Following on from his stint in the DCEU, Zack Snyder’s next feature is set to be the zombie heist film Army of the Dead, and it seems he’s bringing another familiar figure from the world of comic book movies along for the ride.
Deadline reports that Dave Bautista of Guardians of the Galaxy fame has just closed a deal with Netflix to star in the Man of Steel helmsman’s $70 million flick. While details on his character remain under wraps, the film is allegedly set amid a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, and will follow a group of mercenaries who venture into the quarantined zone with the goal of pulling off the greatest heist ever attempted. The script was penned by Snyder himself, along with John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum co-writer Shay Hatten.
Army of the Dead was first announced back in January, when Snyder told The Hollywood Reporter that it was “the most kick-ass, self-aware — but not in a wink-to-the-camera way — balls-to-the-wall zombie freakshow that anyone has ever seen.” That’s quite a pitch, and with filming expected to begin this summer, hopefully we can soon get a glimpse of the madness he has mind.
In any case, Dave Bautista’s schedule for the near future is starting to look pretty packed. The actor has already signed on to feature in the upcoming Dune reboot, which will see the performer reunite with Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve. Before that, the action comedy My Spy is due to come out later this year. And then, of course, you’ve got Bautista’s continued involvement in the MCU. Though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 could still be a few years off from release, the star himself chose to drop the spoiler last year that we’ll be seeing him once more when Avengers: Endgame comes out on April 26th.