It’s been a long time coming since Zack Snyder directed a remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004, but he’s finally returning to the zombie genre. His new zombie epic, Army of the Dead, moves the action to Las Vegas and sees new types of zombies. This includes both an evolved form of human zombies, which are notably smarter than the average undead individual, as well as zombie animals. Indeed, as you can see in the Army of the Dead trailer below, there is actually an undead tiger thrown into the mix!
When you consider the scope of the films that Zack Snyder has directed between Dawn of the Dead and this upcoming entry, it’s hard not to be excited. Zack Snyder has tackled films like 300, Watchmen, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and even this year’s recut edition of Justice League. He’s clearly earned his directing chops and with his distinct visual style, as depicted in the trailer below, it’s going to be a blast to see what he can do now with the zombie genre.
In fact, this particular film, as you can see from the new Army of the Dead trailer, it looks like a clever blend of action, horror, and just the right amount of comedy. Hopefully fans of the genre will be able to enjoy this new take. But considering how long fans have waited for some kind of follow up to Dawn of the Dead, there will certainly be plenty of celebration. With the critical reception of his recut edition of Justice League, it’s definitely looking to be a good year for filmmaker Zack Snyder.
As for the film’s plot…
“ARMY OF THE DEAD takes place following a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in ruins and walled off from the rest of the world. When Scott Ward (Dave Bautista), a former zombie war hero who’s now flipping burgers on the outskirts of the town he now calls home, is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada), it’s with the ultimate proposition: break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With little left to lose, Ward takes on the challenge, assembling a ragtag team of experts for the heist. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing’s for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all.”
Zack Snyder directed the film from a script he wrote with Shay Hatten and Joby Harold. The new film stars Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Huma Qureshi, Samantha Win, Michael Cassidy, Richard Cetrone, and Garret Dillahunt.
Army of the Dead will be able to stream on Netflix next month on May 21. The film will also be available in Select Theaters in May.