wanted the film to feel similar to Dawn of the Dead and 300 and that it would center around a father in Las Vegas "who tries to save his daughter from imminent death in a zombie-infested world".