10 Directors Who Never Topped Their First Film

3. Zack Snyder - Dawn Of The Dead

Zack Snyder Dawn of the Dead
Universal

At present, one of the most discussed and buzz-worthy properties in the entertainment industry is Zack Snyder's Justice League. Snyder's four-hour cut of the 2017 picture, this is a version of the film that fans have literally petitioned to see, with Joss Whedon having stepped in to finish off the theatrical cut of Justice League after Snyder had to step back due to the tragic death of his daughter.

While it remains to be seen whether Zack Snyder's Justice League will end up becoming the director's greatest film to date, Snyder certainly has quite the history of producing some truly brilliant movies. 300 is revered as a stunning visual experience, while Watchmen is either a) an absolute modern classic, or b) overly long and too brooding, depending on your viewpoint. Then there's the mindless fun and kicks to the face of Sucker Punch, plus obviously a Man of Steel picture that received a whole array of varying responses to it.

It may seem bold to say it, but Zack Snyder's greatest film to date is his feature film debut, Dawn of the Dead.

Horror remakes (often rightfully) have a reputation for being needless, mindless do-overs that only serve to tarnish the name of something great. In Dawn of the Dead's case, Snyder managed to put a fresh spin on an old favourite in a way that even managed to appeal to those die-hard fans of George A. Romero and his utterly iconic 1978 'Dawn' - to the point that some people even actually prefer Snyder's version to Romero's.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.