Zack Snyder, much like bees to honey, seems to attract controversy wherever he goes. But, unlike embattled celebrities who may deserve it, Zack’s controversies are mostly tied to his films, which have often divided movie fans online. This brings us to the latest bone of contention – just how profitable were Zack Snyder’s films under Warner Bros.?
One Twitter (or should we say X?) user, @DavidPoland, decided to start an online war of words on the profitability of the Snyderverse, claiming:
It’s always funny to me that supporters conveniently forget how much money Zack Snyder lost for WB. Big hit with 300. Then they handed him DC and he didn’t lose much money there… or build a big winner. But 3 or 4 losers in between.
Bro Power.
As expected, his argument roped in all kinds of people, with numerous individuals coming to Snyder’s defense. But what was particularly interesting was former Warner Bros. executive Greg Silverman’s response to this opinion. The producer who once served as President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production at Warner Bros. Pictures refuted these claims, stating:
Not true. We lost some money on GAHOOLE and a fair amount on SUCKERPUNCH. The rest of his films at WB were very profitable. Very.
Not true. We lost some money on GAHOOLE and a fair amount on SUCKERPUNCH. The rest of his films at WB were very profitable. Very. https://t.co/5WuQMuRriH
— Greg Silverman (@gregsilverman) July 31, 2023
So, who’s telling the truth? Let’s find out. Throughout his illustrious career, Snyder has helmed a total of 11 feature films, with eight of them coming from Warner Bros. Pictures. These include 300, Watchmen, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Sucker Punch, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League, and the latter’s director’s cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the performance of all eight films:
300 (2007)
- Production budget: $65 million
- Box office: $730.4 million
Watchmen (2009)
- Production budget: $130–150 million
- Box office: $339.8 million
Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)
- Production budget: $80 million
- Box office: $164.3 million
Sucker Punch (2011)
- Production budget: $82 million
- Box office: $109.2 million
Man of Steel (2013)
- Production budget: $225–258 million
- Box office: $788.7 million
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Production budget: $250-300 million
- Box office: $954.8 million
Justice League (2017)
- Production budget: $300 million
- Box office: $730.6 million
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) – Did not have a theatrical release.
- Production budget: $70 million (to complete reshoots)
- Box office: $16.2 million
*Note: Does not include marketing, distribution, and advertising costs, and all figures include box office and domestic video sales (as per The Numbers).
Based on these figures, we can draw several conclusions regarding the financial success of the Snyder films. Applying the widely accepted notion that a movie must earn double its production budget to break even, we can confidently state that 300, Man of Steel, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice proved to be highly lucrative ventures for Warner Bros.
Watchmen, though it underperformed at the box office, managed to achieve moderate success on the backs of its domestic video sales, nearly matching its box office revenue. Therefore, only Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, Sucker Punch, Justice League, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League failed to turn a profit.
Diving deeper, Justice League was expected to break even at $750 million, but it fell slightly short, grossing $730.6 million. However, it’s crucial to consider a couple of significant factors. While Zack Snyder was credited as the sole director, the film underwent extensive reshoots under Joss Whedon’s direction.
Hence, Justice League cannot be entirely labeled as a Zack Snyder film. Additionally, the director’s cut, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, did not receive a theatrical release due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, it garnered praise for being vastly superior to the 2017 version of the film.
Keeping this in perspective, it’s evident that the only Snyder movies that incurred losses for Warner Bros. are Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole and Sucker Punch, which confirms Silverman’s statement.
Admittedly, Zack Snyder’s relationship with Warner Bros. has been a complex affair, but one undeniable fact remains: Snyder proved to be an immensely profitable director for Warner Bros. throughout his nearly two-decade tenure with the studio.
