Zack Snyder’s Netflix zombie movie Army of the Dead has added a number of key crew members from Snyder’s 2016 superhero flick Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to its team. News broke that Army of the Dead had been given the green light back in January with Snyder promising fans a “balls-to-the-wall zombie freakshow.” The action-horror will be the first feature-length film he’s directed since Batman v Superman’s follow-up Justice League.
Set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas overrun with zombies, Army of the Dead focuses on a group of mercenaries who venture into a quarantined zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted. Snyder originally penned the script for Army of the Dead back in 2007 and the plan was for Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. - who helmed the 2011 remake/prequel of The Thing - to direct. That is until Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the project over budgetary concerns, landing Army of the Dead in development hell for over a decade. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the film, however. During that time, it morphed from a movie about male zombies raping and impregnating non-zombie females to the zombie heist movie it is today, thanks to a completely reworked script. Now, with the confirmation of a couple of crew members, it seems Army of the Dead is inching ever closer to its 2020 release date.
According to HN Entertainment, Army of the Dead has hired Damon Caro, who has previously worked as second unit director and stunt coordinator on several Snyder-directed movies, including Batman v Superman, Justice League, and Man of Steel, alongside stunt work on Sucker Punch, 300, and Watchmen. Meanwhile, Discussing Film reported on Twitter that the production has also recruited costume designer Stephanie Portnoy Porter, who previously collaborated with Snyder on Batman v Superman, Justice League, and Sucker Punch.
It’s not unusual for Snyder to stick with the same tried-and-tested crew members he’s worked with before. He’s also frequently collaborated with cinematographer Larry Fong and film editor William Hoy, and his wife Deborah Snyder has either produced or executive produced all of his films since 300. She’ll reportedly be producing Army of the Dead too.
As for the cast of Army of the Dead, the only confirmed member so far is Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame actor Dave Bautista, whose casting was officially announced last month. According to recent news, Bautista will play lead character Scott, who is described as the leader of the heist and a “dry-witted, thoughtful” man who’s estranged from his family.
Alongside being Snyder’s first feature film since Justice League, Army of the Dead will also be his first zombie film since his 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s classic Dawn of the Dead. However, this time around, Snyder is equipped with a much bigger budget and a great deal more directing experience, so it’ll be interesting to see how Army of the Dead fares by comparison.
Sources: HN Entertainment, Discussing Film