Reports have been circulating that Netflix has canceled the sequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, along with other spin-offs and an animated series. And now, fans want to know the reason behind the alleged cancellation and whether there are any plans to create a shared universe between Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon.
Army of the Dead is a post-apocalyptic zombie heist movie that premiered in May 2021, and by all accounts, was a successful venture for Netflix. Its remarkable performance even led to the development of a prequel, Army of Thieves, which debuted on the streaming platform in October 2021. Accordingly, there is considerable interest in what might have led Netflix to this decision.
Here is everything we have learned on why Netflix reportedly canceled Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead sequels and spin-offs.
Why did Netflix cancel Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead sequels and spin-offs?
Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed that it has canceled Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead sequels and spin-offs, but multiple outlets have reported on it. The reason behind this is likely the critical and commercial underperformance of Snyder’s Rebel Moon movies.
In early August 2024, The Wrap reported on the purported cancellation of Netflix’s plan to turn Army of the Dead into a franchise. While Netflix didn’t make an official announcement on the matter, Snyder and his wife and co-producer, Deborah, acknowledged the cancellation (via What’s on Netflix).
According to earlier reports, the sequel was supposed to have the title Planet of the Dead. An animated series set in the same universe, Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, was also in development. Further, there were reportedly plans for more projects beyond the film and animated movie. But now, all of them have reportedly been shelved.
Would Rebel Moon sequels crossover with Army of the Dead universe?
With the performance of Rebel Moon films apparently impacting the future of another franchise, it’s unclear what effect, if any, it will have on the franchise Snyder has planned around these films. However, the director has said in multiple interviews that Rebel Moon and Army of the Dead can exist in the same universe. In an April 2024 interview with ComicBook.com, Snyder mentioned a Rebel Moon character that was supposed to appear in Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.
“I think I’ve said that, but there’s a character in movie one, when they go into — I don’t know if I’ve talked about this — when they go into the bar and there’s a Xanadite, the Xanadite is that blue girl with glowing markings on her — she is directly from the Army animated series that we never finished.”
The filmmaker continued, “Where they go, where the zombie plague comes from, is a planet they call Xanadu — well, the scientists call it Xanadu because they’re big fans of Olivia Newton-John — so they go to Xanadu and the Xanadites, basically where the zombie plague comes from, she’s one of them. So there’s an interdimensional thing they go through so there is a chance of some weird mashup.”
So, if the Rebel Moon franchise goes forward, we can potentially see Army of the Dead characters in it.