Zack Snyder is embarking on a labor of love that shuns the familiar capes, zombies, and rebellious moons of his past endeavors. Commencing later this month, he will lens "The Last Photograph," a drama conceived and nurtured by him since the mid-2000s. Leading the indie flick, which boasts a fraction of the budget compared to his epic productions, are Stuart Martin and Fra Fee, both alumni of Snyder's "Rebel Moon" films.
Under the Stone Quarry banner, Snyder is producing alongside his creative soulmate and spouse, Deborah Snyder, and Wesley Coller. Joining them are Gianni Nunnari and his Hollywood Gang Productions. This war drama will traverse multiple global landscapes, including Colombia, Iceland, and Los Angeles, with local entities lending their expertise to these distant shooting locations.
Executive producers include Mediaset España, via its film arm Telecinco Cinema, alongside William Doyle and Columbia's Jaguar Bite, helmed by Juan Pablo Solano and Simon Beltran. True North will manage production services in Iceland. "Photograph" is eligible for Colombia's CINA incentive, providing a tax rebate equivalent to 35% of the country's audiovisual service expenditures.
Snyder's musical maestros are also set: Hans Zimmer, Steven Doar, and Omer Benyamin will compose the score. The screenplay, penned by long-time collaborator Kurt Johnstad after their work on "300" and "Rebel Moon," is inspired by a Snyder story.
According to the producers, the narrative unfolds as follows: "After the brutal murder of their diplomat parents, an ex-DEA operative ventures into the South American mountains to locate his missing niece and nephew. Enlisting the aid of a jaded war photographer, the only witness to the killers' faces, he embarks on a quest to uncover the children and the truth. However, he soon realizes he must also confront his own haunted past. Their journey into the unknown leads them further from civilization, challenging their beliefs and blurring the line between reality and surrealism."
Over its two-decade development, "The Last Photograph" has undergone transformations. Initially set in Afghanistan and centered on a war correspondent as the sole survivor of an attack on Americans, the project evolved. In the early 2010s, Christian Bale and Sean Penn were attached before Snyder's detour into the DC universe.
"The notion of wielding a camera to craft a film in an intimate manner is deeply alluring to me," Snyder shared in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "'The Last Photograph' is a contemplation on life and death, mirroring some of the trials I've faced and exploring those concepts through imagery."
Among Snyder's burgeoning film slate are "Brawler," an MMA showdown, and an LAPD-centered action thriller.
