Zack Snyder's Zombie-fied Heist Dreams Get Axed by Netflix
Remember Army Of The Dead? The movie where a bunch of dudes try to pull off a heist in a zombie-infested Vegas? Yeah, well, Netflix decided to pull the plug on the whole thing. Apparently, no more Army of the Dead sequels, spinoffs, or animated shows - just a giant zombie-shaped hole where all that sweet, sweet action was supposed to be.
You'd think with the Army of Thieves prequel being a success (despite some mixed reviews, folks were hooked!), the franchise would keep on trucking. But apparently, the numbers weren't exactly walking dead-worthy. The cancellation was a surprise since Snyder had so many cool plans for the universe - Planet of the Dead, a new animated series called Lost Vegas, and even a few prequels and sequels. Basically, he wanted to make a whole universe of zombies, which makes total sense when you consider he made 300 and Watchmen. But unfortunately, it looks like this particular universe got a permanent “game over."
What Does This Mean For Snyder's Future on Netflix?
Well, let's face it, Army Of The Dead is dead and that doesn't exactly scream “future Netflix projects," right? Rebel Moon, the ambitious sci-fi epic that was supposed to connect to Army of the Dead, could be in trouble, too. That said, Snyder still has the animation series Twilight of the Gods in the works, so all is not lost. There’s always hope that his creativity will still be on full display, even without a zombie franchise to build upon.
It’s definitely a bummer to hear Army of the Dead is toast. Who doesn't want a good zombie heist story, right? But hey, it happens! Sometimes plans change, especially when those plans involve a streaming giant and the world's most famous undead.
The “Zombieverse" that Never Was:
Army of the Dead was a great idea in theory: you've got a crazy team, some exciting setpieces, a little zombie action, a heist? Sounds like the makings of a fun flick, right? But unfortunately, Netflix doesn't think so. They Cancelled any plans for future projects. This includes the highly anticipated animated series Lost Vegas, which was meant to be an epic adventure that took us back to the first days of the Vegas outbreak. The movie Planet of the Dead, which promised to give us an epic journey beyond the Vegas Quarantine Zone, is also getting axed.
Sucker Punch's own Zack Snyder had a vision of a zombie-themed franchise. The prequel film, Army of Thieves, proved that a strong story exists with this world, and while not a box office smash, did well with a global audience. With all the planned installments, it felt like we were entering a new age of zombies. Now it seems we are simply heading straight back to the grave!
Is Rebel Moon In The Same Danger?
This Army of the Dead cancellation has the Rebel Moon fandom feeling like they've walked into a trap. Originally, Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead were supposed to be connected through a little detail about a Xanadite girl, which means the Rebel Moon fandom was prepared to go full fan theory with what that meant for both universes! With the cancellation, all those fan theories and dreams of a larger shared universe just kind of… fizzled.
Snyder has already released the Rebel Moon movie on Netflix. His ambition was a sprawling movie saga spanning over multiple films! However, will we get to see that full plan unfold after the Army of the Dead situation? Rebel Moon might still make its way through all the Movies, the planned prequel podcasts and animated series, but even those now feel somewhat shaky at best. And that four-player video game that he had in mind? Well, it’s going to take some convincing for anyone to buy it if it’s going to be part of a doomed Movie Franchise.
Can Netflix Keep Snyder?
For those who haven't seen it, Rebel Moon tells the story of a group of rebels fighting to defend a colony against an invasion from a galactic empire. Pretty high-stakes, right? Snyder loves big epic productions! That being said, while the Rebel Moon Movies and Twilight of the Gods are all good, Army of the Dead getting Cancelled could make a big difference for Snyder's relationship with Netflix. Snyder has worked on a bunch of big projects for the platform in the past, but this latest move by the streamer might cause the partnership to sour.
We don't know if this spells the end for Snyder at Netflix but it certainly changes the equation. It's clear that Netflix is more cautious these days. We've already seen a bunch of Netflix films and TV shows getting cancelled after one season or movie. Maybe Army of the Dead getting the axe was a sign of the times, and Snyder may have to learn to adapt and maybe tone down his vision slightly if he wants to stay on the good side of the Netflix execs.
