Zack Snyder Clarifies Army of the Dead Was Never a Sequel to Dawn

Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead has understandably been associated with his 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead, but the director has clarified it was never meant as a sequel. The upcoming zombie heist thriller led by Dave Bautista centers on a team of mercenaries who infiltrate an undead-infested Las Vegas to try to rob a casino. Army of the Dead is scheduled to release on Netflix and in select theaters on May 21.

Due to the similarity in titles, Army of the Dead has frequently been associated with Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake. The 2004 reimagining of George A. Romero’s horror classic launched Snyder to stardom in Hollywood, setting him on the path to direct future blockbusters like 300, Watchmen, and Man of Steel. The suffix “of the dead” has also been a common feature of zombie-related titles since Romero’s original film, making it a natural choice for Snyder to use again.

According to Snyder himself, however, Army of the Dead’s title is nothing more than an homage to the history of zombie films. Many have wondered since the film’s announcement if it might have been envisioned initially as a sequel to Dawn of the Dead, but Snyder has clarified that was never the case. “It has to be ‘of the dead,’” Snyder explained when Screen Rant visited the set of the movie. “People have asked me, ‘Is that like, is this a sequel?’ I’m like, ‘No. It’s a zombie movie.’ And they’re like, ‘What does that mean?’ And I’m like, ‘It’s ‘of the dead.’ It’s ‘something of the dead.’ It just happens to be an army.’” When asked if the film was conceived as a sequel at first, Snyder confirmed that also wasn’t the case.

No, no. I developed it right after Dawn, but not as a sequel. I wanted to do this other evolution in it of the zombies, so I needed another trope. I needed another origin story in order to make this other thing work, so I was like, ‘Okay, it can live in its own universe.’ And now we’re building this universe like nuts, so we’ll see. It’s kind of fun.

The Army of the Dead universe is indeed being built incredibly quickly. Before the film has even released, Netflix has already ordered two additional projects – a prequel film starring Matthias Schweighöfer’s Ludwig Dieter character and an animated series showing the early days of the outbreak. That looks like the start of a zombie franchise that could compete with The Walking Dead in budget and scale, though it remains to be seen how successful the film itself will be.

Overall, it’s probably for the best that Army of the Dead isn’t connected to Dawn of the Dead or any other past zombie property. For one, it will be exciting to see an entirely new take on the monsters by Snyder. Additionally, the genre is incredibly crowded as is, and the director’s upcoming film may have the best chance at success by carving out an original space for itself. Viewers will find out one way or another when Army of the Dead releases on Netflix on May 21.

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Rick Stevenson
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Rick Stevenson is a writer, editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. He’s written on TV, film and games for over six years, in addition to assorted stints in bookselling, carpentry, and TV production. Rick studied writing at the College of William & Mary and Oxford University, and can report with some authority that they are both old. He lives and dies for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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