Zack Snyder, known for his distinctive cinematic style, was once deeply involved in creating a new universe for Netflix, centered around his zombie apocalypse film, Army of the Dead. The film’s success led to the development of an entire franchise, including a prequel, Army of Thieves, and plans for a sequel titled Planet of the Dead and an animated series called Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas. However, recent reports have surfaced indicating that Netflix has quietly shelved any future projects within the Army of the Dead universe, effectively bringing the franchise to an unexpected halt.
The Quiet End of the Army of the Dead Franchise
Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead franchise, known for its unique take on the zombie apocalypse, has reportedly been shelved by Netflix. Despite the initial success of the original film, released in May 2021, and its prequel, Army of Thieves, released in October 2021, the franchise’s future has been put on hold. Although a sequel was anticipated, it was never officially confirmed. Netflix’s decision to cancel the series includes the animated spinoff Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas and a planned movie spinoff, Planet of the Dead.
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The original Army of the Dead movie had proven successful, attracting 75 million households within its first 28 days on the platform. This performance justified Netflix’s decision to proceed with the spinoff, Army of Thieves, which also garnered impressive viewership—49.64 million hours during its debut week and 71.61 million hours by its second weekend. Both films were met with decent reviews, with Army of the Dead earning a 67% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Army of Thieves slightly outperforming it with 69%.
These cancellations mark a significant shift in focus for Snyder, who has since turned his attention to another ambitious project: the Rebel Moon sci-fi universe.
Fans Loved The Army Of The Dead More Than Rebel Moon
Army of the Dead and Army of Thieves had garnered relatively positive reviews compared to some of Snyder’s other divisive works. Nevertheless, the subsequent Rebel Moon films underperformed both critically and commercially, with their Director’s Cuts failing to make a significant impact. This might have influenced Netflix’s decision as The Wrap reported the shelving. .
The cancellation is a significant blow to Snyder’s creative vision. Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas was poised to provide crucial backstory to the main characters, setting the stage for future installments. The franchise’s abrupt end leaves many unanswered questions and unfulfilled potential. Fans reacted to this news by claiming that it was a better film than these Rebel Moon ones.
https://twitter.com/austin_medz/status/1821170325733642460
This is a pity, I actually enjoyed all of them.. Army of the Dead & Army of Thieves 🥲 pic.twitter.com/WNw2KyWQwb
— Box Office Forecast 🎬 (@BoxOfficeFcst) August 7, 2024
I wonder why. I will tell you, Rebel Moon was a disaster. It may have been pretty but it was a jumbled mess.
— Casey Ryback (@CaseyRyback00) August 7, 2024
https://twitter.com/FilmBoxHQ/status/1821171406215819442
that sucks! In my opinion: Army of the Dead was far better than both Rebel Moon films!
— Thomas Levesque (@LevesqueT) August 7, 2024
While the reasons behind Netflix’s decision remain unclear, it is evident that the streaming giant has opted to prioritize other projects. As for Snyder, the focus now shifts entirely to the Rebel Moon universe, though the future of this franchise also hangs in the balance given the tepid reception of the first two installments.
Only time will tell if the Army of the Dead universe will ever be resurrected, perhaps by another studio. For now, fans of the franchise are left to mourn the lost potential of a cinematic world brimming with zombies, heists, and unexpected twists.
Army of the Dead, Army of Thieves and all of Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies are streaming on Netflix.
