Zack Snyder Praises Netflix’s Collaborative Relationship on Army of the Dead

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Zack Snyder Praises Netflix’s Collaborative Relationship on Army of the Dead

Army of the Dead director Zack Snyder praised the collaborative relationship he enjoyed with Netflix throughout the film’s production. As a filmmaker who’s very familiar with large-scale productions, Snyder knows better than most just how vital it is to have a strong working relationship with the studio behind any given project.

For years, Snyder made a name for himself with superhero movies, taking on some of the most beloved mythologies in the genre. With few exceptions, those films have proved to be massive event films, and fans of the 55-year-old Snyder have accepted him as one of the most reliable superhero filmmakers working. However, despite recently releasing his highly sought-after cut of Justice League, Snyder has always been interested in more than just the likes of Superman. His first feature film was a direct remake of legendary zombie filmmaker George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead in 2004, and since then, Snyder hasn’t returned to the zombie genre. However, in just over a month, Snyder is set to unveil what looks to be another thrilling journey into the post-apocalyptic world of zombies.

This time around, Snyder’s zombie feature will be the Netflix original, Army of the Dead. The new film is hotly anticipated and includes a diverse cast made up of Dave Bautista, Tig Notaro, and Hiroyuki Sanada. So far, Army of the Dead looks like a major production, and as such, the question of studio involvement is always going to be a factor. Snyder had previously found himself in a battle over Justice League, and so it’s only natural that fans would want to know how things have been with Netflix throughout the production of Army of the Dead. Fortunately, things have been great. As Snyder recently told Screen Rant, Netflix has been very supportive and helpful throughout the entire process:

Yeah, collaborative, supportive. There’s been no, like-not to say that they just don’t care…they’re incredibly passionate about it, out of their minds as far as the dailies and way we’re approaching the movie. They’re not asking me…well, let’s put it this way: They’re very comfortable with the movie that I proposed to them and that’s a cool and great experience. It’s been an amazing relationship thus far.

With Snyder’s built-in fanbase, Netflix seems to be making the smart move in giving the popular filmmaker some room to do what he feels is necessary. In addition to that, simply knowing that he has the unwavering support of the streaming giant has got to be a major boost of confidence for Snyder. For the most part, filmmakers – in particular auteurs, tend to work far better when their working environment and conditions favor them. The amount of stress working on a large-scale production can be somewhat minimized when the studio behind the project is entirely on board. Thankfully for Snyder, Netflix understands this, and the results will likely prove as much.

All that being said, it’s not as if Army of the Dead is going to be a guaranteed hit. Netflix might fully support Snyder and the project, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be enough. Zombie films traditionally perform well, but there is a slight amount of pressure on Snyder, even if Netflix has been completely supportive. For a filmmaker interested (for the time being, at least) in stepping away from superhero movies, Army of the Dead could very well be his chance.