We may have to wait longer than desired, but it’s a sure bet we’ll get a return to the “Army of the Dead” universe from Snyder at some point.
When Zack Snyder came up with the concept for Army of the Dead alongside Shay Hatten and Joby Harold, he may not have predicted its massive impact. The 2021 offering quickly became a franchise that has already spawned a prequel, Army of Thieves. There’s set to be an anime series in the same universe, and now it has been confirmed that a sequel movie titled Planet of the Dead is also on the way.
The Army of the Dead franchise now has the potential to expand in a wide variety of ways. It would make sense for Netflix to commission related games to help promote the new film to a greater viewer base.
What Do We Know About Planet of the Dead?
Army of the Dead was a surprise success upon its release in 2021, and it won the Oscars Fan Favorite award. Even though it’s not a real Academy Award, it showed that many people thought it deserved some recognition on the world stage anyway. There was a lot to love about Snyder’s film, with critics praising the humor and the cast as a couple of the highlights.
In interviews after the first installment’s release, Snyder already confessed that he and the other writers had plenty of ideas about where the series could head next.
Snyder said the sequel would continue the zombie story, possibly heading to New Mexico. The 57-year-old filmmaker didn’t have to wait long for confirmation that a sequel would happen, as Netflix ordered it two months after Army of the Dead hit screens. The streaming service clearly saw the potential in the franchise and wanted to expand it hard and fast.
There hasn’t been much information about the new picture, except that it will be called Planet of the Dead. Rumors suggest that Dieter could return from the original, along with Gwendoline Starr from Army of Thieves. Snyder has been busy with Rebel Moon for some time but will be free to work on Planet of the Dead when that is finished.
The Franchise Could Expand in New Ways
It’s clear that Netflix has grand plans for the Army of the Dead franchise, with its expanding into various new offerings on the streaming platform. To give the new movie a chance of having greater success, it would make a lot of sense for the subscription service to commission related products to get the attention of a wider number of viewers.
A zombie game related to Army of the Dead could be a hit, as the genre is incredibly popular in the gaming industry. There have been countless undead games on consoles, with some of the best recent offerings including Days Gone and Left 4 Dead 2. There are many mobile offerings as well, with The Walking Dead: Our World leading the pack among the most innovative and immersive.
The iGaming industry could be the best place for an Army of Thieves game to get attention, though.
When you look at the best new slot sites, the zombie genre is abundant among reel spinners. For instance, Mr. Vegas is recommended for its 100 percent welcome bonus and has numerous undead games like Legacy of the Dead and R.I.P. City. If an Army of the Dead game was brought out in this market, it could boost the viewing figures for the next movie.
How Do These Films Stack Up Against Classic Zombie Flicks?
Synder burst onto the genre filmmaking scene when he made his directorial debut in 2004, helming a remake of one of the arguably greatest zombie films of all time from the Godfather of Zombies George A. Romero, Dawn of the Dead (1978). It would have been a bold and risk-taking gamble by any filmmaker. But for an untested newcomer, it required a massive amount of fearlessness and confidence to tackle such a beloved sacred cow in the genre.
Fortunately, Snyder pulled off in an impressive way, scoring a big win at the box office and even charming critics.
Retrospective reviews have called Dawn of the Dead Snyder’s best film and placed it among the best zombie and horror films ever made.
Army of the Dead was hailed as a spiritual successor to Synder’s wildly successful Dawn of the Dead. With it, he once again proved that he was far from a one-hit wonder. Besides going on to have one of the most successful and high-profile careers amongst modern filmmakers working today — including working on massive big-budget blockbusters and being one of DC Comics’ go-to creatives — he’s also proven that his heart remains in genre filmmaking.
That’s undoubtedly because he was a self-described “comic book and horror film enthusiast in his youth” and still exudes a genuine passion for these kinds of films.
Snyder’s passion shows through in his filmmaking and is likely why his genre work resonates so much with audiences.
It’s hard to say where Army of the Dead ranks in the pantheon of great zombie films. Even in recent decades, the competition is still stiff, given the vast popularity of the genre and zombie resurgence following the success of the hit show The Walking Dead.
Some of the best recent offerings (within the past decade) include Maggie (2015), The Girl With All the Gifts (2016), Train to Busan (2016), Cargo (2017), Overlord (2018), Little Monsters (2019), and The Sadness (2021).
Over the years, some other excellent entries to the genre have included 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, and World War Z. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. How well Army of the Dead stacks up to these other modern horror hits and classic zombie films is largely a matter of personal opinion.
The Army of the Dead sequel is on the way (though it may be a while, especially with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes going on. Hopefully, it will be worth the wait, and it will be exciting to see what kind of new direction it takes the franchise in. This represents the perfect opportunity to add some related games as well, which we are keeping our fingers crossed for.
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