Summary
Netflix has quietly canceled all development on follow-ups toArmy of the Dead– and now, the onlyZack Snyderfranchise with any promising potential is gone. Snyder is one of the most polarizing filmmakers working today, described as everything from a visionary to a hack. The people who like his films really, really like them – especially the bloated, indulgent director’s cuts – but not everyone is charmed by his saturated colors, edgelord characters, and overuse of super slow-motion.
After Snyder parted ways with Warner Bros., Netflix was quick to partner up with him. They bankrolled his Vegas-set, zombie-infested heist filmArmy of the Deadand then bankrolled two separate volumes (and two separate versions of those volumes) ofhis rejectedStar Warspitch, under the new titleRebel Moon. But now, it seems as though Netflix has gotten cold feet on the partnership, because it’s canceled Snyder’s most promising franchise.
Netflix has quietly scrapped all sequels and spinoffs to Army of the Dead
It’s been reported thatNetflix has scrapped theArmy of the Deadfranchise. Snyder had planned forArmy of the Deadto launch a sprawling cinematic universe. He’d already followed it up with a post-apocalyptic crime caper calledArmy of Thieves. And that was just the tip of the iceberg;Snyder was also planning a direct sequel calledPlanet of the Deadand an animated spinoff series calledArmy of the Dead: Lost Vegas. But now, Netflix has canceled all those plans to expand the franchise. So long,Army of the Dead.
Out of all the franchises that Snyder has pioneered in his tenure as a blockbuster auteur,Army of the Deadwas the one with the most potential.Rebel Moonwas kind of D.O.A. after it got eviscerated by critics and failed to make a splash in the Netflix streaming charts (in any of its iterations, no matter how long the films were or which age rating they carried). The DC Extended Universe ran for a few years, but even before its untimely death, it was very, very divisive and its films were hit-and-miss, both critically and commercially.
ButArmy of the Deadwas a lot of fun, andit was really the kind of thing that Snyder is best at. For all his attempts at making something grander, he’s at his best when he’s making more purely entertaining movies.His debut feature,Dawn of the Dead, is a perfect example. He wanted to create something mythic and philosophical with his DC movies, but it never really worked out.
Army of the Dead’s larger-scale sequel and stylized animated spinoff both sounded good. Netflix invested way too much money inRebel Moonwhen it should’ve been focusing onArmy of the Dead. Andnow,Army of the Deadmust pay for the sins ofRebel Moon.
What’s Next For Zack Snyder Now His Franchises All Seem To Be Over?
Snyder can finally pursue some of his passion projects
After the absolutely dismal reception to all iterations ofRebel Moon, it seems likely that it won’t go any further than the initial two-parter. And now thatArmy of the Dead’s future has been cut short,Snyder is up a creek without a franchise. He hasTwilight of the Gods, an anime-style animated series based on Norse mythology, set to drop on Netflix on September 19. If that does well, it might get renewed for a second season. But beyond that, what’s next for Snyder? Without a franchise to rely on, what could his next film be?
The cancelation ofArmy of the Deadcould end up being the best thing that ever happened to Snyder. It frees him from the commercial world of franchise-building for the first time in over a decade;this could allow Snyder to finally pursue one of his long-gestating passion projects. For years,he’s been talking about an adaptation ofThe Fountainhead, a300-style George Washington biopic, a retelling of the King Arthur legend set during the American gold rush, andHorse Latitudes, about a pair of war photographers. Maybe he could finally get one of those projects off the ground.
Snyder also famously wants to direct a faithful adaptation ofThe Dark Knight Returns– perhaps James Gunn will let him do it at DC Studios under the “Elseworlds” banner. Alternatively, Snyder could do something smaller-scale. He recently said that he’s feeling “tapped out” on the world of visual effects and that he’d like to take a break from VFX-laden action epics to make “something small” (viaIndieWire). That sounds like a great next step forZack Snyder; it could yield hisPain & Gainor hisMatchstick Men.
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.
