Zack Snyder Got A Surprising Phone Call From Tom Cruise Thanks To 300

It turns out that Tom Cruise is a Zack Snyder fan. 

One of the most beloved contemporary filmmakers working today, Zack Snyder is no stranger to receiving praise (and immense criticism). From his legion of fans on social media to his various collaborators, Snyder has always been heralded as one of the most prolific voices in American cinema. The filmmaker most notably received praise from Christopher Nolan, who told The Hollywood Reporter that he found Snyder's "Watchmen" to be ahead of its time. Even "Avatar: The Way of Water" director James Cameron once said that Snyder inspired him. With so many heavyweights taking time to praise the director, is it surprising to learn that Tom Cruise, arguably the last movie star, has joined in on the hype train? 

In a recent profile in The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder revealed that the "Mission: Impossible" actor called him in 2007 to congratulate him on the opening weekend numbers for "300," his sophomore directorial debut. The $60 million film, based on Frank Miller's comic of the same name, debuted to a whopping $70.8 million, setting a March record. Cruise had called the director on Sunday morning after weekend projections had come in. Shortly after Cruise's congratulatory call, Warner Bros.' Alan Horn rang up the director to tell him about the successful debut. "I was like, 'Oh, Tom already told me,'" the future "Man of Steel" director remembered saying at the time. "300" would eventually go on to gross over $454 million worldwide, emerging as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. 

With "300," Zack Snyder was able to fine-tune his signature visual flair. With an abundance of slow-motion, reliance on special effects, and green screen, the visual language of "300" is largely the foundation of where Snyder's signature style comes from — and Tom Cruise noticed. A year prior to the film's release, Cruise was fascinated by the "300" trailer and invited Snyder over to have breakfast with him, hoping to learn more about the director's process. Unfortunately, Cruise and Snyder have never worked together, though it was heavily rumored the former would portray Ozymandias in "Watchmen."

After proving himself with his directorial debut "Dawn of the Dead," Snyder cemented himself as a name to watch out for with "300." His success with the Spartan war epic eventually led to a consistent relationship with Warner Bros., who played a part in bringing his subsequent films like "Watchmen" and "Sucker Punch" to life. Thanks to the studio, Snyder was afforded the opportunity to launch a brand new slate of DC films, with "Man of Steel" emerging as the first project in a shared universe. Snyder continued working with Warner Bros. and DC for several years, wrapping up his relationship with the 2021 director's "Justice League" cut, which received far more compliments than the maligned 2017 theatrical cut.

Now, Snyder has struck up a relationship with Netflix, having helmed the zombie heist picture "Army of the Dead," and sci-fi epic "Rebel Moon" for the streaming service, the latter of which is set to release December 22.