Recasts are a way of life in Hollywood. Sometimes they’re done late in production, resulting in certain scenes requiring reshoots. This is how Paul Bettany was added intothe not exactly enthusiastically receivedSolo: A Star Wars Storywhen he replaced actor Michael K. Williams due to the latter’s scheduling conflicts. But now, Zack Snyder’sArmy of the Deadis seemingly treading new ground with its own approach to the art of digital swapping.
Comedian Chris D’elia was originally cast inArmy of the Dead, which completed filming all the way back in 2019. But following credible allegations against D’elia of sexual harassment and grooming of underage girls, Snyder’s upcoming zombie film decided to accomplish the seemingly impossible. The team cast actor and stand-up comic Tig Notaro as his replacement, electing not to reshoot any of his scenes, but instead todigitally insert Notaro over D’elia in each of his appearances.
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This sounds like some sort of tongue-in-cheek attempt at surreal humor for the film, but the intent was dead serious. With the filmnow playing in theaters before eventually heading to Netflix, many curious moviegoers have now seen the results of this endeavor and walked away impressed with how seamlessly it was pulled off. In a way, it’s not all that surprising given how advanced CGI and green screen technology has become in recent years. But all the tech in the world won’t matter if the performances aren’t there, and according to Notaro, much of that was helped by Snyder’s own passion.
“I think it was just [Snyder’s] authenticity, his talents, the script, the enthusiasm behind it all, the excitement that I had for trying something so - not just a new genre for me, but to be green screened in,” Notaro said in a recent interview with Collider when asked about how it worked so well, “and I was asking Zack, ‘Can you promise me that you will laugh in the moments that this seems so utterly insane?’ And he promised me all of those things and delivered.” Considering howArmy of the Deadwas already an unusual zombie movie, it seems Snyder and his team really ran with the whole idea of taking things one step further.
This goes in line with much of the behind-the-scenes stories regarding Snyder, such as how many of theJustice Leagueactors felt much more comfortable working with him than with Joss Whedon. To insert someone entirely with CGI and green screen requires both the star and the director to go all in, compensating for a lack of context with an abundance of enthusiasm. According to Notaro, that’s exactly what Snyder brought to the table. So for anyone wondering why her scenes felt so natural inArmy of the Dead, that shared authenticity is the key to it all.
The world may need more films likeArmy of the Deadright now. It isn’t afraid to go over-the-top and get weird with things, but it also doesn’t do anything halfway. A zombie heist movie set in a walled-off Las Vegas is about as eccentric as its premise suggests, and the genuine effort behind it ensures that it all comes across exactly as intended. Even after digitally inserting Notaro after production had largely finished, the very definition of a last-minute change, it still somehow feels right. That’s what good filmmaking does.
Army of the Deadis now playing in theaters, with a Netflix release coming on May 21st.
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