Zack Snyder on why Army of the Dead is his "small movie"

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Exclusive: Here's an exclusive new image from the upcoming Netflix movie, Army of the Dead

Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead
(Image credit: Netflix)

Zack Snyder's a busy man. Not only has the director caused a huge stir online by re-doing Justice League, but he also has a new Netflix movie on the horizon: Army of the Dead, about a group of mercenaries who try to rob a Las Vegas casino during a zombie outbreak.

Speaking to Total Film in the new issue of the magazine, Snyder describes his latest gargantuan action blockbuster – which you can see an exclusive image from above – "my small movie". The filmmaker does not mean in scale, though, but in sensibility. 

"I’ve tried to get at it in a super- intimate, personal way. It’s not made by committee," says Snyder, which should be welcome words following the Justice League farrago. For one, the film goes deep on the complicated relationship between Scott and his daughter Kate, played by Ella Purnell. "It’s definitely a movie that’s incredibly personal and singular."

Personal, singular... and an opportunity to get back to brain-bashing basics. Filmed on location in Atlantic City, Snyder has dialed down the stylized comic-book aesthetic he’s deployed to a lesser or greater extent on everything from 300, even filming with digital cameras for the first time. But the biggest way in which Snyder is well-explored zombie genre, is with the undead themselves, which come in various shapes, sizes, and degrees of intelligence. 

"From the first conceptualizing of the movie, they were going to be these evolved zombies," Snyder teases. Describing his zombies as "semi-conscious", the goal is to make us sympathize with the undead like never before. "We treat them kind of like wolves, sort of like a dog. They’re not necessarily fully realized and talk or anything. But they can organize."

Army of the Dead is scheduled to stream on Netflix from 21 May. For much more on the film – plus an exclusive report on Zack Snyder's Justice League, and a report from the set of Godzilla vs Kong – pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits shelves (real and digital) this Friday, March 5. Check out the new covers below:

Total Film's Godzilla vs. Kong covers

(Image credit: Future)

If you're a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an upcoming issue? Sign up via MagazinesDirect and with the latest offer you'll save 60 per cent – that's better than half price! – on a print and digital bundle. You'll also get exclusive subscriber-only covers like the Godzilla vs. Kong one above.

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(Image credit: Total Film/Warner Bros)
Jack Shepherd
Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.