Army Of The Dead: Lost Vegas - What We Know So Far
Zack Snyder zombie heist movie "Army of the Dead" debuted on Netflix on May 21, 2021 following a week of theater exclusivity. Critics generally had kind things to say about "Army of the Dead," describing it not necessarily as a work that transcends the zombie genre, but rather, one that skillfully employs or iterates on many of the genre's conventions.
Two prequels are currently slated to follow "Army of the Dead," set in the early days of (or possibly even prior to) the film's zombie apocalypse. Matthias Schweighöfer, who portrays German safecracker Ludwig Dieter in "Army of the Dead," will both star in and direct a live-action prequel film titled "Army of Thieves." The film will follow Ludwig on a heist mission spanning multiple European countries according to an interview with Schweighöfer. Schweighöfer did not detail, however, whether the film is set before or after the zombie outbreak.
The second planned prequel is a six-episode animated series titled "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas." Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming animated "Army of the Dead" prequel.
When will Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas be released?
Just like "Army of the Dead" before it, "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" will be released directly to Netflix. That said, Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the animated series.
Netflix announced "Lost Vegas" back in September of 2020. Given that a project is usually at least mid-production at the time of its announcement, it's likely that animators have been working on "Lost Vegas" for the better part of a year at minimum. That said, animation can be a time-intensive medium, so the project may not currently be completed or even nearing completion if it's only been in the works for a year and not longer.
If "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" is indeed finished, it could be released as soon as late 2021, once the hype around "Army of the Dead" proper has died down. If its animation team requires some extra time to wrap work on the series, then a 2022 release might be more likely.
Who will star in Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas?
Netflix announced the cast of "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" in a press release from October of 2020, preceding even the premiere of "Army of the Dead." The animated series will feature the voice talents of a number of "Army of the Dead" stars reprising their roles from the film, including Dave Bautista as mercenary Scott Ward, Ana de la Reguera as mechanic Maria Cruz, Omari Hardwick as soldier Vanderohe, and Tig Notaro as helicopter pilot Marianne Peters.
"Lost Vegas" will also feature a number of notable actors in its voice cast new to the "Army of the Dead" universe. Netflix has announced the names of the characters they will portray, though they have yet to provide further details about those characters. Additional voice talents include Joe Manganiello of "True Blood" fame as Rose, the prolific Christian Slater as Torrance, Anya Chalotra from "The Witcher" as Lucilia, "Uncharted" video game series star Nolan North as Clemenson, and Harry Lennix from "The Blacklist" as Boorman, among others.
What will be the plot of Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas?
According to an interview with Ana De La Reguera, "Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas" will delve into some of the relationships between the characters featured in the film prior to its start. In particular, the series will explore the dynamic between Ana de la Reguera's Maria and Dave Bautista's Scott in further depth than what was featured in the film.
Netflix's initial announcement of "Lost Vegas" also broadly details the series' plot, which it describes as an origin story for Bautista's Scott. As far as timeline goes, the show will be set in the early days of the zombie apocalypse, and will even bring its characters face-to-face with the outbreak's source.
Since the formation of the mercenary team at the heart of "Army of the Dead" will be a key component of the story of "Lost Vegas," at least some of the characters new to the series are presumably members of the central mercenary team who died prior to the film's opening.