How is Zack Snyder following up the success of Zack Snyder’s Justice League? With what looks to be a scary, action-packed romp featuring another eclectic team facing seemingly insurmountable odds. In Army of the Dead, debuting on Netflix on May 21, viewers are treated to a look at a decimated Las Vegas, overrun by zombies, after a plague was unleashed from nearby Area 51. Unlike in other zombie fiction, humanity has managed to contain the flesh-eaters to this one location and life has gone on outside the enormous wall that has been erected around Sin City.
Dave Bautista stars as Scott Ward, a former soldier who had a role in rescuing hundreds, if not thousands, during the outbreak, who is hired by Hiroyuki Sanada’s former casino owner, Bly Tanakam, to retrieve $200 million from a vault in the heart of ground zero. And speaking of “ground zero,” the U.S. government plans to nuke Vegas in 32 hours, so the rush is on.
Ward brings together the requisite ragtag group of experts — (from the official synopsis) “Maria Cruz (Ana de la Reguera), an ace mechanic and Ward’s old friend; Vanderohe (Omari Hardwick), a zombie killing machine; Marianne Peters (Tig Notaro), a cynical helicopter pilot; Mikey Guzman (Raúl Castillo), a go-for-broke influencer and Chambers (Samantha Win), his ride-or-die; Martin (Garret Dillahunt), the casino’s head of security; a badass warrior known as the Coyote (Nora Arnezeder) who recruits Burt Cummings (Theo Rossi), a slimy security guard; and a brilliant German safecracker named Dieter (Matthias Schweighöfer).” Things are complicated when Ward’s estranged daughter Kate (Ella Purnell) also tags along in search of a missing mother named Geeta (Huma S. Qureshi).
However, further complicating matters is that these zombies aren’t the lumbering Walking Dead variety, nor are they the super speedy-but-savage 28 Days Later type. The creatures presented in the trailer for Army of the Dead are fast like those in 28 Days Later but are smart. They can fight and avoid blows. They are organized.
They’re also hilarious. This is Vegas, Baby! Zombie showgirls! Elvis impersonators! And even… well, let’s just say Siegried & Roy’s legacy “lives” on.
Check out the trailer below:
In addition, Netflix has released a new promotional image.
Snyder is a divisive director but following Zack Snyder’s Justice League, he has redeemed himself to a lot of folks and garnered quite a bit of goodwill. Hopefully, this flick can keep his positive momentum going, and working in his favor is the fact that this is an original concept.
Check out Army of the Dead when it hits Netflix on May 21.
