Zack Snyder Banned Chairs On Army Of The Dead Set

[ShadeShadow]

Director Zack Snyder says he banned chairs from the Army of the Dead set. The new zombie movie released in select theaters May 14 and is set to debut on Netflix May 21. Anticipation for Army of the Dead is high as the director is coming off the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League, which released in March 2021. Army of the Dead marks Snyder's return to the zombie genre after his 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead. Though the two films aren't connected, it's nonetheless an exciting development for those who enjoy the director's work.

Army of the Dead stands apart from Dawn of the Dead thanks to its heist elements—the movie centers on a group of mercenaries who team up to rob a Las Vegas casino in the middle of an outbreak. Though the response to Army of the Dead has so far been mixed, Netflix is committed to turning the property into a full fledged franchise. A prequel film, Army of Thieves, has already completed filming. An anime series is also in the works. That show is also set before the movie and will feature several members of the Army of the Dead cast reprising their roles.

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Recently appearing on Playlist's The Fourth Wall podcast, Snyder talked about making Army of the Dead. During the conversation, he mentioned chairs were banned from the set, though he provided an explanation for the decision:

There’s no sitting down, like, I banned chairs from the set. But the nice thing is, it’s really intimate. I can just talk to the actors right there, I’m not back in a monitor across the room. It was definitely the most purely engaged I’ve been making a movie.

The practice of banning chairs from movie sets has become a controversial topic over the last year. In June 2020, Christopher Nolan faced some backlash over comments made by Anne Hathaway indicating "Chris also doesn’t allow chairs." She stated Nolan's reasoning is "if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working." A spokesperson for Nolan soon denied the ban, sharing Hathaway was referring to the directors chairs that Nolan "chooses not to use," and stating that others on set are free to "sit wherever and whenever they need and frequently do."

Considering the negative response to Hathaway's claims about Nolan, it's a little surprising to hear Snyder talk about a chair ban himself, especially so definitively. When Nolan was under fire for his alleged ban, many pointed out the practice was unfair to those unable to stand for long periods of time due to health conditions. However, like Nolan, Snyder seems to be suggesting he personally doesn't use a chair rather than saying no one else is allowed to use one. Still, "banned" is a strong word, and it's possible Snyder will face some backlash for his comments about Army of the Dead.