Almost most of Zack Snyder’s filmography is synonymous with a cut that is free from studio interference, giving fans a pure and uncut presentation of his artistic vision. This is also one of the major factors that got him taking Netflix’s Rebel Moon, which will also witness a rated-R cut, adding an extra hour-long to the story, making it vastly different than its PG-13 counterpart.
But not every major release under Snyder’s leadership has gotten a director’s cut, with the big one being Man of Steel, and to the dismay of his fans, the director clarified it doesn’t have one.
There Is Nothing More to Add to Man of Steel
Almost every one of his DC releases has witnessed a director’s cut, including BVS, ZSJL, and Watchmen, which ended up scoring much higher than the ones that initially hit the screens. But per Zack Snyder, this isn’t the case for Man of Steel, which is still considered one of his better movies. Looking past its bleak tone, which was a turnoff for a major portion of fans who adore Superman, Man of Steel does stand pretty tall on its own, as Snyder and Nolan did everything they wanted to. He told WIRED:
“The way I make the movies now is that I have this concept of the director’s cut. I think nearly every movie I’ve made, except for Man of Steel, has a director’s cut, maybe two director’s cuts.”
While a 3.5-hour cut of the Henry Cavill-led movie sounds enticing, it’s not the reality we live in, as even back in 2020, Snyder confirmed that apart from a few deleted minutes, there’s nothing more to add.
Making the Pg-13 Version of Rebel Moon Became More Enjoyable for Zack Snyder for This Reason
From the get-go, Netflix was onboard with a rated-R cut of the movie, which got Zack Snyder hooked on the project. The ZSJL director stated that the prerequisite enhanced his experience making the PG-13 version, much more enjoyable. He said,
“They understood from the beginning, ‘Oh, you’re gonna want to do a director’s cut.’ The director’s cut was a prerequisite for making the movie for the first time ever, so my joy at making the two-hour PG-13 version was much greater.”
Following his fondness for John Boorman’s explicit Excalibur, it’s reasonable why the director is such a big fan of stepping into the rated-R territory. And with Snyder getting the approval from the get-go, it’ll be interesting to see whether the director will be able to hit it out of the park with Rebel Moon‘s director’s cut.
Rebel Moon will premiere on Netflix on 15 December 2023.