Here are all of the juicy details from an action-packed Army of the Dead trailer. Zack Snyder is still riding high on the back of a successful return to the DCEU with Zack Snyder's Justice League, arriving on HBO Max to no small amount of fanfare. The hype over Snyder's long-awaited superhero bonanza has barely waned and already the director's next project is gearing for release. Set to premiere on Netflix May 21st, Army of the Dead follows a ragtag group of mercenaries attempting an audacious Las Vegas heist... during a zombie outbreak. Aside from the main film, Snyder already has a prequel and an anime spin-off in the pipeline, ensuring Army of the Dead's long-term franchise future.
Starring Dave Bautista, Omari Hardwick, Ella Purnell, and more, Army of the Dead promises a very different flesh-eating experience compared to Snyder's breakout Dawn of the Dead remake, and comes adorned with the striking cinematography and stylistic violence fans of the director will be expecting. A short teaser released in February highlighted the casino setting, Snyder's usual dry humor, and more zombies than you can shake a rotting croupier at, but gave away precious little about Army of the Dead's plot and characters.
The first full Army of the Dead trailer has now arrived, and offers a far more complete picture of the Sin City hell Snyder is preparing to unleash upon Netflix subscribers. Here are all of the key story details, characters and secrets lurking within.
Before The Mission
The origin of Army of the Dead's zombie outbreak will be covered by a prequel, which means the trailer opens with the apocalypse in full swing. Fortunately, it seems the undead are contained within Las Vegas, as the humble Lucky Boy diner is going about its business unaffected. The successful containment of this virus is perhaps the most unrealistic thing you'll see over the next 3 minutes.
Dave Bautista's Scott
Army of the Dead introduces Dave Bautista's rugged protagonist, Scott Ward... but not necessarily in the environment you'd expect. Rather than camouflage and a semi-automatic, Big Dave starts off wielding a hair net and a spatula, going about his daily business working at the diner. Evidently, Ward was once a highly skilled military man, carrying out the most dangerous missions, but Army of the Dead kicks off with the hero and his team enjoying peaceful retirement - not for long, of course.
Hiroyuki Sanada's Hunter
Scott is visited at his diner by Hunter Bly, played by Hiroyuki Sanada of Lost, Mortal Kombat and The Last Samurai fame. Upon Hunter's arrival, Army of the Dead's premise begins to emerge. Apparently a man of influence and wealth, Hunter is offering $50 million to Ward for one last job.
Snyder's Cinematography
With the basic plot established, Army of the Dead's trailer takes the time to showcase Zack Snyder's gorgeous cinematography, with a helicopter flying over a sunset, a lonely rural road, and a run-down shack. Snyder serves as both director and cinematographer on Army of the Dead, so it's no surprise to see his trademark palette in all its dusty glory here, reminiscent of the DCEU's Knightmare.
Scott's Tragic Backstory
Fans get the merest hint of Scott's backstory, and it doesn't look to be a happy one. The Army of the Dead trailer shows Dave Bautista's character experiencing a moment with what appears to be a military medal, tears streaming down his face. Whatever significance the item may have, it's clearly a painful reminder for Scott, and possibly the reason his team disbanded in the first place. Despite the blood and guts that will inevitably ensure, Army of the Dead promises a more emotive role for Dave Bautista than many would've assumed from a zombie flick.
Blueprints
Speaking of guts, Army of the Dead finally digs into the heart of the plot, as Scott receives a set of blueprints to a big, no-nonsense safe. The language on the document appears to be written in German, so you can guarantee it's not built to be opened by unwanted hands. This safe is almost certainly the target that Hunter is sending Scott into Las Vegas for.
Ana De La Regulera's Cruz
As Scott begins his recruitment drive of old friends, he calls into a warehouse and picks up Cruz, played by Ana de la Regulera. They share a drink, and Scott offers her a place on the Las Vegas heist. Bautista's character refers to "all those people we saved," and says the team should do something for themselves for once. Like stealing bundles of cash from a zombie-infested casino. Zack Snyder has confirmed that Ward's team were part of the initial attempt to suppress the outbreak.
Omari Hardwick's Vanderohe
Next of the main cast to be revealed is Omari Hardwick as Vanderohe. Hardwick's character is relatively understated in the Army of the Dead trailer, but was afforded the starring line of the teaser released back in February - "that's heavy brother, but I dig it."
Raúl Castillo's Mikey
Soon after Vanderohe's introduction, Army of the Dead moves onto Raúl Castillo's Mikey Guzman, and the team is rapidly coming together. Castillo is perhaps best known for HBO's Looking.
