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Zack Snyder calls his upcoming Netflix zombie heist movie, Army of the Dead, an intimate and personal project that wasn't made by committee. The former wrestler and Guardians of the Galaxy star, Dave Bautista, leads the cast of Snyder's first Netflix production. The movie is Snyder's first feature directing effort outside of the DC Extended Universe since 2011's Sucker Punch. Released late last month, the first Army of the Dead trailer showed off a bright version of Snyder's visual style, appropriate for the movie's Las Vegas location.

The plot of Army of the Dead revolves around a team of mercenaries, led by Bautista's Ward, who are tasked with breaking into a Las Vegas casino's vault in the wake of a zombie invasion that's turned the city into a quarantine zone. The ensemble cast includes Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana De La Reguera, Garrett Dillahunt, Tig Notaro (who replaced the disgraced comedian Chris D'Elia), and German star, Matthias Schweighöfer. Schweighöfer is also the star and director of an untitled prequel film which has already wrapped production, and Snyder is also working on a prequel TV series for Netflix following Bautista's Ward before the zombie outbreak film hits.

Despite the large scope of the plot and the action-packed approach of the teaser trailer, Snyder tells TotalFilm that Army of the Dead is actually quite "intimate," referring to his ability to work on his ideas without interference. In a nod to the difficulties he had working with Warner Bros. while making Justice League, Snyder says he made this movie without a "committee," allowing him to see his vision through to the end. He also speaks about the zombies in Army of the Dead, calling them "evolved" and "semi-conscious," though stopping short of giving them the ability to talk. You can read Snyder's full comments below:

I’ve tried to get at it in a super- intimate, personal way. It’s not made by committee. It’s definitely a movie that’s incredibly personal and singular. From the first conceptualizing of the movie, they were going to be these evolved zombies [that are] semi-conscious. We treat them kind of like wolves, sort of like a dog. They’re not necessarily fully realized and talk or anything. But they can organize.

Snyder's comments indicate how much he clearly relished being able to work with the relative creative freedom provided by Netflix. The streaming giant is known for letting its filmmakers stick to their vision without any interference, and that seems to have been the case here. It's a total change from Snyder's experience on Justice League. That's a good sign for the die-hard Snyder fans who enjoy his visual style and slow motion-heavy approach to action.

The second part of his quote will be worrying for die-hard zombie fans, though. Snyder's debut feature, 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake, was divisive because of its extremely fast zombies and action-centered approach, and it seems as though Snyder is veering from the standard slow, shuffling, Romero-style zombies here too. Still, there's now no doubt Army of the Dead is Snyder's vision, allowing audiences to make up their minds about the quality of his vision without wondering which ideas were his or not. Hopefully for his die-hard fans, it will live up to their lofty expectations.

Army Of The Dead (2021)
Release Date: May 21, 2021