Today, Netflix debuted the first official images from director Zack Snyder’s upcoming zombie heist filmArmy of the Dead. However, eagle-eyed fans have spotted what could be a cameo by the ‘Snyder Cut’ ofJustice Leaguein one of the newly released photos.
During the post-production phase of Warner Bros. and DC’sJustice League, Snyder stepped away from the project due to a personal family tragedy, andAvengersdirector Joss Whedon was brought on boardto carry the project through to its November 2017 release. However, the studio would also task Whedon with overseeing extensive reshoots that significantly altered Snyder’s original vision for the film. AfterJustice Leaguedebuted in theaters to poor reviews and disappointing box office figures, several fans launched a campaign calling on Warner Bros. to release Snyder’s original version of the DC film.
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After roughly three years, the campaign culminated with Snyder declaring his cut ofJustice Leaguewill debut on HBO Max in 2021. However, prior to the announcement, there had been some question regarding whether or not an alternate cut of the film even existed. In December 2019, Snyder attempted toprove his cut ofJustice Leagueexistedby posting a photo of film canisters labeled “Z.S.,” “JL,” and “Director’s Cut” on social media. Now, fans believe those canisters are among the items being stored in the vault featured in one of the new Army of the Deadphotos released throughEntertainment Weekly.
Conceived initially after Snyder completed his remake of George A. Romero’sDawn of the Deadin 2004,Army of the Deadremained in development hell for years until Netflix acquired the distribution rights to the project from Warner Bros. in 2019. Featuring an ensemble cast that includes Dave Bautista and Tig Notaro, the story centers on a team of mercenaries attempting a heist on a Las Vegas casino in the midst of a zombie outbreak caused by a plague released from the Area 51 military base in Nevada. The film is set to be the first in a franchise that will also include an anime web series titledArmy of the Dead: Lost Vegasas well as a feature-length prequel directed by and starring Matthias Schweighöfer.
In the meantime, Snyder is hard at work completing his cut ofJustice Leagueafter shooting additional material for the new version of the film. Among those who participated in Snyder’s reshoots were Ben Affleck, Ray Fisher, Amber Heard, andJared Leto as the Joker.
While Snyder had envisionedJustice Leagueas one installment of a five-part story arc, his new cut for HBO Max will now exist in a separate universe with no connection to the ongoing DC Extended Universe franchise. In fact, Snyder recently noted that he does not intend to return for anymore DC films afterJustice Leaguedebuts on HBO Max.
Army of the Deadwill be released on Netflix in 2021.
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