Netflix has desperately been attempting to launch a hit film franchise for years, but sadly most of their original features have been… pretty crappy. While Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead wasn’t a runaway hit and received mixed reviews, it did well enough that Netflix has opted to go forward with a spin-off prequel, Army of Thieves.
There are no zombies this time around, although it is stated that the movie is set during the early days of the outbreak which is contained in the United States. Instead, this film focuses on safecracker Ludwig Dieter played by Matthias Schweighöfer, who also directed. Snyder wrote the story for Army of Thieves and serves as a producer. Shay Hatten co-wrote the story and the finished screenplay.
There are elements of Ocean’s 11 here and takes on other fun heist movies and the new trailer teases a more comedic tone.
Army of THieves also stars Nathalie Emmanuel as Gwendoline, Ruby O. Free as Korina, Stuart Martin as Brad Cage, Guz Khan as Rolph, Jonathan Cohen as Delacroix, and Noémie Nakai as Beatrix. Hiroyuki Sanada’s Army of the Dead character Bly Tanaka is shown in a photograph and referenced, but it isn’t clear whether he will appear in person in the prequel.
You can check out the new trailer below:
Army of the Dead hit Netflix on May 14, 2021, and, as stated, reviews were mixed. Netflix and the other streaming services don’t typically release their viewer numbers unless they’re stellar, but Netflix seems to have a lot of faith in this brand. Also in the works is an animated series, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, which focuses on Dave Bautista’s character Scott Ward.
The trailer for Army of Thieves only indicates that the film will arrive “this fall.” But it has since been announced that it will arrive on Netflix on October 29.
Army of Thieves looks completely different from Army of the Dead, which can be good or bad. If you wanted something closer to the zombie-infested Army of the Dead, this may be a disappointment. But if you weren’t so keen on the first film, this may be a welcome divergence.
Will you be checking it out?