Summary
It appears Netflix has canceled plans to makeArmy of the Deada franchise, which only highlights a big problem with the original Zack Snyder film. The very firstZack Snyder moviewas 2004’sDawn of the Dead, a remake of the George A. Romero zombie classic. There was a sense of the director coming full circle with 2021’sArmy of the Dead, where a team of mercenaries enters into a walled-off, zombie-infested Las Vegas to pull off a heist.
The film was Snyder’s follow-up to the infamously troubledJustice Leagueand saw the filmmaker unwinding and having some fun.Army of the Deadscored broadly positive reviews (earning 67% onRotten Tomatoes) and became one of Netflix’s most-watched original movies.Army of the Deadset up several sequels and spinoffstoo, including ananimated prequel anime calledArmy of the Dead: Lost Vegas. This would have brought back most of the cast and detailed the fall of Vegas before the movie begins.
Netflix appears to have pulled the plug on Army of the Dead
The movie may have been a solid hit, but it feels like it hasn’t left much of a cultural footprint. It was a fun (if flawed) action adventure, whileArmy of the Dead’scasthelped elevate it above some familiar genre beats. Despite Snyder’s ambitions with the property,an article forThe Wrapconfirmed that Netflix has quietly canceled bothArmy of the Dead: Lost Vegasand planned live-action sequels.
This will come as disappointing news to those who enjoyed the 2021 film, but in truth,Army of the Deadwas hurt by its franchise planning. The premise felt like an ode to the John Carpenter movies of the 1980s and, like those films,Snyder’s zombie adventure should have been a lean ride with a 90 to 100-minute length, max. Instead, the runtime is closer to 150 minutes, much of which was setting up the aforementioned spinoffs, like the existence of robot zombies in Vegas.
Army Of The Dead 2: Netflix Cancellation & Everything We Know About The Zack Snyder Sequel
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead 2 has yet to materialize at Netflix after years of waiting, but will the long-awaited zombie sequel ever happen?
The movie would have greatly benefitted from a tighter runtime, and since there’s a literal ticking clock in the form of an impending missile strike, this would have madeArmy of the Deadfeel more urgent. The film is instead dragged down by its additional padding, which is now useless considering Netflix has canned further entires. Still,Army of the Dead’sdarkly comic endingis better served now that it serves as the actual end of the story.
Army of the Deadco-star Matthias Schweighöfer went on to star in and directArmy of Thieves, a prequel spinoff that detailed another heist his character Ludwig took part in. Despite taking place in a world where zombies exist, this element is bizarrely sidelined since - as Ludwig mentions in the first film - he’s never actually encountered a zombie before. Instead,Army of Thievesis a tepid action comedy that feels like a quick rewrite could have turned it into an original filmwith no ties to its predecessor.
Not every movie needs to create a new series, and Army of Thieves' lack of substance is proof of that.
Army of Thievesmay have earned respectable viewing figures, but it added little to the lore of the would-be franchise. If anything,the prequel has been mostly forgotten, even by fans ofArmy of the Dead. The existence of the spinoff underlined that Snyder’s film would have worked better as a one-and-done. Not every movieneedsto create a new series, andArmy of Thieves' lack of substance is proof of that.
The fall of Vegas was covered in the 2021 movie’s credits sequence
Army of the Dead: Lost Vegaswas confirmed way back in 2020, and was once set to arrive on Netflix in 2023. Snyder is no stranger to his films having anime spinoffs either, asWatchmen’sTales of the Black Freighterproves. On paper, a series following the movie’s characters as Vegas fell sounds like fun, and according to Snyder, much of the work on the show has already been completed.Lost Vegas' cast have recorded their roles, and the pre-visualization has also been completedfor all the episodes.
In addition to returning cast like Dave Bautista and Ana De La Reguera,Lost Vegaswould have featured newcomers toArmy of the Deadlike Joe Manganiello, Jean Malone, and Christian Slater.
Still, it feels likeArmy of the Dead’sopening credits montage covered the fall of Vegas pretty well. This sequence is arguably the best of the entire movie, with the scene establishing the main cast and being filled with horrific and funny imagery. This opening exemplifies how the rest of the storyshouldhave played out, with the city’s fall being covered in the span of a single, five-minute scene. Apparently, the series would have delved intothe robot zombie mysteryteased inArmy of the Deadtoo, but again, this doesn’t feel like essential information.
There was a time when it felt like Zack Snyder’sJustice Leaguecut wouldneverbe seen, and that hopes for one were wishful thinking. Cut to 2021 andZack Snyder’s Justice Leagueactually saw release, proving the director’s will is stronger than most. In the previously mentionedWrapinterview, Snyder stated that “Army of the Dead” isn’t entirely dead" and that he and his producer wife Deborah still have plans in mind.Considering a fair amount of work has been finished onLost Vegas, there’s a chance the anime could still get polished offand see a proper release.
Planet of the Dead would have revealed that Ludwig survived his apparent death in the first film and Nathalie Emmanuel’s Army of Thieves character Gwendoline could have returned also.
There’s also the question of whetherPlanet of the Dead(AKAArmy of the Dead 2)could happen. For the time being, Netflix has cooled on the franchise plan, perhaps sensing that viewers weren’t craving another visit to that universe. Snyder toldInversein 2023 thatPlanet of the Dead wouldreveal Ludwig survived his apparent death in the first film and that Nathalie Emmanuel’sArmy of Thievescharacter Gwendoline could have returned.
AssumingPlanet of the Deadpicks up from the original’s shock reveal that the mercenary squad’s sole survivor Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick) is infected,the sequel would have followed how the zombie virus spread beyond Vegas to the rest of the world. The director also mentioned that aliens could be involved and the sequel could tie into his sci-fi sagaRebel Moon, but maybe the lack of a solid hook or script doomed theArmy of the Deadfollow-up.
MaybeArmy of the Dead’splanned offshoots would have been great and justified the story being expanded, but it can’t help but feel like Netflix made the right call. Once the credits roll on Snyder’s 2021 adventure, the story feels complete, and sequels adding wacky sci-fi elements or going into detail about robot zombies doesn’t sound like essential additions.
Army of the Dead
Cast
From director Zach Snyder, Army of the Dead combines the zombie apocalypse and heist genres in an exciting twist on the classic action film. Approached to retrieve $200 million dollars from a casino vault in the now zombie-ridden Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries embarks on the mission, unaware of what dangers await them inside the quarantined city limits.
