“A thousand-year army need thousand-year soldiers.”
That ominous warning from a Nazi scientist, along with AC/DC’s “Hells Bells,” sets the tone for the high-octane first trailer for Overlord, the new World War II horror film from executive producer J.J. Abrams. And while it might not be the next Cloverfield sequel like we speculated, it is still full of terrifying monsters. Only instead of being beastly invaders from another planet, America’s bravest will need to save the world from a growing squad of undead zombie super soldiers.
Based on this first trailer, the film will combine a traditional war movie with a zombie flick. That mixture of two popular genres makes paves the way for homages to other films; while the World War II elements recall movies like Saving Private Ryan and the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers, the horror elements evoke Frankenstein and Re-Animator. Plus, the claustrophobic aspect of being trapped in a bunker full of nightmarish creatures also feels like an homage to Night of the Living Dead or 28 Days Later. If you’re going to mix together a bunch of films, those are some pretty good ones to call upon.
It’s hard not to see this trailer without thinking of Call of Duty: Zombies, but this also reminds us of maybe the most famous big screen depiction of terrifying mutant Nazi soldiers.
This might not be the next Cloverfield film, but maybe it’s set in the same universe as An American Werewolf in London. Either way, Overlord parachutes into theaters this fall on November 9.
What other movies did this remind you of? Don’t be afraid to tell us in the comments below.
Featured Image: Paramount
