Cruel and Unusual Films

Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc.
Film production company
Industry Cinema of the United States
Founded 2004
Founder Zack Snyder
Deborah Snyder
Wesley Coller
Headquarters Pasadena, California
Website http://www.cruelfilms.com/

Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc. is an American production company that was established in 2004 by filmmaker Zack Snyder, his wife Deborah Snyder, and their producing partner Wesley Coller.

Company

Cruel and Unusual Films was founded in 2004 by Zack Snyder, his wife, Deborah, and producing partner Wesley Coller. The company is based at Warner Bros.,[1] and is currently located in Pasadena, California.[2] The company signed a two-year production deal with Warner Bros. in 2007, prior to the theatrical release of 300, a film in which Snyder served as director. Snyder and his wife, Deborah, are co-presidents of the company. Coller often serves a producing partner.[3] Snyder launched the company's official website on January 30, 2009, and invited artists to submit versions of the company logo. Its most recent logo includes an animated Catholic schoolgirl named Baby Doll who is the heroine of Snyder’s 2011 film Sucker Punch.[4] Apart from producing feature films, Cruel and Unusual Films has also assisted in the marketing its films, based on the strong advertising backgrounds of Snyder and his wife, Deborah Snyder.[5]

Films

To date, Cruel and Unusual has served as an uncredited co-producer for films in which Snyder and his wife served as director and producer respectively. Following its establishment in 2004, the company produced Dawn of the Dead, a remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name. In 2007, Cruel and Unusual Films produced 300, an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel. In 2009, the company produced Watchmen, an adaptation of the DC Comics limited series of the same name. Cruel and Unusual next produced Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole, a computer-animated film based on the series of children's fantasy books Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky. Sucker Punch was co-written and directed by Snyder, who also produced the film with his wife Deborah Snyder. The film is the first that credits Cruel and Unusual as a producer. Sucker Punch was released on March 25, 2011. In 2013 the studio served as co-producer to Man of Steel, remake of the Superman franchise and start of the DC Comics' shared universe films. In 2014 the studio co-produced the sequel to 2007's 300, 300: Rise of an Empire.

Future projects

Zack Snyder will also direct a remake of the 1969 film The Illustrated Man.[6] The company will also produce The Last Photograph, a film about a photograph that inspires two men to travel to war-torn Afghanistan. The film will be directed by Seventh Son director Sergei Bodrov, with Zack and Deborah Snyder attached as producers.[7] The studio was supposed to produce Army of the Dead, a sequel to Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake, in which Zack Snyder was supposed to assist in developing the story, while his wife to produce the film, and Joby Harold to write the screenplay. The story centers around a father trying to save his daughter in a zombie-infested Las Vegas.[1] Due to the expensive production value, the production of the movie was cancelled by Warner Bros.[8] In 2016 the studio will co-produce the sequel to 2013's Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; in 2017 Justice League Part One and in 2019 Justice League Part Two.

Filmography

Year Film Director Notes Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Overall
2004 Dawn of the Dead Zack Snyder Co-production with Universal Studios and Strike Entertainment 75%[9] 58/100[10]
2007 300 Co-production with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures 60%[11] 51/100[12]
2008-2009 Watchmen: Motion Comic Jake Strider Hughes Animated short film series based on the DC comic book series Watchmen N/A N/A
2009 Watchmen Zack Snyder Co-production with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures 65%[13] 56/100[14]
2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Co-production with Village Roadshow Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures 50%[15] 53/100[16]
2011 Sucker Punch Co-production with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures 23%[17] 33/100[18]
2013 Man of Steel Co-production with DC Entertainment, Syncopy, and Legendary Pictures 56%[19] 55/100[20]
2014 300: Rise of an Empire Noam Murro Co-production with Legendary Pictures, Atmosphere Pictures, and Hollywood Gang Productions 42%[21] 48/100[22]
2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Zack Snyder Co-production with Atlas Entertainment and DC Entertainment N/A N/A
2017 Wonder Woman Patty Jenkins Co-production with DC Entertainment N/A N/A
Justice League: Part One Zack Snyder Co-production with Dune Entertainment and DC Entertainment N/A N/A
2019 Justice League: Part Two Co-production with Dune Entertainment and DC Entertainment N/A N/A
TBA The Illustrated Man Remake of the 1969 movie The Illustrated Man N/A N/A

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 McClintock, Pamela (March 25, 2009). "Warner, Snyders enlist in new 'Army'". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ Louie, Elaine (October 3, 2004). "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS: VOWS; Deborah Johnson and Zack Snyder". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  3. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (January 29, 2007). "WB makes Unusual deal". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Vary, Adam B. (January 30, 2009). "'Watchmen' director Zack Snyder launches new website (EW.com exclusive!)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Welcome to Cruel and Unusual Films". Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  6. ↑ "Zack Snyder to Direct Illustrated Man". ComingSoon.net. August 28, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  7. ↑ Fleming, Michael (March 5, 2009). "Bodrov to take WB's 'Photograph'". Variety. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  8. ↑ Bolivar, Andres (2012). "Dawn of the Dead sequel is, umm, dead". Flixist.com.
  9. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''Dawn of the Dead''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  10. ↑ "Metascore of ''Dawn of the Dead''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  11. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''300''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  12. ↑ "Metascore of ''300''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  13. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''Watchmen''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  14. ↑ "Metascore of ''Watchmen''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  15. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  16. ↑ "Metascore of ''Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  17. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''Sucker Punch''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  18. ↑ "Metascore of ''Sucker Punch''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  19. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''Man of Steel''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  20. ↑ "Metascore of ''Man of Steel''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  21. ↑ "Tomatometer Rating of ''300: Rise of an Empire''". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  22. ↑ "Metascore of ''300: Rise of an Empire''". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-03-25.

External links