download.jpg

Netflix has revealed new images for Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie heist movie, Army of the Dead. The film has been pitched as a big-budget genre mashup, starring an ensemble cast that includes Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Tig Notaro, and Huma Qureshi. The film is set to release later in 2021 and will be followed by an animated prequel series featuring members of the original cast.

The premise of Army of the Dead is straightforward and incredibly wacky – a crack team of operators infiltrates a zombie-infested Las Vegas to make off with a boatload of casino cash. Snyder began working on the concept after his 2004 remake of George Romero’s classic horror film Dawn of the Dead. While zombie-related content seemed to hit a critical mass in the pop-cultural several years ago, Netflix will hope to reclaim some of the genre’s fan base with Army of the Dead.

New production images have been released for the upcoming film by Netflix via Entertainment Weekly. One picture shows Dave Bautista and the rest of the squad all geared up and ready to go, looking like an especially fierce band of Zombie hunters. The other picture shows Bautista’s Scott Ward and Ella Purnell’s Kate Ward having what looks to be a contentious conversation. Horror movies and heist movies both succeed largely on their ensembles' strength and chemistry, and it’s fun to get an advanced look at the cast of characters who will be armoring up to battle the undead in Snyder’s film.

download (1).jpg

Army of the Dead made a late change to that ensemble by replacing Chris D’Elia with comedian Tig Notaro. D’Elia was ejected from the project following accusations of sexual misconduct from multiple women in 2020. Notaro’s role in the film will be her second prominent sci-fi appearance of late, as she is also a recurring cast member for Star Trek: Discovery.

With Netflix already banking hard on the movie with plans for additional in-universe content like the animated prequel series, Army of the Dead is shaping up to be one of the bigger blockbusters of 2021, even with its streaming-only release. Especially in the era of covid-19, platforms like Netflix are becoming an increasingly common and viable option for theatrical-quality films. With rivals like Dinsey+ and HBO Max gaining steam in the market off their back catalogs of branded content, Netflix prioritizes franchise development. Army of the Dead could become an essential property for the streamer depending on the success of its release later this year.