The Stone Quarry

The Stone Quarry[1][2] (formerly Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc.) is an American film production company that was established in 2004 by filmmaker Zack Snyder, his wife Deborah Snyder, and their producing partner Wesley Coller.

The Stone Quarry
FormerlyCruel and Unusual Films (2004–2019)
TypeFilm production company
IndustryCinema of the United States
Founded2004 (2004)
Founders
HeadquartersPasadena, California, United States
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Zack Snyder (President/CEO/CFO/Partner)
  • Deborah Snyder (CEO/CFO/Partner)
  • Wesley Coller (CEO/CFO/Partner)
Owners
  • Zack Snyder
  • Deborah Snyder
  • Wesley Coller
Websitewww.cruelfilms.com

Establishment
The former logo of the production company, prior to the re-branding in January 2019.

Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc. was founded in 2004 by Zack Snyder, his wife, Deborah, and producing partner Wesley Coller. The company is based at Warner Bros.,[3] and is located in Pasadena, California.[4] 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 as a producing partner.[5] 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.[6] Apart from producing feature films, Cruel and Unusual Films has also assisted in the marketing of its films, based on the strong advertising backgrounds of Snyder and his wife, Deborah Snyder.[7] By January 2019, Snyder announced the studio's new title, The Stone Quarry.[8]

Background

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 2014 the studio co-produced the sequel to 2007's 300, 300: Rise of an Empire. In 2016 the studio co-produced the sequel to 2013's Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

In 2017 the studio co-produced Wonder Woman and Justice League.

In July 2015 it was revealed that Zack Snyder and Deborah Snyder will serve as producers and executive producers in the DC Extended Universe. Since 2018, DC Films chairmans Geoff Johns and Walter Hamada will serve as executive producer on the future DC movies set in the DC Extended Universe, along with the Snyders.

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.[3] Due to the expensive production value, the production of the movie was cancelled by Warner Bros.[9]

Future projects

Zack Snyder will also direct a remake of the 1969 film The Illustrated Man.[10] The company will also produce Horse Latitudes, which was formerly known as The Last Photograph, a film about a photograph that inspires two men to travel to South America. The film will be directed by Zack Snyder and will be produced by Snyder and his wife Deborah Snyder.[11][12]

In September 2017, it was confirmed that Zack Snyder is developing The Fountainhead adaptation, based on the 1943 novel from Ayn Rand.[13]

On January 29, 2019, Snyder announced that he has signed on to helm Army of the Dead, a zombie horror thriller, for Netflix. Snyder will direct and produce with Deborah Snyder.[14]

On May 20, 2020, Snyder officially announced that Warner Bros. would be releasing his cut of Justice League as Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max in 2021.[15]

In September 2020, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit a prequel based on Army of the Dead, with Matthias Schweighöfer set to direct the film in addition to reprising his role as Ludwig. Shay Hatten will also pen the screenplay.[16] It was also announced that an anime prequel series was in the works titled Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas. The series will serve as an origin story for Dave Bautista's character Scott Ward and his rescue team during the initial fall of Vegas as they confront the source of the zombie outbreak. Jay Oliva is set to serve as showrunner for the series, with both Oliva and Zack Snyder set to direct two episodes each.[16]

