Following the release of Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire late last year, Zack Snyder contributed to the 2024 movies schedule by not just releasing Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver in April, but also making his director’s cuts of both movies available to those with a Netflix subscription in August. While it remains to be seen if the Rebel Moon saga will continue, for years now, he’s been attached to helm Army of the Dead 2, officially titled Planet of the Dead. However, that’s not what Snyder will be tackling as his first post-Rebel Moon movie.
Instead, the filmmaker is set to direct and co-write an untitled movie for Netflix that’s focused on the Los Angeles Police Department. Per THR, Snyder is working on the script with Kurt Johnstad, with the two having previously collaborated on the Rebel Moon movies and 300. No specific plot details have been revealed, but this movie has been described to the publication as “being set in the high-stakes world of life and death and centered on an elite LAPD unit that is relentlessly confronted with the unforgiving collision of law and morality.”
This actually marks a major milestone in Zack Snyder’s filmmaking career. Until now, all the movie’s he’s directed so far have had fantastical elements, with other notable examples including Watchmen, Sucker Punch and the work he did in the DC Extended Universe. This LAPD movie, on the other hand, will be fully grounded, and it’s actually a full circle moments of sorts. Before he made his film directorial debut in 2004 with his Dawn of the Dead remake, Snyder was among the directors who’d been in talks to tackle 2003’s S.W.A.T., with the gig ultimately going to Clark Johnson. Here’s why Snyder said about his LAPD movie for Netflix in a statement to THR:
Years ago, Dan [Lin, Netflix’s head of film] and I had a conversation about our shared interest in telling a compelling and visceral character-driven story set within the intense, complex and captivating landscape of the LAPD. It’s a conversation that has stuck with me. So, as you would expect, I’m very excited to now have the opportunity to partner with Dan, along with the rest of my amazing partners at Netflix, in developing this story.
While I am intrigued to see how Snyder does making a movie that takes place in a more realistic world, I can’t help being disappointed that he’s not moving on to Planet of the Dead next. In October 2021, six months after Army of the Dead was released, the sequel’s title was announced, but that’s the only notable update that ever came out. Between this, the animated series Lost Vegas looking like it’ll never be released, and Snyder having moved on to Rebel Moon and Twilight of the Gods, it seems like Snyder’s multiple Army of the Dead projects are being buried, which is a shame. While I had my issues with Army of the Dead, I was interested in seeing this mythology expanded upon.
Still, I’ll be curious to see how Zack Snyder does putting this LAPD movie together and if it’ll end up joining the ranks of the best Netflix movies. As soon as more information is revealed for his next cinematic endeavor, we’ll let you know.
