Zack Snyder on working with Huma Qureshi in Army of the Dead: ‘Only want Indian actors in my movies from now on’

Filmmaker Zack Snyder has said that after collaborating with Huma Qureshi in Army of the Dead, he wants to work ‘only with Indian actors’. Huma plays Geeta in the zombie film, due out on Netflix on May 21.

Army of the Dead sees Snyder returning to his roots. He made his feature film debut with a remake of Dawn of the Dead in 2004. The filmmaker has since made a name for himself in the comic book genre, having helmed adaptations of 300 and Watchmen, and spearheading the DC Extended Universe of films until 2017.

Watch our interview with Zack Snyder here

In an interview with Hindustan Times, the filmmaker said that Huma’s character was always intended to be Indian. “She was written as an Indian character, and Huma is a really amazing actress, no two ways about it.” he said, adding, “We talked about who we could get, and the casting director brought her up. I watched some of her material, and I was like, ‘this actress is amazing’.”

Snyder said that he ‘didn’t think that she would do’ the film, but Huma agreed. “I was so happy, and finally, having her on set, she was like, you know, I want only Indian actors in my movies from now on.”

Army of the Dead is set during a zombie apocalypse, where the outbreak has been confined within the city of Las Vegas. The film is about a group of men and women who’re hired by a businessman to retrieve $200 million that is just lying around inside the quarantine zone, unattended.

Also read: Zack Snyder, Huma Qureshi build temporary hospital facility in Delhi to ‘help fight the pandemic’

The film stars Dave Bautista in the lead, and features a supporting cast that includes Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera, Theo Rossi, Matthias Schweighöfer, Nora Arnezeder, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tig Notaro, Raúl Castillo, Samantha Win, and Garrett Dillahunt. A spin-off film and an anime prequel are in the works.