With “300,” Zack Snyder was able to fine-tune his signature visual flair. With an abundance of slow-motion, reliance on special effects, and green screen, the visual language of “300” is largely the foundation of where Snyder’s signature style comes from — and Tom Cruise noticed. A year prior to the film’s release, Cruise was fascinated by the “300” trailer and invited Snyder over to have breakfast with him, hoping to learn more about the director’s process. Unfortunately, Cruise and Snyder have never worked together, though it was heavily rumored the former would portray Ozymandias in “Watchmen.”
After proving himself with his directorial debut “Dawn of the Dead,” Snyder cemented himself as a name to watch out for with “300.” His success with the Spartan war epic eventually led to a consistent relationship with Warner Bros., who played a part in bringing his subsequent films like “Watchmen” and “Sucker Punch” to life. Thanks to the studio, Snyder was afforded the opportunity to launch a brand new slate of DC films, with “Man of Steel” emerging as the first project in a shared universe. Snyder continued working with Warner Bros. and DC for several years, wrapping up his relationship with the 2021 director’s “Justice League” cut, which received far more compliments than the maligned 2017 theatrical cut.
Now, Snyder has struck up a relationship with Netflix, having helmed the zombie heist picture “Army of the Dead,” and sci-fi epic “Rebel Moon” for the streaming service, the latter of which is set to release December 22.
