Fresh from the global excitement that surrounded Justice League: The Snyder Cut, film and zombie enthusiasts are already hyping up Zack Snyder’s next opus, Army of the Dead, especially after its explosive trailer debut. A $200 million-worth heist, David Bautista showing off his emotional side, a horde of zombies a lot smarter than we’re used to, and a zombie tiger—these are just some of the things fans were able to pick up from the three-minute trailer, and it barely scratches the surface of what’s in store.
For starters, Snyder himself highlighted that this project is completely departure from his original zombie stint Dawn of the Dead dating all the way back in 2004. At a regional press conference staged for the film, the box-office director, producer, writer, and cinematographer, shared how this project serves as a love letter to reconnect with cinema and his relationship with the camera.
ZACK SNYDER (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER)
Image courtesy of Netflix
He noted, doing mega-blockbuster superhero projects usually pushed him to think further and further away from the camera, with lots of special effects and computer generated imagery thrown in the mix.
“Where I am right now, and shooting the movie myself, it’s a completely different experience. Shooting the movie, and operating [a camera] was an incredible reconnection and joyous experience. Though I had a great time doing Dawn [of the Dead], this was really one of my favorite cinematic processes. Processing the film was really satisfying,” he shared.
True enough, the plot of Army of the Dead alone, which he wrote, is certainly enough to make it stand out from the rest of the zombie genre. Instead of following around a band of survivors trying to make it from point A to point B in the middle of a deadly apocalypse, the characters in this zombie film have a more material-oriented mission. On top of trying to make it out alive, they also have to dive deep into one of the most infested parts of Las Vegas to pull off an impossible, even otherworldly heist. There, they find a new evolution of zombies with combat skills, organization, and raw emotional motivations.
“I was talking with these guys here at Netflix, and I just mentioned it as an idea I had. And they were like, ‘That sounds amazing.’ Um, [laughs] go-go do that. So, I said that, there was a script, but I said, you know, I’d really love to start up, write it from scratch.”
OMARI HARDWICK as VANDEROHE, MATTHIAS SCHWEIGHÖFER as DIETER.
Image courtesy of Netflix
DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD, HIROYUKI SANADA as TANAKA.
CLAY ENOS/NETFLIX © 2021
Snyder films have always had a unique flair of energy to them, and his action genre portfolio has proven to be undeniable, with iconic projects forever embedding themselves into the action films hall of fame. Army of the Dead is no different, but with every intention to up the ante and depart from what is already expected of the fan favorite genre.
“It wasn’t really written for me to direct. And if I’m gonna-if I’m the director, I really want to kind of write it myself. And so, uh, I got Shay (Hatten) to partner with me and we wrote the script. [And] then we just [went] right away and shot it. We wrote pretty quick. ‘Cause I knew it really well.”
DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD, ZACK SNYDER (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER)
Image courtesy of Netflix
It packs video game-like action sequences, vibrant cinematographic scenes, and a rocking soundtrack to match. But perhaps some of the things that earn this film an extra boost of excitement from fans are those critics reviews praising emotional hits that actually land a punch, and a sense of humor that actually tickled some funny bones in the audience.
In fact, Dave Bautista (who plays main lead Scott Ward) initially said no to the project because he was unsure of doing another action film at the time, Snyder revealed. But after reviewing the script, and seeing the emotional journey Scott Ward will be going through, he excitedly jumped onboard. Aside from being a total badass who can defend himself against an army of zombies while leading a heist, Snyder shared that he crafted his story arc to really zero in more on his vulnerabilities.
DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD, ELLA PURNELL as KATE WARD in ARMY OF THE DEAD.
CLAY ENOS/NETFLIX © 2021
“He plays this really broken character who wants to reconnect with his daughter. That part [too], he did an amazing job at. That was why I chose him.”
In the said conference, host and editor Nikko Ramos, put it nicely: “At some point you really just see him as a dad—who happens to be super buff—but you see through that.”
In terms of the whole experience that the film brings to audiences, Snyder pointed out his working relationship with Netflix, and the whole journey of creating a spectacular action film that wasn’t intended for cinema.
NORA ARNEZEDER as LILLY and DAVE BAUTISTA as SCOTT WARD.
NETFLIX © 2021
Releasing a visual giant with Netflix was definitely not the same as working with other distribution houses and knowing it’ll be shown in theaters with ultra-HD tech and undisturbed viewing, especially in terms of planning around the viewer experience of watching from a variety of streaming devices. However, Snyder said that it wasn’t all that different from his creative process:
“When I decided to make Army, I knew it was going to be straight to the service, right? There was no discussion [that it’ll be released in cinemas]. But I did make it specifically for your TV. My approach to it was, I want to make a big, giant movie for you, regardless. You’re going to watch it on your TV, but you’re basically watching a movie that if it had been a normal world, you would be watching it in a big, giant, blockbuster, theatrical opening. I said I want that—that quality, that feeling of a movie—but you’re getting it at home, day one when it comes out.”
TIG NOTARO as PETERS in ARMY OF THE DEAD.
SCOTT GARFIELD/NETFLIX © 2021
OMARI HARDWICK as VANDEROHE
Image courtesy of Netflix
But what exactly sets this movie apart from the rest of the zombie sub-genre?
As Snyder, himself, pointed out, it’s a “zombie world you’ve never seen before.” This is made apparent in the trailer where the walking dead aren’t looking that dead at all. In fact, they look angry (instead of hungry), motivated (instead of listless), and actually like they have something to fight for.
Humor is also a big part of Army of the Dead as it releases tension in key moments, and he believes that he owes it to Matthias Schweighöfer (who plays witty Ludwig Dieter), and the rest of the cast’s stellar performance to bring out that fun and natural chemistry within the group. “Getting the humor right is really getting actor right a lot of the time,” he emphasized.
MATTHIAS SCHWEIGHÖFER as DIETER and ZACK SNYDER (DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER)
Clay Enos/NETFLIX ©2020
There are a lot of things to look forward to in Army of the Dead, if Snyder’s own teasers can offer any insight. But to add to all the promises he made in terms of actual plot, visuals, and never-before-seen zombies, he also alluded to easter eggs scattered around several frames. This includes his own cameo, an Area 51 reference that is carried throughout several conversations, and so many more.
As Snyder put it, each viewer’s experience and takeaway from the film varies on what they’re looking for, what they gravitate towards, and what they want to uncover. The two-hour film definitely has something for everyone, and perhaps its greatest achievement is that it tackles a variety of topics, packed in a mega-exciting, action-filled movie that’s sure to entertain viewers one way or another.
The wild adventure of Army of the Dead premieres on Netflix globally, on May 21, Friday.
With additional text by Leo Balante