Chris D’Elia Replaced By Tig Notaro in ‘Army of the Dead’ Following Sexual Harassment Allegations

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Chris D’Elia is being replaced by Tig Notaro in the upcoming zombie movie Army of the Dead. The news comes following allegations that D’Elia has a history of sexually harassing underage girls. Army of the Dead wrapped filming last year, but the Netflix movie will undergo reshoots, as well as use green screens and CGI, to add Notaro to the production.

A number of girls, some as young as 16, claimed on social media in June that D’Elia had sent them explicit messages online and tried to solicit nude photos from them. The comedian has denied the accusations, but he was subsequently dropped by his talent agency, CAA. Meanwhile, Netflix scrapped plans for a prank show starring the comedian. The fallout continues as D’Elia will no longer be fighting the undead for Netflix either.

Army of the Dead, directed by Zack Snyder and starring Dave Bautista, centers on a group of military mercenaries who plan a Las Vegas casino heist in the middle of a zombie outbreak. Details of D’Elia’s role in the film haven’t been released, but the part will now be played by Notaro, a fellow comedian who’s best known for her comedy specials and starring role on the Amazon series One Mississippi, which she co-created.

Army of the Dead was in post-production before the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. It’s unclear when additional filming can safely take place as many Hollywood productions are still shut down due to the pandemic. The Hollywood Reporter, however, notes that Netflix is planning a “quick round” of reshoots, including the use of CGI “to blend” Notaro into the film.

The situation is similar to Kevin Spacey being replaced by Christopher Plummer in the 2017 movie All the Money in the World following sexual misconduct allegations. That film underwent $10 million worth of reshoots just one month before its release to erase Spacey and incorporate Plummer into the final cut.