Zack Snyder breaks down the Army of the Dead trailer in a new behind-the-scenes video from Netflix. The movie tells the story of an elite team of soldiers, played by Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, and others, who attempt to rob a Las Vegas casino in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Army of the Dead is set to launch on Netflix on May 21, with a limited theatrical release planned for a week prior on May 14.
Army of the Dead has gained a lot of attention as Zack Snyder’s first film since the release of his Justice League director’s cut. Though the film pays tribute in many ways to the zombie classics of the past – something Snyder has done before with his 2004 Dawn of the Dead remake – it puts a new spin on things by splicing together the horror, action, and heist genres into a bizarre and creative undead blockbuster. Netflix has already ordered a prequel film and spinoff animated series set in the Army of the Dead universe, which will build on the movie's unique zombie lore.
Thanks to a new video from Netflix UK & Ireland, fans can get a look behind the scenes of the movie with the director himself. Snyder goes through the official Army of the Dead trailer shot by shot, explaining some of the technical processes and challenges that went into the various action sequences. Watch the video below.
In the video, Snyder shares some interesting bits of lore about the film’s zombies, discussing their hierarchy and social systems. Army of the Dead features several different types of zombies, from ordinary shuffling undead to much more intelligent and deadly breeds. The hierarchy spawns from Zeus, the original zombie who escaped from Area 51 and started the outbreak. Any person Zeus infects becomes an elite alpha zombie, who can then create weaker zombies of their own.
It’s an interesting take on a very familiar genre, which will hopefully breathe some new life into Army of the Dead. The era of undead overload that surrounded The Walking Dead’s breakout success over a decade ago has died down in recent years, but the zombie genre remains crowded. That makes it tough for any new franchise to build its own space and unique appeal, but Snyder and his team have done their best to create a fresh and exciting story that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Army of the Dead releases in theaters on May 14 and on Netflix on May 21.
Source: Netflix UK & Ireland