Zack Snyder on his time working with Morrissey: ‘I had a great experience, but he ghosted me’
In modern cinema, Zack Snyder is a director whose distinctive visual flair and storytelling techniques have earned him both admiration and critique. From his stylised adaptation of 300 to his foray into the DC Extended Universe with films like Man of Steel and Justice League, Snyder has cemented his reputation as a visionary filmmaker – but one often slammed as being all style, no substance. Nevertheless, his penchant for elaborate set pieces and slow thematic explorations has made him a force to reckon with in Hollywood.
In the 1990s, well before he’d made his feature directorial debut with 2004’s Dawn of the Dead, Snyder was fresh out of film school, carving a living by shooting adverts and music videos. Meanwhile, on the musical front, Morrissey was settling into his solo career. Initially gaining fame as the frontman of the seminal British band The Smiths, Morrissey’s introspective lyrics and distinctive voice resonated with a generation.
After the band’s split, he continued his legacy with hits that explored themes of love, identity, and the human condition, cementing his status as an icon. Hailing from Lancashire, with his quiffed hair and melancholic croon, Morrissey couldn’t have been further from the California-trained Snyder.
And yet their worlds collided in the 1990s, creating one of the most unexpected yet intriguing crossovers in media history. In 1992, Snyder directed the video for Morrissey’s ‘Tomorrow’, which would eventually feature on the Your Arsenal album that same year. Decades later, as a Hollywood heavyweight, Snyder spoke with Esquire magazine about that strange early collaboration.
While the work may have seemed an anomaly, the result was nothing short of remarkable—a “great one-take video”, as hailed by many. Reflecting on the accolades, Snyder recalled a particularly memorable comparison. “By the way, when I made that video, I think Vanity Fair wrote an article about a Brian De Palma movie, where there was a big super long one-take. And they were saying that the Morrissey video I did was cooler than that.” It was a commendation he cherished, especially since, as he mentioned, he was “literally two years out of film school when I shot that video.”
The prospect of future collaborations, therefore, seemed bright. “I had a great experience. I loved working with him,” Snyder reminisced about Morrissey. There was even talk of continued partnerships, with Morrissey suggesting that Snyder might “shoot all of his videos from then on”. However, in a turn of fate that left Snyder perplexed and slightly rueful, Morrissey seemed to pull away – never to return.
“But then he ghosted me after that. I don’t know what happened,” Snyder admitted. The director had grand visions, even drafting a concept for another song inspired by the classic Giant with James Dean, with Morrissey envisioned in the lead. “It was going to be all Giant… and he was going to play the James Dean role,” Snyder shared. Sadly, we never saw it, but Snyder flourished after their work together and went on to bigger and better things. As for Morrissey, he continued to make music despite falling massively out of favour due to his controversial statements online.
