Zack Snyder Is Teaming With Netflix For An Unexpected New Project

zack snyder
(Image credit: netflix press)

As Warner Bros. and DC are currently re-mapping out its corner of the live-action superhero blockbuster-verse, former ringleader Zack Snyder is busy working on his first Justice League follow-up, the Netflix Original zombie feature Army of the Dead. Though that project is still in the relatively early days, Snyder has already signed on for another new venture, though this one is slightly more unexpected than another flick about the undead.

Netflix announced today that its partnership with Zack Snyder is extending for a brand new anime series that will be focused on the world of Norse mythology. That's right...animated Norse gods. For anyone who didn't think Snyder would go from live-action Superman to animated Thor and Loki, this news is most certainly unexpected.

Zack Snyder is co-creating this new mythological TV series alongside Jay Oliva, marking the latest in a line of shared projects between the two. Oliva will serve as the showrunner and director for the new show, and he will also be an executive producer alongside Snyder.

Jay Oliva served as a storyboard artist on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and also worked on Man of Steel. Oliva did storyboards for Thor: Ragnarok as well, which is interesting enough for Norse god purposes. He has also directed right around ten of DC's animated features, including Justice League Dark and both parts of The Dark Knight Returns. As such, we can expect for this new anime to be action-packed.

As it has gone with many of Zack Snyder's past projects, he will also serve as a producer along with his wife Debroah Snyder, and their partner Wesley Coller, though their company The Stone Quarry (formerly known as Cruel and Unusual Films). The company also worked with Jay Oliva on 300: Rise of an Empire, which Snyder did not return to direct.

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As hinted at just above, this won't be the first time that Zack Snyder looks back to historical tales for one of his creative avenues. The 2006 feature 300 remains one of his more universally appreciated flicks, though Snyder obviously won't be working from any Frank Miller source material with this new show. However, Neil Gaiman did write up a book about Norse mythology – called, unpredictably enough, Norse Mythology – so that could make for a wildly interesting collaboration. Not that it'll happen, but still.

While audiences wait to see how Damon Lindelof's Watchmen series for HBO compares to Zack Snyder's 2009 feature adaptation, Snyder is working on Army of the Dead. The film centers on a Las Vegas heist being undertaken in the midst of the zombie apocalypse, and will star Guardians of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista, Sons of Anarchy's Theo Rossi, Sweetbitter's Ella Purnell and more.

Meanwhile, Jay Oliva is also currently working on another Netflix project. He's also involved with the in-production anime series Trese, based on the Filipino horror/crime comics from writer Budjette Tan and artist Kajo Baldisimo. It's planned for a 2020 release.

As it has been doing with just about every TV sub-genre, Netflix has been building up its anime library in recent years, with high-profile series like Ultraman, Castlevania, and B: The Beginning. The future is only getting brighter, and with more licensed IP, with projects such as Transformers: War for Cybertron, Pacific Rim and Magic: The Gathering all getting new projects.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more information about Zack Snyder's new Norse mythology project as it becomes available to us.

Photo Credit @Netflix

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.