10 Films Zack Snyder Wants to Make

It’s easy to think Zack Snyder is doing everything he could ever want. His next project, the Star Wars-inspired science-fiction Netflix film Rebel Moon, is officially in pre-production. His Army of Thieves script is coming to life in the new spinoff. And his partly-directed animated Norse mythology series Twilight of the Gods is on the horizon.

However, Snyder has been vocal through the years about numerous other projects he plans to one day develop for the screen. From small-scale productions on a tiny budget to sprawling historical epics, Snyder’s wish list of films he hopes to create is long. Only time will tell how these projects turn out.

Horse Latitudes

While working on what became Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), Snyder longed for a smaller production where he could spend more time directly behind the camera, rather than off to the side with a megaphone. Army of the Dead (2021) scratched that itch briefly, but Horse Latitudes was going to be the ideal microbudget film to give Snyder a more personal experience.

As revealed on The NonProphet Podcast, the originally titled The Last Photograph was meant to shoot in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, and Pasadena with a cast of only two. Presumably, the premise remains the same as the original concept: Two men travel together due to a mysteriously compelling photograph. Unfortunately, COVID-19 halted those plans.

Planet Of The Dead

Snyder’s foray into the world of streaming, Army of the Dead, ended on something of a cliffhanger, with one of only two survivors, Miles Vanderohe, on a plane to Mexico realising he has been bitten and become infected with the zombie virus.

Snyder has discussed his plans to create an eventual sequel to his first Netflix movie, likely following Vanderohe as the new “Zeus” following a fresh zombie outbreak in Mexico City. In an interview with Inverse, Snyder said the title for this movie would be “Planet of the Dead” and would answer several questions while tying into the upcoming Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas (2021).

Justice League 2 And Justice League 3

Zack Snyder’s Justice League opened the door to nearly a dozen sequels and spinoffs that, tragically, the studio appears unwilling to make. Among those sequels are the fourth and fifth chapters of the director’s superhero series that began in 2013 with Man of Steel (2013).

The two-part story would show Darkseid’s invasion and a conflict with the supervillain team the Injustice League as the heroes of this universe wrap up their respective story in a battle bringing together the entire DC universe. Snyder has made clear that he would return to film them. Fans are banking on the upcoming merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery to give him that chance.

Arthurian Gold Rush

During Playlist’s The Fourth Wall podcast, Snyder revealed a concept he had been writing for an Arthurian inspired story told in the unique setting of the American Gold Rush. Snyder is a known fan of the classic King Arthur mythology, John Boorman’s historical fantasy film Excalibur (1981) being an influence woven into Zack Snyder’s movies.

There have been many varied and creative versions of the King Arthur character, but telling a similar story in such a radically different setting across the Atlantic in a different time period would surely be a fresh take on the old legend.

Blood And Ashes

Originally intended as a 300 sequel before finding himself writing a different yet spiritually connected story, Snyder’s “Blood and Ashes” would be a romantic story about the infamous Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great and his relationship with Hephaestion.

In a podcast interview, Snyder explained he wrote this story to be romantic yet bloody, given its conqueror protagonist. Unfortunately, the project could not go ahead, citing drama with the studio that has left many concepts and scripts sold to Warner Bros. on the cutting room floor.

Blood Meridian

In an interview on a fan-hosted live stream, after joking about the possibility of doing a romantic comedy, Snyder revealed his hopes to make a Western film, with his eyes set on Blood Meridian, the violent 1985 novel by Cormac McCarthy.

The story is about a fictional protagonist known only as “the kid” who encounters the historically real Glanton Gang of scalp-hunters and their psychopathic leader. The director is no stranger to Westerns, The Searchers being one of Zack Snyder’s favorite movies, so it makes sense that he would want to dabble in the genre at some point.

Amy Adams Bodybuilder Drama

While promoting Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Snyder told the Telegraph how he pitched to Amy Adams an idea for a movie starring her as a housewife-turned-bodybuilder, which he described as a “female version of The Wrestler” that would explore a fall down a rabbit hole into steroid abuse that would draw a dramatic line between fame and family. According to him, Adams was intrigued by the idea.

Snyder is no stranger to bodybuilding, as shown by his commitment to physical fitness and his history of appreciation for great bodybuilding names and circuits whose work inspired his adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300.

The Fountainhead

Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead is a novel exploring an architect’s quest to see his artistic vision through. It is easy to see why it appeals so much to Snyder, having fought to defend his own artistic vision throughout his career.

He has held back on proceeding with his adaptation, believing the culture is not yet ready for a film he fears would be interpreted as right-wing propaganda. Rand’s story was written before her objectivist philosophy was developed, and thus remains a popular example of the “achieve your dreams” brand of story which Snyder loves for its exploration of “architecture and sex.”

George Washington, 300-Style

While he worked on Justice League in early 2016, a Bloomberg profile on Snyder revealed his plans for a movie made in the visual style of 300 yet closer to historical reality. Snyder’s idea was to tell a story centred around George Washington during the American Revolution with visuals inspired by paintings like the famous depiction of Washington crossing the Delaware River.

He said during an interview with r/DC_Cinematic that he has always wanted to direct a gun battle with muskets, which would be a unique deviation from his typical films. Snyder has written the script and still has it, awaiting the day it moves to the screen. It would be a fascinating return to historical epics for Zack Snyder.

Elektra Lives Again

Speaking to ComicBook Debate, Snyder revealed Frank Miller’s dark, violent Daredevil story from 1990 is on his list of graphic novels he wants to adapt. With morbid and gritty artwork set amid Winter imagery generating a tone perfectly fitting the story being told, the comic revolves around the Batman-and-Catwoman-esque romance between Daredevil and Elektra, the latter of whom returns from her apparent death.

It is violent, risqué, and brimming with religious symbolism and mysterious dream sequences. One of many Frank Miller comics Snyder appreciates, this could be his first delve into Marvel directing should he ever get his chance.

The Dark Knight Returns

In the same vein as his panel-to-shot adaptation of Watchmen, Snyder has made clear he strongly believes Frank Miller’s iconic and politically charged Batman comic The Dark Knight Returns can and should be adapted into live-action form.

The director is on record saying his other film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), while heavily inspired by Miller’s comic, is an original work with the superheroes. Snyder would even make the film with a different cast from Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, distinguishing the authentic adaptation further from the Snyderverse.