Netflix unleashes 3-D Zombie Tiger on Piccadilly Lights to announce arrival of ‘Army of the Dead’

For the first time in Piccadilly Lights’ history, Netflix unveiled a mesmerising 783.5m2 3-D live action billboard to launch Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead’. Using the entirety of the ginormous curved digital screen in Piccadilly Circus, the activation introduces Londoners to “Valentine” ‒ the terrifying zombie tiger which appears in the film.

The 3‒D activation sees the VFX tiger, created by acclaimed visual effects supervisor Marcus Taormina (Bird Box, Guardians Of The Galaxy) roaming around post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. It is the first time a moving character has been given such innovative 3-D treatment in this setting, with the billboard giving great depth to the background, and Valentine’s head appearing to come straight out into Piccadilly Circus itself in the foreground. The activation will be on-rotation at half past the hour until midnight on May 23.

“My crack visual effects team went down to Carol Baskin’s place and used her tigers to get the movements” says director Zack Snyder about Valentine’s creation.

After initially struggling to find a real-life tiger to base Valentine on, Marcus Taormina and his team stumbled across Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue, pre-Tiger King fame, who “were happy to hear that we were using visual effects to create the big cat, versus using a practical tiger because of the inhumane ways that they had been treated over the years.”

“We flew to Tampa, Florida, and were introduced to Carole Baskin” continues Taormina. “Later on, I guess it was probably four or five months in, my wife was watching something and from the other room, I heard this familiar voice. And there’s Carole on the TV.”

The blockbuster ‘Army of the Dead’ premiered on Netflix on May 21.