Zack Snyder Puts a New Twist on Classic Zombie Films With 'Army of the Dead'

The Netflix film Army of the Dead, by Justice League director Zack Snyder, has rapidly become a fan favorite of zombie cinema. Fans have clamored for a sequel, but many have also been wondering if Army of the Dead is an adaptation of an older flick. So, is Army of the Dead a remake? Here's everything we know about the film.

While Zack has spent a long time working in the DC Extended Cinematic Universe (DCEU), one of the first movies to put him on the map as a director was the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. Interestingly enough, the script was written by Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) director James Gunn, known for his work on Guardians of the Galaxy and DC's The Suicide Squad.

Reportedly, Dawn of the Dead's goal was to "re-invigorate" the zombie genre rather than provide a line-by-line remake of the original 1978 film. The film's plot followed a group of survivors during a zombie apocalypse where they had to seek refuge in an abandoned shopping mall.

In its earliest developmental stages, Army of the Dead was intended as a direct sequel to Dawn of the Dead, but Army of the Dead took many years to get off the ground, and the intention behind the film changed. Zach explained to Den of Geek how his Dawn of the Dead remake led to Army of the Dead.

"When you do a zombie movie, even though it was the first time, I was exploring the genre, the different tropes of the genre and really was starting to get fascinated with the things in it that we all take for granted, whether it be that a zombie bite is infectious, or you shoot it in the head or whatever," Zach explained.

He added, "That was really was the jumping off point for this exploration, because I’d done the zombie movie, and then I had this basic love for the genre and how it worked. I think that it was the sort of deconstruction of those two ideas in my mind that led me to what is Army."

Army of the Dead is not a remake of any prior zombie films, but rather, a new and original concept meant to challenge viewers' preconceptions about traditional zombie movies.

Fans can't get enough of Zack turning the popular horror genre on its head, whether it's by adding the suspenseful casino heist elements or throwing in robot zombies to hint at a potential plot twist further down the line. No matter what happens in the Army of the Dead sequel, it seems like Zack will continue to change how viewers think of zombie movies for years to come.

Army of the Dead is now streaming on Netflix.