Zack Snyder and Tig Notaro Are Building a ‘Hot Lesbian Action’ Movie Based on an Internet Thirst Trap

When the Algorithm Makes Art

You can’t make this stuff up. The year is 2025, and the next big action-thriller from Zack Snyder—the man who once tried to fit the entire DC canon into a four-hour extended cut—is being developed thanks to a simple, chaotic, and completely unexpected viral phenomenon: Tig Notaro’s inexplicable sex appeal in a zombie movie.

Comedian and actor Tig Notaro, who famously played the helicopter pilot Marianne Peters in Snyder's 2021 Army of the Dead, recently dropped the details on On with Kara Swisher about her next project with the director. It has a working title, Deviants, and it has an instant, glorious, pitch-perfect tagline: it’s a "hot lesbian action" movie.

The idea that one of Hollywood’s most ambitious, visually maximalist directors is pivoting from mythological space battles (Rebel Moon) and superhero epics (the DC universe) to a project whose entire existence is rooted in a highly technical, late-stage CGI replacement—and the internet subsequently going feral over it—is the most beautifully ridiculous piece of pop culture news we’ve heard all year. And we here at Popcorn & Pages are here to celebrate this moment of pure, unpredictable passion over polish.

Sex Appeal by Green Screen

To understand the genius of Deviants, you have to appreciate its origin story, which is a glorious testament to cinematic chaos theory.

Tig Notaro was never supposed to be in Army of the Dead. The role of the helicopter pilot was originally played by comedian Chris D'Elia. However, following sexual misconduct allegations against D'Elia, Snyder—who had already wrapped principle photography—pulled off a highly complex, expensive technical miracle: he replaced D'Elia with Notaro using a combination of green screen reshoots and intricate CGI stitching. Notaro performed her scenes alone, and was digitally inserted into the existing footage alongside the rest of the cast. It was a logistical nightmare turned into a seamless, if slightly uncanny, success.

But the truly viral, unexpected outcome? The internet decided that this stoic, perfectly styled, digitally inserted helicopter pilot was, and I quote, “hot.”

Notaro detailed the bizarre experience, noting how her phone was "exploding" with messages from straight men, gay men, gay women, and straight women, all professing their attraction to the character. It was a massive, unexpected cultural moment driven by the sheer competence and quiet charisma of the character, made more hilarious by the fact that she was never even physically in the same room as her castmates.

And that, dear readers, is where the brilliant idea was born. Notaro picked up the phone and pitched Snyder, essentially asking: "What if we just went for it, and everyone’s a hot lesbian?" Snyder, the maximalist who loves an aesthetic and a strong, simple hook, said, "Oh my God, yes, let’s make that movie." It’s a pitch that deserves its own Oscar for sheer audacity.

While the core pitch is simple and fantastic, the limited details we have on Deviants suggest a fascinating blend of the Snyder aesthetic and a new, more contained narrative focus.

The working title, Deviants, already sets a much sharper, perhaps more niche tone than the broad military-zombie scope of Army of the Dead or the sweeping sci-fi mythology of Rebel Moon. Notaro gave a small tease about the setting, explaining that the movie "takes place back in some old-timey days, like some closeted deviants.”

This "old-timey" setting is a genuine curiosity. It moves the film away from Snyder's typical post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, or contemporary mythological worlds. One can only imagine the Snyder lens applied to this setting: think period-appropriate fashion, meticulously choreographed, stylish action sequences, and the kind of beautiful, high-contrast cinematography that he's famous for, all focused on a narrative of secret lives and high-stakes consequence. Will it be a gritty period crime thriller? A neo-noir spy caper? The possibilities are endless, but the promise is clear: Snyder will deliver the "action," and Notaro will deliver the unique, deadpan charisma.

From Franchise Czar to Standalone Studio

The timing of this announcement is also crucial, and it signifies a brilliant, refreshing pivot for Zack Snyder.

For the last decade, Snyder has been defined by his role as a Franchise Czar, first for the DCEU, then for Netflix's ambitious (and perhaps slightly over-ambitious) Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon cinematic universes. But the corporate landscape is changing: the DCU is now firmly in the hands of James Gunn, the Army of the Dead franchise has reportedly been quietly canceled by Netflix, and there are no confirmed plans for more Rebel Moon sequels.

This makes Deviants appear to be exactly what Hollywood needs right now: a standalone, creator-driven passion project. Snyder is walking away from the sprawling, executive-mandated sequels and focusing on a singular, high-concept idea born from a funny Zoom call. It’s the kind of move that says, "I'm done building worlds; I'm here to make a cool movie with my friends." This is the ultimate passion over polish philosophy, prioritizing a brilliant, high-concept hook over the financial pressure of building an expanded universe—and it’s a beautiful thing to see.

Deviants is a brilliant reminder that sometimes the best creative ideas don't come from massive writers' rooms or executive mandates; they come from a single, viral joke and a director who is self-aware enough to lean into the chaos. We don’t know when the movie will come to fruition, but when it does, it will be the most anticipated piece of "hot lesbian action" since, well, ever. And we can't wait.

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