Productions

Films
Year Film Director Co-production with Distributed by Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
as Cruel and Unusual Films
2004 Dawn of the Dead Zack Snyder Strike Entertainment / New Amsterdam Entertainment Universal Pictures 75%[17] 58/100[18]
2007 300 Legendary Pictures / Virtual Studios / Atmosphere Pictures / Hollywood Gang Productions Warner Bros. Pictures 60%[19] 51/100[20]
2008–2009 Watchmen: Motion Comic Jake Strider Hughes Animated short film series based on the DC comic book series Watchmen Warner Premiere Digital — —
2009 Watchmen Zack Snyder Legendary Pictures / Lawrence Gordon Productions / DC Entertainment Warner Bros. Pictures / Paramount Pictures 64%[21] 56/100[22]
2010 Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole Village Roadshow Pictures / Animal Logic Warner Bros. Pictures 51%[23] 53/100[24]
2011 Sucker Punch Legendary Pictures 23%[25] 33/100[26]
2013 Man of Steel DC Entertainment / Legendary Pictures / Syncopy / Peters Entertainment 56%[27] 55/100
2014 300: Rise of an Empire Noam Murro Legendary Pictures / Atmosphere Pictures / Hollywood Gang Productions 44%[28] 48/100[29]
2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Zack Snyder RatPac Entertainment / Atlas Entertainment / DC Entertainment 28%[30] 44/100[31]
2017 Wonder Woman Patty Jenkins RatPac Entertainment / Tencent Pictures / Wanda Pictures / Atlas Entertainment / DC Films 93%[32] 76/100[33]
Justice League Zack Snyder RatPac Entertainment / Atlas Entertainment / DC Films 40%[34] 45/100[35]
2018 Aquaman James Wan The Safran Company / Mad Ghost Productions / RatPac Entertainment[36] / DC Films 65%[37] 55/100[38]
as The Stone Quarry
2020 Wonder Woman 1984 Patty Jenkins Atlas Entertainment / DC Films Warner Bros. Pictures 60%[39] 60/100[40]
2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League Zack Snyder Warner Bros. Pictures / Atlas Entertainment / DC Films HBO Max TBA TBA
Army of the Dead — Netflix
TBA Army of the Dead: The Prequel Matthias Schweighöfer Pantaleon Films

Television
Year Title Co-production with Network Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
TBA Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas Netflix Animation / Meduzarts Animation Netflix TBA TBA

References
  1. https://twitter.com/ItsDavery/status/1082377287402610688
  2. "Zack Snyder Returning to Movies With Zombie Action Pic 'Army of the Dead' (Exclusive) | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com.
  3. McClintock, Pamela (March 25, 2009). "Warner, Snyders enlist in new 'Army'". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  4. Louie, Elaine (October 3, 2004). "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS: VOWS; Deborah Johnson and Zack Snyder". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  5. McClintock, Pamela (January 29, 2007). "WB makes Unusual deal". Variety. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  6. Vary, Adam B. (January 30, 2009). "'Watchmen' director Zack Snyder launches new website (EW.com exclusive!)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  7. "Welcome to Cruel and Unusual Films". Cruel and Unusual Films, Inc. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
  8. "TSQ". www.cruelfilms.com.
  9. Bolivar, Andres (2012). "Dawn of the Dead sequel is, umm, dead". Flixist.com.
  10. "Zack Snyder to Direct Illustrated Man". ComingSoon.net. August 28, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  11. Brown, Todd (2 August 2011). "BREAKING: Zack Snyder Taking Director's Chair On THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH". Screen Anarchy. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  12. Siegel, Tatiana (17 March 2016). "'Batman v. Superman': Married Creative Duo on That R-Rated DVD, Plans for DC Superhero Universe". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  13. Watercutter, Angela (19 September 2017). "What's Zack Snyder been doing Since he left Justice League? Making an iPhone film". Wired.com. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  14. "Zack Snyder Returning to Movies With Zombie Action Pic 'Army of the Dead' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  15. ""It Will Be an Entirely New Thing": Zack Snyder's $20M-Plus 'Justice League' Cut Plans Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  16. D'Alessandro, Anthony (2020-09-03). "Zack Snyder Netflix Zombie Pic 'Army Of The Dead' Spawning Film Prequel & Anime Series". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
  17. "Dawn of the Dead (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  18. "Dawn of the Dead". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  19. "300". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  20. "300". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  21. "Watchmen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  22. "Watchmen". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  23. "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  24. "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  25. "Sucker Punch". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  26. "Sucker Punch". Metacritic. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  27. "Man of Steel (2013)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
  28. "300: Rise of an Empire". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  29. "300: Rise of an Empire". Metacritic. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  30. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  31. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  32. "Wonder Woman '". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  33. "Wonder Woman". Metacritic. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  34. "Justice League (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on November 19, 2017. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  35. "Justice League Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  36. "Aquaman (2018)".
  37. Aquaman (2018), retrieved 2020-06-08
  38. Aquaman, retrieved 2020-06-08
  39. "Wonder Woman 1984". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  40. "Wonder Woman 1984". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
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