A prequel to Army of the Dead focusing less on the undead and more on uncrackable safes certainly raised some eyebrows, but made much more sense when it was revealed that scene-stealing Matthias Schweighöfer would star.
Schweighöfer will be directing as well as reprising his role as safecracking enthusiast Ludwig Dieter in Army of Thieves, and he’s assembled some of the best actors from the UK, Germany and beyond for this second zombie heist.
While there has been quite the discussion about how many zombies will actually appear in Army of Thieves, we know for sure that Fast and Furious star Nathalie Emmanuel, Taskmaster contestant Guz Khan and Polar’s Ruby O. Fee definitely will be showing up.
The cast won’t be contending with many Elvis-dressed zombies this time around, but instead be dealing with impossible-to-crack safes – as well as feelings of love, with the franchise adding more genres in this rom-com heist movie.
Get to know the cast of Netflix‘s Army of the Dead with our complete guide below, which introduces characters old and new and the familiar faces playing them.
Matthias Schweighöfer plays Ludwig Dieter
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Who is Ludwig? The one returning character from Army of the Dead (so far as we know), Ludwig Dieter is an eccentric German safecracker. At the start of the film he is merely a sheepish bank teller going by his real name of Sebastian, but his deep love and respect for the practice of safecracking soon puts him on the radar of career criminal Gwendoline.
A smitten (and shocked) Sebastian eventually joins Gwendoline’s plan to rob three impenetrable vaults spread across Europe, a heist that would see him transform into the badass safecracker we meet in Army of the Dead, complete with the brand new identity of Ludwig Dieter.
As with Army of the Dead, Ludwig provides much of the comic relief for the film, but also the romance, as Ludwig appears to discover the key to Gwendoline’s heart as well.
“I was super pleased because it tells the story of Ludwig Dieter before the Army of the Dead film,” Schweighöfer told RadioTimes.com and other press. “So it will be a huge heist movie with huge, huge, huge, heist stuff you’ve never seen before.”
What else has Matthias Schweighöfer been in? Other than Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, Schweighöfer has a wide skill set as a voice artist, director and producer as well as actor. He has appeared in World War Two biopics, The Red Baron and Valkyrie, lent his voice to Playmobil: The Movie and joined the action and thriller genre as the lead in Amazon Prime’s first German original series You Are Wanted.
Nathalie Emmanuel plays Gwendoline
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Who is Gwendoline? Billed as the mastermind of the group, the mysterious Gwendoline is the leader behind the heist plot. Cold, calculated and professional on the outside, Gwendoline is masking a desire to love and be loved – which Ludwig discovers as their odd-couple dynamic turns romantic.
Already rich and rebellious, Gwendoline is more interested in notoriety than the money and, going by her fight scenes in the trailer, she certainly has both the brains and brawn of a seasoned career criminal.
What else has Nathalie Emmanuel been in? British star Nathalie Emmanuel is a local girl done good, starting out in Hollyoaks before her breakthrough role as trusted advisor Missandei on Game of Thrones. She has since become an official part of the family in the Fast & Furious franchise and also appeared in two instalments of the Maze Runner series.
“The main thing that drew me in was the fact that I was expecting a zombie movie and it was actually a heist movie,” she said of Army of Thieves. “That was a really interesting choice to do that and it was exciting.”
Guz Khan plays Rolph
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Who is Rolph? Rolph is the getaway driver in Gwendoline’s heist crew, who is just as proficient at put-downs as he is driving.
What else has Guz Khan been in? Army of Thieves is Guz Khan’s biggest international role to date but he is already well known in the UK for his appearances at Live at the Apollo and also for creating and starring in BAFTA-nominated comedy-drama Man Like Mobeen. He has also acted in Netflix comedy Turn Up Charlie as well as the TV reboot of Four Weddings and a Funeral, and is also a contestant on series 12 of Taskmaster.
Ruby O. Fee plays Korina
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Who is Korina? With each character nicely slotting into established heist roles, Korina is the hacker for Gwendoline’s crew. She uses her tech-savvy skills to locate the three Hans Wagner safes.
What else has Ruby O. Fee been in? Costa-Rican-German actress and model Ruby O. Fee is best known for starring in fellow Netflix film Polar, World War Two docudrama The Resistance and German film As We Dreamed.
She said: “I was so excited to be a part of the whole Zack Snyder universe and the story is amazing. It’s not zombies but it’s safes and heists, the whole crew together, and also playing with Nat and with Matthias directing was amazing.”
Stuart Martin as Brad Cage
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Who is Brad Cage? The “real-life action hero” of Gwendoline’s crew – with the name to match – Brad Cage is the muscle who takes care of the group’s more action-oriented and violent needs.
What else has Stuart Martin been in? Scottish actor Stuart Martin is best known for his work in historical dramas such as Medici, Jamestown and Miss Scarlet and the Duke. He also starred in Channel 4 comedy Babylon, and has also made guest appearances in the likes of Game of Thrones, Taggart and Silent Witness.
Jonathan Cohen plays Delacroix
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Who is Delacroix? Delacroix is the big bad of the film: an Interpol agent who is hunting down Gwendoline’s heist crew along with his partner Beatrix. As with most of the characters in this film, Delacroix is not concerned with the impending zombie apocalypse, instead becoming increasingly obsessed with catching the film’s protagonists.
What else has Jonathan Cohen been in? Jonathan Cohen is best known for starring in Netflix comedy Family Business but has also starred in several productions in his native France including Budapest and La Flamme.
Noemie Nakai as Beatrix
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Who is Beatrix? Beatrix is also an Interpol agent hunting down Gwendoline’s heist crew and is Delacroix’s often frustrated partner.
What else has Noemie Nakai been in? Noemie Nakai has starred in live-action anime adaptation Death Note – Desu nôto: Light Up the New World, and can be seen in upcoming thriller Tokyo Vice.
Hiroyuki Sanada plays Bly Tanaka
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Who is Bly Tanaka? Interestingly Bly was the owner of the safe in the original Army of the Dead – and seems to be the target once again in this prequel. He can be seen in a still image in the trailer, so it remains to be seen whether he’ll turn up in person.
What else has Hiroyuki Sanada been in? Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada has worked prolifically in Asian cinema for decades, notably appearing in the original horror classic Ring. He has since transitioned to starring in Western blockbusters such as The Last Samurai, The Wolverine and Avengers: Endgame, and recently had a recurring role in Westworld and starred as Scorpion in Mortal Kombat.
Army of Thieves will be released on Netflix on 29th October 2021. While you’re waiting, check out more of our Film coverage and our guide to the best movies on Netflix, or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.