Zack Snyder

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Zack Snyder
Snyder at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con International promoting Justice League
Born	Zachary Edward Snyder (1966-03-01) March 1, 1966 (age 58) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Denise Weber (divorced) Deborah Snyder ​ (m. 2004)​
Partner	Kirsten Elin
Children	Eight children (4 eldest from first marriage, 2 from Elin, 2 adopted with Deborah)

Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker, best known for his action, superhero and science fiction films. Snyder made his feature film debut with the 2004 remake of the horror film Dawn of the Dead. Since then, he has done a number of comic book and superhero films, including 300 (2007) and Watchmen (2009), as well as the Superman film that started the DC Extended Universe, Man of Steel (2013) and its follow-ups, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). He also co-wrote the screenplays for 300, Sucker Punch and 300: Rise of an Empire.

Snyder is the co-founder of Cruel and Unusual Films, a production company he established in 2004, alongside his wife Deborah Snyder and producing partner Wesley Coller.^[1]

Snyder was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and raised in Riverside, Connecticut. His mother, Marsha Manley (née Reeves), was a painter and a photography teacher at Daycroft School, which Snyder later attended. His father, Charles Edward "Ed" Snyder, worked as an executive recruiter.^[2][3][4] He was raised as a Christian Scientist.^[1] Snyder attended Camp Owatonna in Harrison, Maine, during the summer months as a child. Snyder's mother inspired him to study painting a year after high school at Heatherley School of Fine Art in England, although he had already begun filmmaking.^{[citation needed]} Afterward, Snyder attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Snyder went on to shoot,^[when?] as a director and as a cinematographer, television commercials for such clients as the automobile companies Audi, BMW, Subaru and Nissan, amongst others. Other commercial work has been for clients including Nike, Reebok, and Gatorade.^{[citation needed]}

Snyder made his feature film debut with the remake of the horror film Dawn of the Dead (2004), and scored a box office hit with the fantasy war film 300 (2007), adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name. His Warner Bros. film Watchmen was released on March 6, 2009 and grossed $185 million worldwide. His follow-up project/animation debut titled Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole was released on September 24, 2010. Snyder produced, co-wrote, and directed Sucker Punch,^[5] which was released on March 25, 2011. The film, based on a script written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya, was about a young woman in a mental hospital who fantasizes of escape with her fellow inmates.

He directed 2013's Man of Steel for Warner Bros., a reboot of the Superman franchise. He will direct a yet-to-be-produced remake of the 1969 film The Illustrated Man,^[6] and produced the prequel/sequel to 300, 300: Rise of an Empire (2014). He also wants to direct a segment for an upcoming Heavy Metal 3, and plans to write and direct a sequel to Legend of the Guardians.^[7]

During Comic Con 2013, Snyder announced that Batman and Superman would share the screen in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, released in 2016. Cavill reprised his role as Superman, and Ben Affleck played Batman.^[8] In April 2014, Snyder was announced by Warner Bros. to direct the Justice League film after finishing Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.^[9] As of March 2016, Snyder is working on The Last Photograph, a drama about a war photographer in Afghanistan. He is also working on an adaptation of the 1943 novel The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.^[10][11]

Snyder often uses slow motion in and out of the fight scenes in his films, which Amy Nicholson of BoxOffice magazine remarked separates the director from other filmmakers who make multiple cuts and close-ups during a fight. A minute-long shot from 300 shows King Leonidas slaughtering his enemies, the camera zooming in and out to emphasize each kill and move Leonidas makes.^[12]

Snyder lives in Pasadena with his second wife, producer Deborah Snyder. The couple first met in 1996, and married on September 25, 2004 at the St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Manhattan, New York.^[13][14]

Snyder has eight children. The four eldest are from a marriage to Denise Weber that ended in divorce. Two are from another relationship, with Kirsten Elin, who was his line producer on commercials for a while.^[1] Snyder and his current wife adopted two children during the course of making Man of Steel.^[15]

In March 12, 2017^[16][17], Snyder's daughter, Autumn, committed suicide, causing him to step away from post-production work on Justice League in May 2017 to be with his family. Joss Whedon was brought in to finish reshoots as well as oversee the remainder of the film's post-production.^[18]

Actors	Dawn of the Dead (2004)	300 (2007)	Watchmen (2009)	Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010)	Sucker Punch (2011)	Man of Steel (2013)	Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)	Justice League (2017)	Untitled Justice League sequel (2020)
Richard Cetrone[20][21][22][23][24][25]
Matt Frewer
Michael Kelly
Stephen McHattie
Patrick Sabongui
Eli Snyder[21][22][23]
David Wenham
Michael Adamthwaite
Malcolm Scott[22][23][24]
Carla Gugino
Alessandro Juliani
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
Patrick Wilson
Billy Crudup
Abbie Cornish
Jena Malone
Henry Cavill
Amy Adams
Kevin Costner
Diane Lane
Rebecca Buller[24][25]
Laurence Fishburne
Harry Lennix
Christina Wren[24][25]
Ben Affleck
Jesse Eisenberg
Gal Gadot
Ezra Miller
Jason Momoa
Ray Fisher
Amber Heard

• Snyder's wife Deborah Snyder has produced all of his films dating back to 300 (executive producer on 300 and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole).
• Larry Fong and William Hoy were Snyder's cinematographer and film editor, respectively, on the films 300, Watchmen and Sucker Punch. Fong is also the cinematographer for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
• John "D.J." Desjardin was the visual effects supervisor on Watchmen, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.
• David Brenner served as film editor on Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2016)

While Variety has praised Snyder's visual direction, it has also criticized him for subpar storytelling and excessive iconography.^[26] Critical, public and commercial reception to films Zack Snyder has directed as of April 26, 2016:

Snyder's body of work has earned him a number of awards, including two Clio Awards and a Gold Lion Award for his Jeep "Frisbee" commercial. He also won an award for his humorous commercial "General's Party".^{[citation needed]}

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zack Snyder.

• Cruel and Unusual Films – Snyder's production company
• Zack Snyder on Twitter
• Zack Snyder on Facebook
• Zack Snyder on Myspace
• Zack Snyder at IMDb
• Zack Snyder at Believe Media
• Zack Snyder Biography at Tribute.ca
• Zack Snyder Directing 'Superman' at Deadline.com
• Zack Snyder directing Superman reboot at The Hollywood Reporter