Tig Notaro's Marianne
On gas-pouring duty is Tig Notaro as Marianne. The comedian's biggest acting credit thus far has been as Jett Reno on Star Trek: Discovery, but Notaro was added to the Army of the Dead cast late in the day to replace Chris D'Elia after accusations of sexual misconduct emerged. As a result, Notato's scenes were filmed via reshoots, and have been digitally inserted into the finished cut.
Ella Purnell's Kate
Next up is Scott's daughter Kate, played by Ella Purnell. The English actress is best known for portraying a young Maleficent opposite Angelina Jolie, and for starring in Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. Kate does stand out in the trailer's Las Vegas sequences - while the rest of the team are wearing various combinations of tactical gear, Purnell's character appears to have turned up for battle in her volunteer clothes.
The Job
With the team more or less in place, Scott, Cruz, Mikey, Vanderohe and Marianne line up alongside Matthias Schweighöfer's Ludwig (more on him later) to be briefed by Hunter on the planned heist. Proudly unveiling a scale model of the target hotel, it's clear that no expense has been spared getting Scott's team ready for the perilous robbery. A voice-over from Hunter confirms "there's $200 million in the vault beneath the strip." That's where we're going, apparently. Curiously, Hunter also specifies a "32-hour window" to get in and out. The reason for the time limit isn't made clear. All the military would allow, maybe, or something much worse?
Arming Up... & A Justice League Easter Egg
As the gang load up, guns are cocked, sights are tested, and Vanderohe brings out a massively conspicuous circular saw, which is later shown meeting zombie heads in a hail of splattering red. So enticing is the thought of such a weapon being brought against a giant horde of zombies, it's easy to miss the Justice League Easter egg sitting directly on Omari Hardwick's chest. Among his various pieces of body art is an Omega symbol - a homage to Darkseid, the big DCEU villain who was dropped by Joss Whedon, only to be restored in the Snyder Cut.
Ludwig's The Safe-cracker
Ludwig is pressed up against the cold metal door of the Las Vegas safe, twirling the combination and listening intently. This scene would suggest that Lugwig is the team's safe-cracker, explaining why he, out of all the group, looks most uneasy fighting off the undead. Ludwig's role could be connected to the German blueprints glimpsed earlier in the hands of Scott - perhaps he shares some connection to the manufacturer.
The Mission Is Successful
The Army of the Dead trailer makes no secret that Scott's crew will reach their destination in Vegas. We see a shot of the outside hatch being blown apart with explosives, revealing the safe inside, and after some intense fiddling from Ludwig, the gang walk into a vault filled with cash piles. The mission's success being revealed in the trailer proves that seizing money won't be the gang's real challenge in Army of the Dead - getting out alive will be.
Nora Arnezeder's Lily
The next major character we meet is Lily, portrayed by Nora Arnezeder. Although Lily isn't present during Hunter's briefing (as far as the trailer shows), she seems to hold a position of command, hinting that Scott's crew will possibly team up with another faction before the chaos begins. This ties into Lily knowing more about the undead zombies than anyone else on the team. She's could be one of the soldiers responsible for keeping Vegas and its new residents contained.
Zombies - Does The Public Know?
Speaking of zombies, here we go. And there are lots of them. The entire strip is crawling like Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Strangely, one of the undead is standing perfectly still upon the crown of the "Statue of Liberty" watching our heroes enter the blockade of shipping containers that surround the infested area. That's awfully strange behavior for a mindless zombie... Interestingly, Mikey is shocked by the sight of his first zombie, which implies that either the true reason for Vegas' closure hasn't been made public, or the zombies have developed greatly since the first wave.
One Of The Team Is Caught
As the horde advances, viewers might notice one of Scott's team lying on the ground at the feet of an abandoned military vehicle. The character is moving around, clearly still alive and kicking, but his comrades are some way behind, waiting with guns at the ready. This looks to be one of Army of the Dead's most suspenseful scenes, as one of the heroes finds himself trapped in no man's land, remaining motionless to avoid attracting unwanted attention. Hopefully Drax offered some tips.
Showgirl Zombie
If any Army of the Dead image embeds into the brain and refuses to dissolve, it's the sight of a reanimated Vegas showgirl, still wearing her dancing costume, leading the zombie attack. Weirdly, a glitzy top isn't all this creature is wearing - she's clad in a spike-covered coat and something vaguely resembling a crown sits upon her head. This zombie queen cries out with a piercing scream, as if to signal other nearby rotters. Something's definitely unusual here...
Vegas Is A Wreck
If it wasn't already clear, a stunning long-shot of The Olympus reveals that Vegas has been wrecked by the zombie outbreak, and further devastated by the ensuing battle between living and dead that has left debris, vehicles and ruins strewn across Las Vegas like a wasteland. It makes for a fascinating, unique setting full of small details.
