Zack
Snyder

The director-producer-screenwriter has become a hot commodity thanks to such blockbusters as “300,” “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Best known for his visually extravagant set-pieces, high body counts and unabashed appetite for on-screen mayhem and destruction, Snyder may not be a critical favorite, but he’s always nothing less than totally committed to his gleefully over-the-top vision for each of his films, and they all play as intense personal statements rather than as corporate, made-by-committee constructs.

He started off studying painting and shooting TV commercials and made his feature debut with the 2004 remake of “Dawn of the Dead,” which made $102 million. But it was his second film, the 2006 historical war film “300,” that turbo-charged his career. It made more than $450 million and with its mix of brutal violence and tongue-in-cheek attitude to heroism and death set the template for his future films.

His 2009 hit “Watchmen” ($185 million gross) further pushed his use of comic-book source material to reflect political and social concepts, and he followed that with his first animation project, 2010’s “Legends of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” 2011’s controversial “Sucker Punch,” which he also co-wrote, the 2013 blockbuster “Man of Steel” and 2016’s “Batman v Superman.” He is currently working on “Justice League” and “Justice League Part Two.”