The very nature of filmmaking means that directors will often have to shop their projects around Hollywood to see which outfit is willing to bite, and it’s become increasingly rare for someone to remain loyal to the same studio for an extended period of time, but up until recently, Warner Bros. had two exceptions to prove the rule.
As well as Christopher Nolan, who’s seen his last nine movies beginning with 2002’s Insomnia produced and distributed by WB, there was also Zack Snyder. Having made his feature film debut on Universal’s Dawn of the Dead remake in 2004, he moved across town to the Warner lot for 300 two years later, where he remained for the next fifteen years.
During that period he directed Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, while he also served as either a producer or executive producer on 300: Rise of an Empire, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Wonder Woman 1984. However, all things must come to an end, with Snyder revealing on Vero this week that the studio no longer wants to work with him anymore.
While he retains a ceremonial credit on upcoming DCEU efforts The Flash and The Suicide Squad, it could well be the end of the line for the long-running partnership between Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. Netflix’s Army of the Dead arrives in just over two weeks and he’s already been effusive in his praise for the creative freedom afforded to him by the streaming service, which likely signals yet another nail in the coffin for any hopes of seeing more from the SnyderVerse.