Cinemark will show Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead in hundreds of theaters, making it the first Netflix film to score a wide release at a major chain.
As reported by Variety, Army of the Dead will screen in 600 U.S. theaters — including 200 Cinemark venues — for a week starting May 14, prior to streaming globally on Netflix May 21. “Following the success of our limited-run in-theatre tests with Cinemark for films like ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘The Midnight Sky’ and ‘The Christmas Chronicles 2,’ we are looking forward to the wider theatrical release of ‘Army of the Dead,’” said Spencer Klein, Netflix’s head of distribution.
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In the past, only smaller theater chains have been willing to carry Netflix’s exclusive movies, including the awards season contenders that need a limited theatrical run to qualify for Oscars consideration. For example, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman played in 550 U.S. theaters in late 2019, in keeping with the director’s wishes for the film to be shown in as many venues as possible. However, with many studios opting to either send their movies directly to streaming or using a hybrid approach in response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, theaters have begun to accommodate them by allowing for a shorter window between a film’s theatrical run and streaming debut — assuming there is one.
Justin McDaniel, Cinemark’s senior VP of global content strategy, confirmed the company is looking forward to collaborating with Netflix on Army of the Dead. “Cinemark is excited to work with Netflix on our first wide release and provide movie lovers the opportunity to see ‘Army of the Dead’ in our theatres across the U.S.,” McDaniel said. “Zack Snyder fans will love seeing the action in an immersive, cinematic environment with larger-than-life sight and sound technology.”
The full synopsis for the film reads,
Army of the Dead takes place following a zombie outbreak that has left Las Vegas in ruins and walled off from the rest of the world. When Scott Ward, a former zombie war hero who’s now flipping burgers on the outskirts of the town he now calls home, is approached by casino boss Bly Tanaka, it’s with the ultimate proposition: break into the zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve $200 million sitting in a vault beneath the strip before the city is nuked by the government in 32 hours. With little left to lose, Ward takes on the challenge, assembling a ragtag team of experts for the heist. With a ticking clock, a notoriously impenetrable vault, and a smarter, faster horde of Alpha zombies closing in, only one thing’s for certain in the greatest heist ever attempted: survivors take all.
Directed and co-written by Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead stars Dave Bautista, Garret Dillahunt, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Raul Castillo, Tig Notaro, Theo Rossi and Ana de la Reguera. The film arrives on Netflix May 21.
Source: Variety
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