Zack Snyder released his newest project with Netflix, Rebel Moon, a space opera movie with both PG-13 and R-rated versions. The director is known for his stylized way of filmmaking, especially in helming his own cuts that usually turn out better than the ones released in cinemas.
Fans are familiar with the controversial events surrounding Snyder’s 2017 superhero film Justice League, where he stepped away from the project due to a family tragedy, and Joss Whedon took over the movie. Even before that chaotic exit, the director has already been in an argument with the studio.
Zack Snyder Talks About His Passion For R-Rated Versions Of His Movies
After the disastrous Justice League premiere, fans have been requesting Zack Snyder to release his own version of the film, the original vision for the project. Because of the rigorous campaign and the backlash that Warner Bros received, the director finally released 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max. Speaking with iNews, Snyder explains why he usually works with R-rated versions of movies:
“I guess my kneejerk aesthetic happens to be darker. If I go with my instincts it ends up being R-rated. Director’s cuts I’ve done in the past have always been motivated by a contentious relationship with the studio.”
It is not a mystery why most fans loved and preferred Snyder’s cuts because not only they are much darker and more violent, but they also represent the original creative vision of the filmmaker and not the interest of the studio. He added:
“It’s my experience that the director’s cuts of my movies are universally considered better than what I released in the movie theatre under the thumb of people that know better than me. I wasn’t fighting anyone.”
Snyder revealed that during the post-production of 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he started getting into heated arguments with Warner Bros executives. Tension intensified during the filming for Justice League, which forced him to just leave the project altogether.
“They were hoping for a Marvel-like thing: ‘We have superheroes. Why aren’t they doing what those guys are doing? Why are they so dark? Why are they fighting with each other? What are we doing?’ These are the kinds of conversations.”
But with the Snyder Cut finally out in the world, and fans have witnessed what should have been done in the theatrical film, it’s clear to see that the R-rated version is so much more persuasive and substantial.
The Real Reason Why Zack Snyder Left 2017’s Justice League
It was evident that Zack Snyder abandoned Justice League after the death of his daughter, but the strain of work made him throw it all away. In his interview with CinemaBlend, the director dug deeper into what actually compelled him to leave:
“I just was kind of done with it. I was in this place of [knowing] my family needs me more than this bulls—t, and I just need to honor them and do the best I can to heal that world. I had no energy to fight [the studio] and fight for [the movie]. Literally, zero energy for that. I really think that’s the main thing. I think there’s a different world where I stayed and kind of tried.”
His incessant fight with Warner Bros over creative control of the movie left him so drained, and despite him envisioning a world where he actually fought for his version of the film, there was nothing he could do but just let go. In the end, with the help of his supportive fans, Snyder was able to realize his dream for Justice League.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League is available on HBO Max.
