Army of the Dead’s Spinoff Star Talks Safe-Cracking and Zack Snyder’s Lessons

Zack Snyder ’s Army of the Dead has n’t even come out yet and aspin - off film is already in the can . It ’ll be called Army of Thieves and it ’s direct by its maven , Matthias Schweighöfer , who wager a cracksman key out Dieter in both films . io9 talk to Schweighöfer about get to bet in Zack Snyder ’s zombi - infested heist picture and how he landed the gig to expand the universe .

In Army of the Dead , a possible zombi spirit Revelation has been ostensibly ward off when all of the undead are trapped inside a walled - off Las Vegas . However , the casinos inside still have a bunch of money in them , so Dave Bautista leads a chemical group of mercenaries to infiltrate the zombie ( and zombie tiger ) infested Sin City and occur out with one C of millions of dollars . Obviously , thezombies are a big problembut the bigger issue is the elaborated , uncrackable safe at the casino . That ’s where Schweighöfer ’s role , Dieter , follow in . Though all the other characters are complete badasses with immense machine gun , buzzsaws , and more , he ’s there for one understanding and one ground only . “ I read the script before and but I was n’t sure how the safebreaker was skilled with hired gun or arm , ” Schweighöfer ’s told io9 via Zoom . “ And my first step into the wardrobe department and a prop master was like , ‘ Okay , he make love how to handle a crotch or a spoonful , but for certain nothing else . ’ ”

To be in a hugeZack Snyder blockbusterand not blow something up might have been a disappointment to some , but not Schweighöfer . “ I was super well-chosen that I was the only one who could do everything unlike than all the others , ” he say . “ It made him very special . ” So special , in fact , that as production on the film began to wind down , Snyder and Netflix executives approached Schweighöfer with an approximation . “ They said , ‘ You know , the Dieter fictional character is so likable and combining [ him ] with the heist movie , and especially the safe — we would get it on to tell a story about that , ” the actor explained .

Matthias Schweighöfer as Dieter the safecracker in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.

Matthias Schweighöfer as Dieter the safecracker in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead.Photo: Netflix

In Army of the Dead , it ’s clear that Dieter has a history with the particular safe inside the casino , refer the Götterdämmerung . It ’s his White Whale and he believes he ’s the only person in the world who can possibly crack it . Why is not explicitly explained in this celluloid but it will be excuse in Schweighöfer ’s twirl - off . “ Zack shout out me and enunciate ‘ Matthias , let ’s encounter up ’ and we met , ” Schweighöfer said of how the plastic film came to be . “ And he was tattle about ‘ What do you think about this and that idea , that account , because we have to write it . ’ And then he said , ‘ Do you want engineer it and star in it and do we want to give rise it together ? ’ And I said , ‘ No . There ’s no reasonableness for me to do that . ’ ”

Schweighöfer is a really fishy guy . “ I said , yes , of course , ” he continue . “ That was one of the ripe days of my life story . ”

While Schweighöfer ca n’t say much about what Army of Thieves is about , he did offer a few wind of how the existence bond together . “ This is not a zombie movie , I can say , but mayhap I heard maybe we have zombi in it , ” he said . “ But it ’s not a zombie movie … It ’s a heist pic and it will be a huge , very entertaining heist movie with clobber we ’ve never pick up before , especially that we create our own mankind . So everyone should be really delirious to see Dieter crock up some prophylactic . ”

Schweighöfer and Omari Hardwick in Army of the Dead.

Schweighöfer and Omari Hardwick in Army of the Dead.Photo: Netflix

Schweighöfer begin acting in the late nineties and directing in 2011 . In that clip he ’s made several film , as well as a TV series , but even with all that experience he still said he read a mickle from the man behind Justice League , 300 , and Watchmen . “ I learned that a dandy imagination needs a lot of unfearing move and a fate of trustfulness in yourself and a keen team , ” Schweighöfer said . “ Zack always told me ‘ Matthias , dream big . attempt to be always the best version of everything . ’ So I really focused on that . Create your own universe . Be self - convinced and trust yourself . desire your gut . He ’s like ‘ Never mislay being a wonderful human being … a unspoilt dad and a good hubby . But prove to be a seer . ’ You have a imagination because without a vision , there ’s nothing . ”

You ’ll be able to see Snyder ’s vision , Army of the Dead , in theaters this weekand on Netflix next hebdomad . Schweighöfer ’s visual sensation , Army of Thieves , is still in Emily Post - output .

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Schweighöfer with the rest of the team.