People across Sunderland woke up to reports that Stack Seaburn had been vandalised over night. What they didn’t know was that Netflix had been working through the night to transform Stack Seaburn into a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas scene to celebrate the upcoming release of Zack Snyder’s horror blockbuster, Army of the Dead.
Here’s everything you need to know as Hollywood comes to Sunderland…
Sunderland has welcomed Hollywood to Wearside on a fair few occasions over the years.
Netflix showcased the story of SAFC’s footballing journey for three seasons with ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ and ITV’s beloved ‘Vera’ regularly shoots in various locations across the city, the most recent being Sunderland Civic Centre car park and Roker seafront in early May.
This time round however, there was a new star in town as Hollywood rolled out the red carpet to celebrate the upcoming release of Army of the Dead – the new $90m film from American director, Zack Snyder.
Thursday morning (20th May), saw one of Sunderland’s beloved hospitality venues transformed into an apocalyptic playground as Netflix treated Mackems to a stunning display to celebrate Hollywood’s looming epic.
Why did Netflix choose Stack Seaburn?
In Army Of The Dead, following a zombie outbreak, a giant wall of shipping containers is placed around the perimeter of Las Vegas, to help contain the zombie infestation within the city walls.
It was noted by planners that Stack Seaburn’s striking shipping container village would provide fantastic inspiration for scenes featured within the film.
With a huge “Welcome To Las Vegas” sign out front, ‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die’ spray-painted across the Stack logo as a nod to Netflix’s incredibly popular documentary series on the trials and tribulations of SAFC, passers-by were given a visual treat as a huge monitor also showcased footage of the film’s zombie outbreak.
To celebrate the release, Netflix will be serving complimentary “zombified” ice creams and chips from the shops either side of the entrance for beach goers and passers-by.
This activity is in conjunction with other stunts in Brighton and Blackpool, where dilapidated shipping containers will wash-up on the beaches there.
Who is Zack Snyder and what is Army of the Dead?
A shining light of the superhero genre and a director renowned for his flamboyant vision, dynamic compositions, highly-saturated colour schemes and stunning visual effects, Zack Snyder is one of the world’s biggest names when it comes to Hollywood blockbusters.
Snyder made his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead and has since made a reputation for his comic book movies and superhero films that include 300 (2007), Watchmen (2009), Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016).
Snyder is the co-founder of Cruel and Unusual Films, a production company he established in 2004, alongside his wife Deborah Snyder and producing partner Wesley Coller.
His latest film, Army of the Dead, sees WWE superstar Dave Bautista and rising UK star Ella Purnell embark on a hair-raising journey as they lead a band of mercenaries to a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas for the greatest heist ever.
With an estimated budget of approximately $90m US dollars, a huge cast also featuring Omari Hardwick and with a summer release expected this year, Army of the Dead is shaping up to be the biggest release of 2021 and one of Netflix’s most spectacular productions yet.
You can view the official trailer here: https://youtu.be/tI1JGPhYBS8
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