Comedian and actress Tig Notaro is ready to capitalize on a phenomenon no one saw coming: her sudden, viral status as an accidental sex symbol. Notaro recently revealed that she and director Zack Snyder are actively working on a new project born directly from the unexpected audience reaction to her role in 2021’s Army of the Dead.
The tentatively titled film, Deviants, is confirmed by Snyder’s camp to be in development and is being pitched with the attention-grabbing description of “hot lesbian action.”
The Unexpected Sex Symbol
The collaboration is rooted in Notaro’s experience on the set of the Netflix zombie heist film. She signed on to play the cool, no-nonsense helicopter pilot Marianne Peters back in 2020, replacing disgraced comedian Chris D’Elia who was digitally removed from the film following sexual misconduct allegations. Notaro’s seamless, last-minute integration into the film—accomplished via impressive green screen and CGI work—was a major technical feat, but it was the audience’s reaction that truly shocked her.
Speaking on the On with Kara Swisher podcast, Notaro explained the surprising aftermath of the film’s release. “I go viral for being sexy in this film,” she said. “And it was so unexpected. My phone’s exploding… I was so confused.”
The compliments and viral memes weren’t coming from just one demographic; Notaro noted she was hearing it from “straight men, gay men, gay women and straight women that they think I’m hot in this movie.”
The Pitch That Sold Zack Snyder
This universal, unexpected boost in “rizz” gave Notaro an idea for a follow-up project that fully embraced the energy. She decided to bring the concept to Snyder, who has a history of directing action films featuring powerful female leads.
“I called Zack, and I said, ‘I’m hearing it from straight men, gay men, gay women and straight women that they think I’m hot in this movie. What if we just went for it and everyone’s a hot lesbian?’,” she recalled. Snyder’s immediate reaction was pure enthusiasm: “He was like, ‘Oh my God, yes, let’s make that movie.’”
Notaro’s sales pitch for the film’s marketing was simple yet effective: “Picture this poster: We have the name of the film, and then it says ‘Hot Lesbian Action.’ That’s how I sold him on the Zoom.”
Deviants: A Period Action Piece
While the project is still in the early stages of putting the script together—Notaro cautions, “Who knows? It’s a Hollywood project.”—she did offer a few tantalizing details about the working title and setting.
“As of now, the movie is called Deviants,” Notaro stated, and revealed it would be a period piece. The action is set to take place “back in some old-timey days, like some closeted deviants,” suggesting a thrilling, potentially subversive action-drama about hidden lives and societal constraints, filtered through Snyder’s characteristic style.
The unconventional origin story of Deviants—born from a last-minute replacement and a viral sex appeal—highlights the unique, creative synergy between Notaro and Snyder. Their initial collaboration on Army of the Dead, despite the logistical challenges, clearly forged a bond that is now leading to one of the most intriguing and highly-anticipated original action concepts in development today.
