Zack Snyder is teaming up with Netflix for his return to the zombie genre with Army of the Dead. The movie is expected to arrive on the streaming platform sometime in 2020, but no specific release date has been announced yet. No cast or additional crew have signed for Army of the Dead, and Snyder is currently the only name attached, other than his wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder. Both Snyder’s are credited as producers.

  • Release Date: 2020 Cast: Unkown Director: Zack Snyder Writers: Joby Herald and Zack Snyder

Army of the Dead is Zack Snyder’s Return to the Director’s Chair

After taking some time off due to a family tragedy and some well-documented behind the scenes drama with Justice League, Army of the Dead is Snyder’s first original project since Sucker Punch.

While Army of the Dead is hardly Snyder’s first Zombie movie, Dawn of the Dead, his feature debut, was a remake George Ramero’s zombie movie of the same name, whereas Army of the Dead is based on a script Snyder helped developed back in 2007. The movie even went into pre-production in 2008 with Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. set to direct, but after the financial crisis, the project was put on hold. Now that Army of the Dead is back in production, Snyder is attached to direct himself.

Read More: Zack Snyder’s Next Movie Is Netflix’s Army of the Dead

Army of the Dead is the First Movie From Snyder’s Rebranded Production Company

Zack Snyder’s production company since Dawn of the Dead was Cruel and Unusual Films. Between Justice League and Army of the Dead, Snyder had a brand new office built for his production company and rebranded with a new name: Stone Quarry.

The Stone Quarry’s announcement said “Although Cruel and Unusual Films will always be a part of our legacy, our new and exciting future creative endeavors will be mined, chiseled, and honed in The Stone Quarry.” The company’s logo says “Film + Animation + Television,” but the company’s first production under the new banner will be the Netflix movie Army of the Dead.

Army of the Dead is bringing Zack Snyder to Netflix

The script for Army of the Dead was originally developed under Warner Bros., but a new deal with Netflix gives them the rights to distribute the movie as well as Snyder’s talents to direct it. Netflix has been courting more and more original films, and they intend to start producing tentpole scale original blockbusters, so bringing aboard the ever-ambitious Zack Snyder is a huge win for that effort.

The match appears to be a good one for both parties, as most of Snyder’s recent products have been notoriously hobbled by studio interference, but Netflix is known for its hands-off approach. Snyder actually said Army of the Dead will be a “palete cleanser,” and “There are no handcuffs on me at all with this one.”

Army of the Dead Will Release Sometime in 2020

Army of the Dead doesn’t have an official release date, but it’s expected to start shooting in summer 2019 and will release sometime in 2020.

Army of the Dead’s Story

Army of the Dead will follow a team of mercenaries trying to pull off a heist in quarantined post-zombie apocalypse Las Vegas. Zack Synder says he plans to go all out in his direction: “it will be the most kick-ass, self-aware — but not in a wink-to-the-camera way — balls-to-the-wall zombie freakshow that anyone has ever seen. No one’s ever let me completely loose [like this].

10-year-old plot leaks from when the movie was first in development said the plot followed a man whose daughter went missing in Las Vegas, so he recruits a team of mercenaries to track her down. There’s a slight difference between that synopsis and the one for the version of the movie Snyder will make for Netflix, but it’s not clear if that’s a story change, or just details left out of the new synopsis.

Zack Snyder Rewrote the Army of the Dead Script and Removed Controversial Elements

Before Army of the Dead was put on hold, the original director said that in the movie, “the male zombies rape human females… And they have human hybrid zombie offsprings.” That content would surely generate controversy today, especially in the hands of Zack Snyder, whose defensive style is always sure to attract critical attention.

Fortunately, the script has seen a rewrite and Snyder’s version of the movie won’t contain the zombie rape hybrids.

Read More: Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead Script Is Very Different Than Original

Army of the Dead is Expected to Have a $90 Million Budget

Snyder got his start in Hollywood making low budget movies look like an expensive blockbuster, before moving to command budgets of several hundred million. Netflix, on the other hand, is known more for indie films and TV shows, and has only recently turned its eye to big-budget features.

Snyder will reportedly command a $90 million budget for Army of the Dead, which is about halfway between Snyder’s budget for Sucker Punch ($82 million) and Watchmen ($120 million).

Army of the Dead Will Probably Feature Fast Zombies

While zombies are classically depicted as slow, lumbering creatures, especially in more popular media like The Walking Dead, but a number of zombie movies have broken with this trend to include “fast zombies” who resemble their slower brethren in most ways, they just happen to also run.

Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead is one of the more famous project to use fast zombies, and, if the script revisions didn’t change this aspect, it’ll also include fast zombies, at least according to the original director.\

Read More: Why Snyder’s Army of the Dead Movie Took 11 Years To Make

Nobody is Cast in Army of the Dead Yet

No actors have been attached or rumored for Army of the Dead yet, but news on that front us sure to arrive soon. Snyder has worked with a diverse cast of actors throughout his career, but he’s picked up a lot of friends along the way, so don’t be surprised to see actors from some of his previous projects show up in this one, maybe even just as a zombie cameo.

There Is No Official Poster for Army of the Dead Yet

Army of the Dead does not have any official posters or other art released yet.

There is No Official Trailer For Army of the Dead yet

Army of the Dead does not have an official trailer yet.

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