Though Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of Justice League was unable to make its theatrical debut due to the pandemic, his new passion project is faring much better. Netflix has made an unexpected move by launching Army of the Dead in theaters a week before it debuts on the streaming service. Starting May 14, the zombie heist film will have an exclusive theatrical run, marking Netflix’s first attempt at a large-scale cinematic release. Using a Variety of Methods:
Cinemark, one of the largest theater chains in the world, has agreed to screen the film. “Army of the Dead” has been booked at 200 Cinemark theaters, making it the first Netflix film to have a wide release at a major theater chain. iPic, Landmark, Alamo Drafthouse, Harkins, and Cinépolis are among the 600 theaters that will screen the film. AMC and Regal, among other big circuits, will not be showing the film.
Of course, there’s still some bad news mixed in with the nice. Snyder announced in a recent interview with The Sunday Times that the zombie penis in Army of the Dead would be notably absent. Snyder said, “We had a scene where one of the male strippers had a massive penis with a bite taken out of it.” “We felt it was excessive.” While the film has been hotly anticipated after dropping a badass trailer featuring a zombie tiger, the big question now is whether horror audiences will accept a zombie film that doesn’t feature undead, full-frontal nudity. It’s a gamble to be sure.
