Dawn of the Dead (also known as Zombi internationally) is a 1978 (1978 in film) zombie film, written and directed by George A. Romero. It was the second film made in Romeros Living Dead series (Living Dead), but contains no characters or settings from its predecessor (Night of the Living Dead), and shows in larger scale a zombie epidemics apocalyptic effects on society (zombie apocalypse). In the film, a pandemic of unknown origin has caused the reanimation of the dead (undead), who prey on human flesh, which subsequently causes mass hysteria. The cast features David Emge, Ken Foree, Scott H. Reiniger and Gaylen Ross as survivors of the outbreak who barricade themselves inside a suburban shopping mall.

Dawn of the Dead was shot over approximately four months, from late 1977 to early 1978, in the Pennsylvania cities of Pittsburgh and Monroeville (Monroeville, Pennsylvania). Its primary filming location was the Monroeville Mall. The film was made on a relatively modest budget estimated at $650,000 US, and was a significant box office success for its time, grossing an estimated $55 million worldwide. Since opening in theaters in 1978, and despite heavy gore content, reviews for the film have been nearly unanimously positive.

Cultural and film historians read significance into the films plot, linking it to critiques of large corporations as well as American consumerism and of the social decadence and the social and commercial excess present in America during the late 1970s.

In 2008, Dawn of the Dead was chosen by Empire (Empire Magazine) magazine as one of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, along with its predecessor, Night of the Living Dead.

In addition to four official (Canon (fiction)) sequels, the film has spawned numerous parodies and pop culture references (Dawn of the Dead in popular culture). A remake of the movie (Dawn of the Dead (2004 film)) premiered in the United States on March 19, 2004. It was labeled a "re-imagining (Remake#Reimagining)" of the original films concept. It retains several major themes of the original film along with the primary setting in a shopping mall.