"Night of the Living Dead" director George A. Romero has died on Sunday June 16, 2017. Los Angeles Times first reported the announcement from Romero's longtime collaborator, producer Peter Grunwald.

George A. Romero's cause of death

George A. Romero died in his sleep in the company of his family. He was listening to the music score from "The Quiet Man" (1952) during that time. Reports say that Romero considered it as one of his all-time favorite movies.

According to the official obituary, Romero had a "brief but aggressive battle with lung cancer." It took such a toll on his health that he even canceled his supposed appearance at the Days of the Dead Indy festival in the beginning of the year.

"The Exorcist" actress Linda Blair took his place in the annual gathering.

His family also released a statement regarding the heartbreaking news. "We deeply regret the death of our beloved father George A. Romero," the official statement says. "Thank you, all fans for your love and for following the path of our father."

'The Godfather of the Dead' passes away

True to his moniker, the 77-year-old filmmaker paved a way for zombies to have a spot in the industry for the years to come. He became a pioneer for this change since the 1960s when he brought the undead and social issues together to make the "Night of the Living Dead."

The 1968 film became a cult classic despite having a low budget. It also made a mark in Hollywood after tapping African-American actor Duane Jones as its lead star during the height of the civil rights issue.

Romero followed up his successful film with several installments for the "Dead" film franchise such as "Dawn of the Dead." His other film credits include “There’s Always Vanilla,” “Season of the Witch,” and “The Crazies.”

Hollywood mourns the loss of George A. Romero

Several notable personalities who worked with the iconic helmer paid tribute after his unfortunate passing. Eli Roth, Stephen King and other staples in the horror industry expressed their thoughts on various social media platforms.

James Gunn worked with Romero on the 2004 remake of "Dawn of the Dead" as the writer. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" director talked about how Romero's flick made an impact in his childhood despite the scary content.

“RIP #GeorgeRomero. You made me want to make movies, and helped me to find meaning in monsters,” Gunn said. "Thank you.

I love you."

"Hostel" creator Eli Roth praised Romero for his courage in changing the entire film world in his own way. Horror novel writer Stephen King, on the other hand, stressed that will never be another one like his "favorite collaborator."

Celebrities expressed how Romero had a huge influence on the new generation of Hollywood trailblazers.

Check out some of the selected tweets below:

Just like the world of zombies he created, his legacy will never die. Our deepest condolences to George A. Romero's family. Stay tuned for more updates.