It is clear that Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. Discovery do not mix well together nowadays. After he had to opt out of Justice League (2017), Joss Whedon took over the directorial chair, but the movie was a massive failure.
Fans later demanded WB release the Snyder Cut of the movie, which Warner Bros. was forced to release. A new story tells us that the acclaimed director was all set to make a movie about Alexander the Great but got rejected by WB for depicting…a homosexual relationship.
When Warner Bros. Rejected Zack Snyder’s 300 Trilogy
In what was supposed to be the third part of the 300 franchise, Zack Snyder sat down to write a script. The script focused on the life of Alexander the Great, the former king of Macedonia. After sitting down and completing the script, Snyder realized that the story had deviated significantly from what he had in mind.
Featuring a relationship between Alexander and Hephastion, the story delved too emotionally and narratively into the relationship that they had. The war story eventually became a love story. The concept didn’t sit right with the third installment of the franchise and thus, Zack Snyder had to scratch that.
Speaking to The Fourth Wall Podcast by The Playlist, Zack Snyder revealed his plans for the canceled third part of the franchise and the birth of Blood and Ashes.
“I just couldn’t really get my teeth into it. Over the pandemic, I had a deal with Warner Brothers, and I wrote what was essentially going to be the final chapter in 300.”
The Justice League director continued,
“But when I sat down to write it, I actually wrote a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about the relationship between Hephaestion and Alexander. It turned out to be a love story. So it really didn’t fit in as the third movie.”
Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly Warner Bros.) had to refuse the director since the story’s tone didn’t set much with the earlier movies from the franchise. The director ended his comments about how Warner Bros. Discovery is not a huge fan of his.
Zack Snyder’s Blood and Ashes
Although a third part of the 300 franchise never saw the dawn of day, not all hope is lost. In his statements, the Army of the Dead director stated that what he wrote was essentially the birth of a story he titled Blood and Ashes.
“But there was that concept, and it came out really great. It’s called Blood and Ashes, and it’s a beautiful love story, really, with warfare. I would love to do it, WB said no… you know, they’re not huge fans of mine. It is what it is.”
Zack Snyder is recognized as one of the best directors of this time and thus, many studios would be interested to produce a piece of the story coming from his great mind. Although nothing has been confirmed yet, Blood and Ashes may become a reality soon. With Zack Snyder’s unconfirmed future in the DCU, the director is currently busy with Rebel Moon.
With occasional calls from the people to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, Warner Bros. Discovery’s new chief David Zaslav might have to make it or break it for the people. Zack Snyder’s upcoming film Rebel Moon will release in 2023.
The 300 franchise is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: FlickeringMyth