There’s a reason why you’ve never truly felt at home in a movie theater; the experience is always so much better when you’re watching it at home. You’ve got the perfect TV, the perfect Blu-Ray player, and the perfect view of the Hollywood scenery with the added bonus of sharing a drink (or twelve) with friends and family.
Movie theaters are famous for being cold and unhygienic, but they’ve never been so perfect as when captured on film. Director Zack Snyder showcased just how powerful and immersive a TV show can be when played back on the big screen with his recent take on “Game of Thrones.” Though the screen was small, the experience was so great that many opted to remain seated through the whole film, instead of leaving their homes to get coffee and lunch.
With the success of “Thrones,” many are curious about what else Snyder has up his sleeve, and what other big-budget projects he has in the works. One of the director’s most highly anticipated films is “Batman vs. Superman,” which hits theaters next month. Since its early trailers were released, fans have been clamoring to learn more about the project. Thankfully, Snyder dropped by the studio to discuss his latest cinematic endeavour.
The Inspiration For “Batman vs. Superman”
On paper, “Batman vs. Superman” doesn’t sound like it has much in common with “Game of Thrones.” The former is a comic book adaptation that pits a superhero against another superhero, while the latter is a fantasy series chronicling the struggles of various royal families to survive in a world where magic and zombies collide. Despite the differences, Snyder drew a lot of inspiration from “Game of Thrones” when crafting “Batman vs. Superman.”
“Game of Thrones” has always been a show that impressed Snyder because of the vast array of unique characters, intricate plotlines, and saturated setting. When he was initially approached about adapting “Thrones,” Snyder’s initial thought was that he didn’t have the time to tackle such a demanding story, but he quickly changed his mind. One of the reasons why is because he saw the potential to inject his own unique spin on the Batman character, which he did in “Batman v. Superman.”
The Dark Knight Returns
One of the most influential novels in the Batman saga is “The Dark Knight Returns” by Brian Benson and David S. Goyer, which was first published in 1986. In the novel, the Joker causes havoc in Gotham by impersonating Batman, which leads to a fight to the death between the caped crusader and the “Joker.”
It’s a fitting that Snyder drew inspiration from a novel that centers around a fight to the death, because that’s essentially what his film is about. In the novel, the battle between Batman and Superman is also to the death, and it essentially serves as the foundation for much of the action in the story. In the film, the villains Metallo and King Hippo are also imitations of Batman and Superman, which adds an extra layer of fun to the rivalries that develop between the four colorful superheros.
Adapting For The Big Screen
Adapting a novel into a movie is always tricky, and it’s doubly so when doing so for the screen. The novel’s continuity can be difficult to follow, and the dialogue can often seem unnatural when viewed onscreen. That being said, Snyder and His team did an amazing job of bringing “The Dark Knight Returns” to life, and it’s clear that they had a lot of love for the source material.
Though the visual style of “Batman vs. Superman” is very different from that of “The Dark Knight Returns,” the mood and substance of the stories are very similar. Snyder was very deliberate in choosing what elements of “Dark Knight” he wanted to use, and which elements he wanted to alter for the big screen. One important similarity is the bleak outlook that permeates both stories. While “Dark Knight Returns” is set in a grim dystopian future, “Batman vs. Superman” takes place in the present day, which sets it apart from the rest of the Batman saga, as well as the larger superhero movie landscape.
The Evolution Of The Batman Character
One of the major draws of “Game of Thrones” is the unique perspective it provides on the evolution of the fantasy genre. Essentially, “Thrones” serves as a love letter to fans of the show and the books who have been waiting for this moment, as it gives them a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a Game of Thrones-style epic. Naturally, with any large-scale production, there are going to be numerous takeaways and moments for the crew to reflect upon.
The biggest takeaway for the Batman character is that he has evolved into a complete opposite of who he once was. In the previous six films that featured Batman, he was a vigilante who would stop heinous criminals after they had already committed horrible acts. In “Batman vs. Superman,” however, Batman is in a much darker place, as it is revealed that he has been operating in the shadows for so long that he has embraced his inner-most criminal instincts, which in turn, has driven him to want to stop the good guys, rather than fighting them. It’s a far cry from the Batman we once knew.
The Many Infused Personalities Of Superman
Another huge draw of “Game of Thrones” is the way in which it embraces and explores the idea of multiple narratives, or “alternate universes.” It presents a world where some of the events that have taken place in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels haven’t yet occurred, but it also posits that other events have. In the HBO show, this is known as “The Many-Faced Monster,” and it’s an important element to the overall narrative. For example, in “Game of Thrones,” viewers learn about the character Tyrion Lannister, but they also see his best friend Jon Snow fight against the Night’s Watch in the wildest of winter storms. This was a moment that was unexpected, but it also fits within the world of “A Song of Ice and Fire.”
With “Batman vs. Superman,” Snyder took a similar approach, and it resulted in one of the most unique characters in recent memory. During one scene, Batman is seen fighting a giant bear in the snow. However, the scene immediately after cuts to a montage of clips of Superman fighting various monsters and saving the day. This is because Batman and Superman share a single, integrated universe, and it wouldn’t make sense for one character to be fighting giant bears and the other to be fighting zombies. This is also part of what makes “Batman vs. Superman” so interesting, as the film is essentially a love letter to comic book fans, while also being an adventure-filled spectacle for audiences around the world.
The Many Ways In Which “Game Of Thrones” Changed The Industry
The television world has changed dramatically in the twenty-four years since “Thrones” initially aired. Back in the early 1990s, the main method viewers had to consume content was through heavily sponsored commercials and pre-show promotions, which is why so many of the shows that aired around that time period are remembered for being “branded content.” Thanks to the success of “Thrones,” there has been a sea change in the way content is marketed and consumed, and it has benefited television as a whole. When “Thrones” first aired, it was met with significant backlash from content creators, fearing that it would devalue their work and the medium as a whole. While this was a valid concern at the time, content that is marketed and sold to the highest bidder invariably turns out to be of lower quality, which, in turn, hurts all of television, rather than just the shows that are sponsored in such a way. This is why the success of “Thrones” is so significant.