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Few companies can generate buzz for older intellectual property quite like Netflix. Even as they move into becoming content creators, the streaming giant has a massive catalogue of film and television at their disposal, which means that no matter what actor, director, or film is making the headlines, they can post about something relevant from their library in order to piggyback off that excitement. And, with reignited debates about the SnyderVerse, and the imminent release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (released in the U.K today), they’ve pulled a smart marketing move by letting everyone know an infamous Zack Snyder and James Gunn collab is streaming now on their platform.
The 2004 remake of George Romero’s zombie classic Dawn of the Dead was Snyder’s directorial debut, and launched his career thanks to good box office returns and a great critical reception. Gunn’s re-writes to the original were also praised by many, even though a few insiders believed that his lack of experience meant he couldn’t take on reimagining such an iconic film. The remake was never intended to be shot-for-shot, but instead incorporated elements of Romero’s original while also adding in allusions to other classics, and generally being more action-oriented.
With that all said, a few critics complained about the lack of dark humor in the remake compared to the iconic original. There were also a few grumbles about character depth and motivation, but, then again, we don’t exactly flock to zombie horrors for nuanced character portrayals (well, mostly). Another criticism of the remake that falls a little more on Snyder’s shoulders was that it used its setting of a shopping mall purely as a physical space, whereas the original utilized the surroundings to critique consumer culture. Of course, that sort of depth and meaning is why Romero is considered a genius, so it’s a bit harsh to complain about Snyder and Gunn’s lack of exploration of societal issues when you’re comparing them to one of the greats. And, given how both of their careers have developed, it’s clear to see that an impulse to do something like that was always there, even if they didn’t have the confidence (or freedom) to be so forthright in this debut.
Whatever people think of the remake (and most agree it’s quite good), there’s no doubt that an early Gunn/Snyder collab is sure to garner some attention given what they’ve both been up to recently — especially for younger fans who weren’t aware of that early film. To be frank, Netflix knew exactly what they were doing with this tweet.