Making a post-apocalyptic zombie/heist movie set in Las Vegas which is boring should be more than enough reason to thrown anyone in director’s jail for a decade. Yet, Netflix decided to give Zack Snyder another fat stack of dollars to develop Rebel Moon, a brand-new sci-fi universe with no clear defining traits other than being very violent and “not your family-friendly Star Wars” as long as you’re watching the just-released director’s cuts. Now, it appears the filmmaker’s luck might’ve finally run out, as Army of the Dead isn’t expanding with new movies or shows anymore.
Ever since his 2017 Justice League movie was trashed by Warner Bros. and turned into a Frankenstein’d mess by Joss Whedon and the producers a lifetime ago, Snyder has been in the business of selling even bigger ideas and trying to play both sides: one for the big studios, and one for himself. His ‘Snyder Cut’ of Justice League, only turned into a reality ‘thanks to’ the most toxic online fan movement in recent memory, was admittedly a very noteworthy rework of the theatrically released husk of a movie into an ambitious vision with a distinct voice behind it. That approach now feels like a one-time trick though.
Via TheWrap, which mainly interviewed Zack and Deborah Snyder about the Rebel Moon DCs, we’ve learned that Netflix has chosen to quietly step away from more Army of the Dead, a movie that wasn’t a massive disaster with critics and viewers, yet simply felt far too bloated and expensive for what was ultimately another zombie flick. Moreover, it was full of head-scratching world-building and ideas that asked for even more money and time to be developed in future movies as well as TV shows. You gotta admit the Snyders do aim high, but with almost everyone in Hollywood cutting down costs and trying to play things safer for a while, it comes as no surprise that Netflix is not seeing the same franchise potential in that universe.
There’s a funny remark in the piece, with Deborah Snyder pointing out that, in spite of everything, “there will be a themed experience coming to the Six Flags theme parks this Halloween.” Honestly, this statement feels like the cherry on top of a trashed cake, and this isn’t something I personally want to write, as I’ve always admired the filmmaker and his partner/producer’s commitment to taking bold swings wherever possible even if they didn’t land many times, but you also have to learn to realize when to step away from failed ideas and refocus on something else.
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Zack was asked by longtime friend and past writing partner James Gunn to make something for the DCU under far better circumstances.
