Incredible journeys both Zack Snyder and James Gunn have embarked upon in the world of pop culture, with unique yet intertwined paths leading them to become undoubtedly influential figures in DC Comics on screen. Their collaboration on the iconic horror flick Dawn of the Dead introduced us to memorable scenes such as the zombie baby – pure genius from the mind of Gunn himself. Snyder appreciates the innovation and credits him fully for it. Despite their separate and successful endeavors within the DC Comics universe, a reunion seems unlikely as Snyder steps away from the superhero realm.
In light of Rebel Moon‘s release, Zack Snyder dishes out a throwback to one of his earliest and potentially career-defining projects, Dawn of the Dead. Interestingly, this cinematic masterpiece saw the coming together of two great minds, when Snyder collaborated with then not-so-well-known James Gunn, the current head honcho at DC Studios.
The past reveals intriguing traces of the now-famed duo – Snyder and Gunn – starting their journey together, albeit in different roles. With a handful of projects under his belt, including Scooby-Doo, Gunn joined Snyder’s debut directorial project. The reinvention of George A. Romero’s horror classic still stands among Snyder’s best works to date.
Most notably, their synergy reverberates through the memorable scenes they co-created. The zombie baby sequence, an indisputable standout, was the brainchild of Gunn. Snyder recently acknowledged his partner’s creative input during an interview with Letterbox.
“That was a James Gunn idea a hundred percent, and I give him full credit for it. I loved it, by the way, so I thank him for it.”
The phenomena of zombie infants, a stark signature from Dawn of the Dead, seemingly permeate other projects of Snyder. His recent flick, Army of the Dead, bears a similar stand-out shock scene featuring a zombie baby.
Set in an apocalyptic reality, Dawn of the Dead follows a band of survivors seeking refuge from a world overrun by the undead. The ensemble cast includes Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, and Jake Weber, among others.
Is Zack Snyder Joining James Gunn’s DC Universe?
Warner Bros. Discovery ventured into the realm of shared universes a decade ago to compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), entrusting the helm to Zack Snyder. He steered the first two significant DC Universe projects, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and produced Wonder Woman.
Snyder envisioned a universe starkly different from Marvel Studios, but his masterplan never reached completion. As James Gunn gears up to reboot the franchise in his own stride, Snyder seems to have bid adieu to superheroes, despite expressing a keen interest in directing The Dark Knight Returns. His current focus lies with his Netflix project, Rebel Moon. Irrespective of future collaborations between Snyder and Gunn, their past alliance certainly marked a milestone in cinematic history.
In the mood for the best of Snyder’s or Gunn’s filmography? Check out the curated collections of their movies on HITPLAY right now!
