Zack Snyder Is Directing His First Sports Movie, And This Feels Like The Right Kind Of Story For Him To Tell

Over the course of his career, Zack Snyder has been known to deliver massive blockbusters, which are typically large in scope and feature a plethora of visual effects. 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel and the Rebel Moon movies are examples of such Snyder films that fit that bill. It would seem that for one of his upcoming films, though, Snyder is about to head into territory that’s new to him. The filmmaker has booked his first sports movie, and this honestly feels like a good fit for him, given his body of work.

What’s Zack Snyder’s Sports Movie About?

Those who enjoy the Army of the Dead helmer’s fight sequences may be in luck with this latest production. He’s reportedly been tapped to direct, produce and co-write Brawler, which is set against the backdrop of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s world. The story focuses on a man from Los Angeles, who climbs the ranks to become one of the mixed martial arts organization’s best fighters. As part of this film, the director will actually be working alongside the UFC and shouted out the company in a statement shared with Variety:

Dana White, who’s the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, seems to be heavily involved in the process. A self-professed “fan” of Zack Snyder, White praised the director in his own personal statement for not only his “iconic action sequences” and “intensely emotional storytelling” but also his depictions of “deeply-flawed characters.” White also lauded fellow collaborator His Excellency Turki Alashikh, who is chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia as well as the owner of boxing magazine The Ring.

Considering the Dawn of the Dead director’s body of work, some may find it strange that he’s boarding a superhero flick. However, anyone feeling that way might want to give this some more thought.

Why This Feels Like The Right Choice For Zack Snyder

I’d be the first to say that I have “mixed feelings” on Mr. Snyder’s filmography. However, I’m an avid lover of sports movies and like to see what kind of sensibilities directors can bring to them. Considering that Snyder is known for making films that are a bit grittier, a hard-nosed mixed martial arts drama could be right up his alley. Sure, many of the fights that he’s overseen in previous films are a bit grandiose, such as the battle scenes in his Justice League cut. Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit curious to see how he’d stage a battle set in the octagon.

On that note, I’d also prefer not to see an overabundance of the filmmaker’s trademark slow-motion sequences or out-of-focus images. I ultimately just want to see well-choreographed, hand-to-hand fights – complete with as few editing cuts as possible. Whether that’s what me and other viewers will ultimately see is unknown, but I’ll hold out hope for just that.

Zack Snyder’s latest feature film to date is Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, which is available to stream alongside its predecessor using a Netflix subscription. Aside from that, Snyder’s working on another film centered around the Los Angeles Police Department. It’s currently unclear as to when Brawl will be released, though I’ll certainly be keeping my ears perked up for updates. It’s hard to say what Snyder will ultimately produce, but he certainly has some strong collaborators in his corner (no pun intended).