Army of the Dead star Dave Bautista says that the Zack Snyder directed film isn't just about the blood and guts. Snyder's first non-DCEU film since 2011's Sucker Punch, Army of the Dead will debut on Netflix this May and herald the director's return to the zombie genre. His first foray into the zombie realm, a Dawn of the Dead remake that some consider his best film, was a direct remake of the George A. Romero classic. Army of the Dead acts as a spiritual follow-up to that film and the classics that inspired it, with a distinct Snyder twist.
Army of the Dead's first trailer revealed smart and advanced zombies (and a zombie tiger to boot), but that's just the beginning of what Snyder has planned. Netflix is also set to release a prequel film that will follow the lives of Army of the Dead's characters during the early days of the zombie apocalypse. There's also an animated series in the works titled Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, signaling a potential franchise for the streamer and a new creative home for the original architect of the DCEU.
Fans may be expecting all-out zombie mayhem from Army of the Dead and it seems like they'll certainly get that, but Bautista says that that's not all the film is about. During Justice Con, the Scott Ward actor says that Army of the Dead transcends the normal blood and guts of the genre to become a more layered film that is more than just a typical zombie apocalypse film.
It is a zombie apocalypse, but there’s so much going on so it’s not just that. I really think this is going to hit with people across the board. And also, it’s a zombie apocalypse film but it’s not over the top gory. You’re not taking the cheap way out where it’s just focused on the blood and guts and gore. There’s so many more layers to this film. It’s head and shoulders above your basic zombie apocalypse film.
With the explosion of the zombie genre thanks in part to The Walking Dead, Hollywood has been inundated with a plethora of options for fans. Many have fallen into the trappings of the genre without adding anything new to it, but it certainly sounds like Snyder is hoping to break that trend with Army of the Dead. The director has said his zombies originate from Area-51, adding another wrinkle to the film that could be explored.
Army of the Dead will usher in a new era for Snyder and how the film is received will determine the trajectory of this potential franchise. Snyder has a legion of fans that will turn out to support his work no matter what, but it certainly doesn't sound like that has made him lazy. Army of the Dead is shaping up to be an exciting entry in what has become a mainstay genre of the industry and how that plays out will be revealed when the film hits Netflix this May.
Source: Justice Con
