Army of the Dead marks Zack Snyder's return to the world of horror after helming 2004's Dawn of the Dead, and it's now set to premiere on Netflix next year. Following a group of mercenaries into a zombie-infested Las Vegas as they try to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted, the cast includes names like Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, and Garret Dillahunt.
The streaming service is clearly confident that subscribers will respond positively to Army of the Dead because it's been confirmed today that an untitled prequel movie and anime series are now in development. Shay Hatten, one of the movie's writers, will pen both the prequel and TV show.
"I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to partner with Netflix again as we expand the ‘Army of the Dead’ universe with both an international prequel, as well as exploring the visually dynamic world of animation," Snyder said in a statement released today. "It’s been a great collaboration and we are thrilled that Netflix sees this as big of an IP as we do."
Interestingly, the prequel movie will be directed by and star Army of the Dead's Matthias Schweighöfer, following his character Ludwig Dieter. He says, "It has already been a great pleasure to be part of this wonderful ensemble around Zack Synder — a fascinating project. I am happy that it is now being developed on so many different levels."
As for that anime series, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas will see Justice League storyboard artist and DC Animated Universe veteran Jay Oliva serve as showrunner as well as the director of two episodes. It promises to chronicle the origin story of Bautista’s character and his rescue crew during the initial fall of Vegas as they confront the mysterious source of the zombie outbreak.
Snyder has also signed on to direct at least two episodes of the show. Bautista and a number of other actors will be reprising their roles from Army of the Dead.
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