"Not What You Think"
Finally, the explanation we've been waiting for, as Lily discloses how these zombies aren't necessarily what you expect. They're not slow, mindless hunks of flesh looking to snatch a bite out of the careless and unlucky. Many of them are fast, tough and intelligent, with a mixture of alphas and the more generic shamblers. More than anything else, this speech proves that Army of the Dead will be a distinctly different zombie story compared to the usual fare. Zack Snyder might've just created the most formidable zombies in cinematic history.
Zombie Love
Fresh from Lily's helpful exposition, Army of the Dead's trailer moves to a makeshift zombie HQ set up in a hotel swimming pool, highlighting just how advanced this decaying society has become. The creatures bow down to the showgirl zombie seen summoning her troops previously, and two of them cuddle up as if about to share a kiss. This moment makes apparent that not only are the horde tactically astute, they're able to feel emotions of love and lust. A moral conundrum emerges - is it okay to slaughter this new species camped in Las Vegas? There's also a leadership structure at play within the enemy's ranks. The showgirl is some kind of zombified queen, while the figure spotted previously atop the Statue of Liberty could be her king.
They Dodge Too
In the trailer's most impressive action sequence, Dave Bautista brandishes a knife to go one-on-one with a zombie, but his opponent dodges every single strike. Thanks to The Walking Dead and its contemporaries, audiences are conditioned to believe a knife will prove more than enough to down a lone zombie, but if Army of the Dead's rotting contingent are this fast and dangerous, how could Scott's team possibly emerge victorious against an entire town? Maybe not every zombie possesses the awareness of the horde's two leaders.
...And Ride Horses
The queen zombie stands out as a character in her own right among Army of the Dead's throng of reanimated corpses, but another featured villain is the male corpse seen previously standing upon the Statue of Liberty's head, then later alongside the queen. The same figure returns riding a zombified horse into battle like something out of The Lord of the Rings.
Bring Out The Tanks
It comes as no surprise that Scott's squad need some heavy artillery as they face a wall of zombies who can think and fight better than when they were alive. The Army of the Dead trailer reveals that the big guns do indeed come out, but the procession of zombies going up and down the escalator in the background reminds us of the inherent madness behind Snyder's concept.
Super Strong Undead
Mr. Horseback-Statue-of-Liberty-King zombie returns to demonstrate exactly the kind of threat Scott's team face in Army of the Dead. Echoing Lily's warning from earlier, these particular undead are super-strong. The vest-clad villain swings a big right hand and sends a protagonist flying across the room with a single blow. It's not yet known exactly how dying and coming back to life enhances a human's physical strength, but Army of the Dead may not fully explain the science behind the outbreak.
Airstrike Flashback
Adding to the abundance of visual variety on display in a scant 3 minutes of Army of the Dead footage, military planes perform an airstrike on the Las Vegas strip, sending a series of fiery explosions rippling between the palm trees in dazzling fashion. A quick glance at the streets shows Vegas relatively intact, and the Statue of Liberty remains intact in her rightful position to the left of shot. This sequence must, therefore, comprise part of a flashback chronicling Las Vegas' descent into apocalypse, and how the government initially tried to contain the situation with firepower.
Exploding Hotel
The Army of the Dead trailer contains a handful of shots where a casino hall or hotel room goes up in flames, and a number of characters are shown carrying red gasoline cans on their banks mid-mission. These two elements could imply Scott's mission changing over the course of the film, switching from monetary gain to taking down the zombie army occupying Las Vegas - by blowing everything up.
Zombie Tiger
Army of the Dead's pièce de résistance is the dramatic arrival of a zombie tiger. Straight from the nightmares of Joe Exotic, this is the trailer's second undead animal after the horse, and demonstrates how the human zombies are able to command their animal counterparts even from the grave. The tiger's CGI is impressive, and one can only imagine how such a powerful threat will be utilized in action sequences. Tantalizingly, those delights are saved for another day.
Garret Dillahunt's Martin
Familiar to fans of Deadwood and Fear The Walking Dead, Garret Dillahunt features briefly in several early trailer shots, but gets his biggest moment commenting on the arrival of the zombie tiger with an unashamedly meta, "that's crossing the line." Dillahunt is certainly due a shot at the big time, and his mix of earthy comedy and earnest every-man is ideal for Army of the Dead.
Surrounded
Although the shot was used previously in the teaser, Army of the Dead's first full trailer ends with the core cast atop a car, surrounded by craven zombies with arms and mouths outstretched. The shot promises the mother of all underdog battles, as not only are the heroes outnumbered, they are, strangely for a zombie movie, hopelessly outmatched too.
