Army of the Dead is shaping up to be one of the biggest Netflix original movies ever. Zack Snyder’s zombie heist caper was properly unveiled in a recent trailer, showcasing our rugged band of heroes venturing into an undead infested Las Vegas to retrieve the contents of a safe before the city is nuked. It’s a killer premise, with Netflix reportedly ordering up the project as soon as Snyder described it to them.
But it’s looking like there’s more going on in Vegas than meets the eye. The first footage hinted that these zombies are not all mindless undead, as some appear to have retained intelligence and are constructing a kind of society. At the top of the pile is the Alpha Zeus, described as “the leader of the smart, speedy and very organized Las Vegas zombies.” And now, USA Today has shared a picture of this man-mountain which you can see below, with the director describing him as so:
“Zeus [Richard Cetrone] is their main guy, and the Zombie Queen [Athena Perample] of course, they have this kind of primitive way of communicating. I’m not even sure how it works, but it’s very much from the animal kingdom. They’re one with nature if you will.”
Snyder has previously indicated that these creatures “are not what you think they are” and said he wants to mix up what’s possible in these movies by having them “embody an evolution” and that they’re “on their way to something else.” I’m thinking we may end up in an I Am Legend-type situation where our heroes eventually realize they might be the monsters, potentially even helping the zombies avoid nuclear death.
Whether it plays out like that or not, we’re definitely in for some awesome action sequences. Whatever your opinion of Snyder’s work, the guy can construct a hell of a set piece and I’m eagerly anticipating what happens with that zombie tiger we saw in the trailer.
Star Dave Bautista seems hyped, too, teasing us that the film goes to some unexpected places by saying:
“I’ve seen it like five times already. I’m not kidding. I don’t wanna have you go in with super high expectations, but you should. There’s something about the end of this film that I’m absolutely obsessed with.”
We’ll find out exactly what he’s talking about when Army of the Dead hits Netflix on May 21st. Bring it on.