Why Netflix Cancelled "Army of the Dead": Too Much of a Good Thing?
Remember Army Of The Dead? Zack Snyder's 2021 zombie flick, where a team of mercenaries headed to Vegas to pull off the most epic heist, but this time there were zombies? It's kind of a cult classic now – a solid zombie adventure. Fans got pumped for those epic sequels and a cool animated prequel called "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" – everyone wanted more action!
And then… bam! Netflix threw a curveball, shutting down the whole franchise. So what's the real reason? You know, I think the whole idea of extending a good movie was a big mistake in the first place. Remember back when the "Army Of The Dead" hit the big screen – a lot of critics were on board, it made it onto Netflix's most popular list – and it even helped spawn that spinoff, "Army of Thieves." It almost felt like Zack Snyder had done a whole "John Carpenter" move! So we had these expectations for the next film that's been in development! But apparently, we won’t be seeing it!
Was "Army of the Dead" Too Long For Its Own Good?
"Army of the Dead" felt more like an action adventure. But for those classic heist Movies that Zack seemed to be paying tribute to in his 2021 flick? Those types of films always kept the action going with short runtimes. Think about all those crazy 80s Movies that we’re still obsessing over today.
Here's where the “Army of the Dead" kinda messed up, it was way too long! Like 150 minutes, which is a lot for an action movie. I’m not saying those robot Zombies weren’t super cool, but they didn’t really need that much space on the screen. Maybe those zombie robot mysteries could’ve been packed into that cool montage sequence during the opening. Remember the zombies just swarming through Vegas? That scene is super scary and hilarious! It kinda set the standard for the rest of the movie. It feels like they should’ve focused on the “Heist” part of the title – and cut down the movie. That’s the thing with good movie endings. When that ending rolls around, you want to be satisfied, not craving another one right away.
“Army of Thieves” Proved "Army of the Dead" Could’ve Stood Alone
If you didn’t see the spinoff movie, "Army of Thieves", the premise kinda makes no sense unless you're already a fan of "Army of the Dead." It's another heist film starring Ludwig, a character that's shown up briefly in "Army of the Dead." It’s like "Army of Thieves" was a chance to make another fun heist flick, but with Zombies added on to the side. Seriously? It just felt kinda lazy and a bit pointless.
Let’s be real – you'd be surprised how many good films stand on their own! I'm pretty sure that most fans had already moved on to the next movie by the time they even heard about “Army of Thieves.” "Army of Thieves” actually might be one of those classic cases where you realize it would’ve been so much better as a separate project. Not everything needs to become a full Franchise, because "Army of Thieves" just proved the original movie was pretty great.
"Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" – A Cancelled Pre-Production Project
Let’s take a minute to reminisce. Zack Snyder was already deep into the production for the animated show, “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.” It was gonna follow the “Army of the Dead" gang as Vegas went full-blown zombie, but we’re not gonna see this anime! Remember back in 2020 when everyone thought it was going to drop? So it’s a classic example of “things that we wish we could’ve seen”
It almost seems like the events of that movie opening were more entertaining than those series plots! We get a look at how Vegas gets all chaotic, with some epic zombie stuff. That five minutes is super memorable! I’m pretty sure Zack has had his share of anime success with "Tales of the Black Freighter" (based on his “Watchmen”). You know what? It seems that Netflix might’ve called it quits on this one before everyone was disappointed!
Will “Army of the Dead: Planet of the Dead” Happen? The Mystery Lives!
That classic moment when the Army of the Dead ending revealed that one of those mercenaries had become a zombie… that seemed like it would set up "Army of the Dead 2" really well. It’s the classic “world ending" movie premise, you know? A few survivors are going to have to fight to save everyone!
Here's the twist. It’s still up in the air, but Zack and his producer, Deborah, might have other plans. There’s still the potential that "Army of the Dead" might get revived. I mean, everyone remembers how the “Justice League" situation turned out with Zack Snyder. And I don't think there was a chance in hell we’d be seeing those projects. It seems like a lot of projects that got axed eventually get the chance to make it to screens!
“Army of the Dead”: A Completed Story ?
I mean, the end of "Army of the Dead" was kinda good. Those robots were kinda wild, and those zombies kept showing up in the craziest places, I think the "Army of the Dead" team’s journey just ended up being their last adventure together – but the zombies had different plans.
So maybe those extra sci-fi elements or some details about robot zombies – maybe it just wasn’t worth going into all that craziness for those potential Sequels, but, we'll just have to wait and see what happens! We could see more, because in Hollywood, the only constant is change! "Army of the Dead" might be waiting in the wings, and Netflix might change its mind! For now, the original film can stand on its own! Maybe those plans that went south will come to life one day, but I guess for now, Zack's got more on his mind!
