Zack Snyder

“Man of Steel” began its ascent toward pop-culture immortality during fall 2010 inside a pressurized cabin in the skies between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. A fitting start for the relaunch of a comic book property inextricably linked with the exclamations “It’s a bird! It’s a plane!” Christopher Nolan, the force behind the multibillion-dollar “Dark Knight” movie franchise, and his producing partner wife, Emma Thomas, were sharing a corporate jet with Zack Snyder, the action stylist behind the 2009 sci-fi superhero drama “Watchmen,” and his producer wife, Deborah Snyder. Both couples were on the way back to L.A. from Las Vegas’ CinemaCon, where they had previewed new films. [FOR THE RECORD,  10:06 a.m. PDT June 19: An article in the June 16 Calendar section about Zack Snyder, director of the movie "Man of Steel," said a conversation between Snyder and […]

Superman is soaring into theaters this weekend with Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel.” But fans who can’t wait for Friday can get a glimpse of the much-anticipated movie in the gallery above, which features 50 photos from “Man of Steel.” Henry Cavill is the latest in a long line of actors to wear the iconic “S” symbol on his chest, following in the footsteps of Christopher Reeve, Kirk Alyn, Tom Welling and George Reeves. “Man of Steel” marks the Last Son of Krypton’s first time on the silver screen since Brandon Routh’s turn in 2006′s “Superman Returns.” Cavill is joined on screen by Russell Crowe and Ayelet Zurer, who play Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, Kal-El’s birth parents on Krypton; Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, who play Jonathan and Martha Kent, Clark’s adoptive parents in Smallville; Amy Adams, who plays Daily Planet reporter […]

A new trailer for “300: Rise of an Empire” offers the same sort of swords-and-sandals splendor that made filmmaker Zack Snyder’s visually arresting 2006 adaptation of the landmark Frank Miller graphic novel such a hit. “Rise of an Empire” is not a sequel or a prequel but its own free-standing thing, taking place before, during and after the events of “300.” Directed by TV commercial ace Noam Murro and produced by Snyder, the film sees Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro reprise his role as Xerxes, the nefarious 9-foot-tall antagonist. “The movie looks cool. It’s beautiful,” Santoro told Hero Complex in an interview this year. “It’s like ’300′ but there are fresh things in there. It’s a smart way to do a sequel. The fans are going to be pleased.” More of the Persian “God King’s” back story will be revealed in […]

“Man of Steel” flies into theaters Friday hoping to reinvent Superman for a new era, no small feat for the original superhero, a character who debuted in the pages of “Action Comics” No. 1 in 1938 and celebrates his 75th anniversary this year. Filmmaker David S. Goyer teamed with his “Dark Knight” trilogy collaborator Christopher Nolan on the story and wrote the screenplay for the Zack Snyder-directed movie, and Goyer recently spoke to Hero Complex about the project — its incredibly high stakes, his detailed approach to writing the script and why Superman matters to so many people (and maybe something about “Justice League” too). HC: You’ve said previously that you never really understood Superman as a character. How did you ultimately find your way in to the story? DG: I had just become a stepfather and my now wife […]

With director Zack Snyder’s “Man of Steel” still a week away from the multiplex — and expectation for the Christopher Nolan-produced Superman reboot sky-high — the question has been hanging heavy on fans’ minds: Will a Nolan-style Batman join Snyder’s version of the Last Son of Krypton onscreen for the long-rumored “Justice League” movie? Hero Complex posed this query to both filmmakers earlier this week in search of answers during interviews for a profile of Snyder that will appear in the Los Angeles Times Sunday, June 16. In his tchotchke-filled office on the Warner Bros. lot, Snyder confirmed that the seed for “Justice League” — a DC Comics equivalent of Marvel’s “The Avengers” that features a superhero A-list including Aquaman, Batman and Wonder Woman — has indeed been planted within “Man of Steel.” “Do the DC characters exist in the […]

The latest trailer for “Man of Steel,” the new Superman film that sees Henry Cavill don the red cape of the famous hero, begins with a cryptic transmission from Michael Shannon’s General Zod, warning citizens of Earth, “You are not alone.” Zod’s chilling speech, in which he demands that the last son of Krypton surrender or bring about the destruction of his adopted planet, serves as the backdrop for a number of scenic shots from the film, set for a June 14 release. “Man of Steel” is directed by Zack Snyder from a story by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, the writing team behind the “Dark Knight” trilogy, which modernized Batman and broke box-office records. But reviving the world’s first comic-book superhero on the big screen — Superman turns 75 this year — is no small task. “In the comic-book […]

“Iron Man 3″ and “Man of Steel” got some good-natured ribbing from comedian Stephen Colbert on Thursday’s episode of “The Colbert Report.” In the summer movie edition of his “Movies That Are Destroying America” segment, the satirist took issue with “Iron Man 3″ adding scenes for China audiences, and with Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot choosing a British actor, Henry Cavill, as its lead. Colbert began the segment pointing out that he’s always been a fan of Superman, “an incredibly handsome, glasses-wearing reporter who night after night uses his superpowers to save America.” Superman is the quintessential American hero, he said, “but they gave the part of some limey, Henry Cavill.” PHOTOS: Henry Cavill as Superman He segued into a rant about the China edition of Marvel’s new blockbuster, which involves what Marvel Studios president and “Iron Man 3″ producer Kevin […]

Long before director Zack Snyder began making “Man of Steel,” he’d heard a little piece of comic-book trivia that stuck with him: Superman’s red-and-yellow S-shield is the second-most-recognized symbol in the world, surpassed only by the Christian cross. “Whether that’s completely true or not, I don’t know, but you want it to be true. You feel like it could be true,” Snyder said. “And it’s intimidating to say, ‘We’re going to take on the “S” and we’re going to make it live again.’” Reviving the world’s first comic-book superhero on the big screen — he turns 75 this year — is no small task, despite the ubiquity of that logo. The trick, says the director, was to treat the character seriously — and to have a script penned by Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, major forces behind the massively […]

An emotional new trailer for “Man of Steel” is out, revealing the film’s take on Kal-El’s beginnings on doomed Krypton, Clark Kent’s coming of age in a place where he doesn’t quite fit in, and Superman’s ascent to heroism. “Man of Steel,” slated for a June 14 release, is directed by Zack Snyder and based on a script by Christopher Nolan and David Goyer, the writing team behind the Dark Knight trilogy, which modernized Batman and broke box-office records. The three-minute trailer is the most in-depth look Warner Bros. has released so far for the movie after months of ramping up marketing for the highly anticipated film. The trailer follows the release of a 30-second video in which General Zod (Michael Shannon) accuses the people of Earth of sheltering Kal-El and calls on them to hand him over. Following the […]

Superman villain General Zod has a message for the people of Earth in a new video promoting “Man of Steel”: Turn Superman in. The staticky video, released on the heels of last week’s TV spot, runs 30 seconds and features the arch-villain Zod, portrayed by Michael Shannon in the upcoming Zack Snyder film. “For some time your world has sheltered one of my citizens,” Zod’s digitally altered voice declares. “I request that you return this individual to my custody.” Then the general addresses Superman himself. “To Kal-El, I say this: Surrender within 24 hours or watch this world suffer the consequences,” he commands. Those consequences will likely present good fodder for action sequences for the film, which hits theaters June 14. Shannon, whose previous work includes “Boardwalk Empire” and “Revolutionary Road,” shed some light on the character of General Zod […]