The Uncertain Future of Army of the Dead 2: What's Holding Up the Sequel?

The Delayed Sequel

After years of waiting, Army of the Dead 2 has yet to materialize on Netflix, which casts doubt on whether the sequel will ever actually happen. Released in 2021, Army of the Dead follows a group of gutsy mercenaries who journey into zombie-infested Las Vegas to attempt an improbable heist. Made with Zack Snyder's signature blend of genres, Army of the Dead took the best of the zombie and heist films and combined them in a one-of-a-kind package. The film had franchise potential from the start, but plans seemingly stalled right out the gate. Middling reviews weren't enough to slow down the hype around Snyder's Army of the Dead, and Netflix was seemingly willing to throw anything at the director and give him carte blanche. However, just as Snyder was ramping up to turn Army of the Dead into the streamer's next big moneymaking franchise, he shifted gears and began working on his epic Rebel Moon project. While the aforementioned sci-fi world has shaped up in 2023, updates regarding the future of Army of the Dead 2 have been few and far between.

Army of the Dead characters and a zombie

Middling reviews weren't enough to slow down the hype around Snyder's Army of the Dead, and Netflix was seemingly willing to throw anything at the director and give him carte blanche. However, just as Snyder was ramping up to turn Army of the Dead into the streamer's next big moneymaking franchise, he shifted gears and began working on his epic Rebel Moon project. While the aforementioned sci-fi world has shaped up in 2023, updates regarding the future of Army of the Dead 2 have been few and far between.

Dave Bautista as Scott Ward in Army of the Dead.

Uncertain Status

Despite the fact that Zack Snyder has clarified the status of Army of the Dead 2 on several occasions, the movie is not officially green-lit by Netflix. The hit-making director has big plans for the Army of the Dead franchise beyond just a cinematic sequel, and an animated series, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, has also been stalled out despite a lot of work already done on the project. Snyder maintains that he intends to get back to work on Army of the Dead 2, but it is clear that the burgeoning Rebel Moon franchise is taking up a lot of time and energy.

Collage of the poster for Rebel Moon and a zombie from Army of the Dead

For a project that has seemingly been put on the back burner, Zack Snyder has teased Army of the Dead 2 and even revealed a bit of the massive scale of the film. When it comes to the sequel, Snyder said 'My idea for Army 2 is Planet of the Dead...so super excited about it'. Snyder's Planet of the Dead concept has intrigued fans for quite a while, and it suggests a massive jump in scale for the burgeoning zombie franchise. Alongside a movie sequel, Snyder has also clarified that a lot of work was done on the animated series, though that project is also equally lost in a pre-production haze. 'We were working on – and are trying to get back up – our Army animated series' Snyder said, 'We recorded the whole thing, we recorded all the voices – Christian Slater, all these cool people. Super fun'. It is unclear what that revelation means exactly, but it does seem to speak to the fact that Snyder hasn't given up on the Army franchise, even as he sets his sights on Rebel Moon.

Potential Crossover

Perhaps the most surprising reveal that Zack Snyder has provided about the Army of the Dead franchise is that it shares a universe with Rebel Moon. Snyder mentioned that a character from Rebel Moon was slated to appear in the Army of the Dead animated series, and the introduction of an interdimensional portal directly links both franchises. Snyder has been candid about his projects thus far, so if Rebel Moon linked to Army of the Dead 2, he probably would have mentioned it by now. However, since Army of the Dead 2 has been in the works for so long, it might be adjusted to accommodate a Rebel Moon crossover.