Zack Snyder is one of the more polarizing names in film, today. Either you think he’s a genius, visionary director that has produced some of the best films in the last 15 years or you probably think he’s one of the worst things to happen to superhero filmmaking and an overrated director, overall. Suffice to say, there aren’t many people who are “meh” on Snyder. But even if you aren’t a Snyder fan, you have to be at least interested a little bit by the first major actor cast for the upcoming film “Army of the Dead.”
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Deadline is reporting that Dave Bautista has signed on to star in Snyder’s return to the zombie genre. Despite the title, it doesn’t appear that “Army of the Dead” has anything to do with Snyder’s breakout film (which is very well his best to date) “Dawn of the Dead.” Instead of your typical humans-fighting-zombies-as-they-discover-the-worst-in-humanity story that seems to be all the rage in the genre, “Army of the Dead” is a straight-up heist film. The plot follows a man (presumably Bautista) who puts together a group of mercenaries that attempt to venture into the zombie-filled land of Las Vegas to pull off an epic heist.
Bautista truly became a heavy-hitter in Hollywood thanks to his role as Drax the Destroyer in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films from filmmaker James Gunn. Since then, he’s turned into a fairly versatile talent, with roles in “Blade Runner 2049,” “Spectre,” and “Hotel Artemis.” He’s also set to test his comedic chops (outside of the dry, Drax-like humor) with films “My Spy” and “Stuber.”
Production is set to begin fairly soon on “Army of the Dead.” The Netflix film is said to carry a $70 million budget and is co-written by Snyder and Shay Hatten, who is one of the folks behind the upcoming action film “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.”