Zack Snyder is getting in the Octagon.
The veteran Hollywood director is partnering with the UFC to direct Brawler, a movie that promises bone-breaking action scenes likely not seen before in Snyderverse superhero films. Brawler will portray a young fighter rising from the rough streets of Los Angeles to get a shot at a UFC championship but having to battle his inner demons as he fights for redemption, according to a logline from the film’s producers.
The Snyder project marks the mixed martial arts giant’s latest best on a big-screen, immersive experience after the UFC, led by CEO Dana White, took over the Sphere in Las Vegas in September 2024 with its 160,000-square-foot curved LED screen for its first-ever live sporting event. Snyder, his wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder, and Wesley Coller will produce Brawler through their Stone Quarry banner, with Turki Alalshikh and UFC chief content officer Craig Borsari executive producing.
Besides directing, Snyder will write Brawler along with executive producers Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad, his frequent collaborator with whom Snyder worked on 300, the adaptation of the Frank Miller comic, and the Rebel Moon movies, among others.
“Behind every great fighter is the story of how they got there. UFC is the world leader in combat sports, and I’m honored to be partnering with them to tell this incredible story,” Snyder said in a statement.
Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, also owns The Ring Magazine.
The Snyders’ Stone Quarry is also in development on an untitled LAPD project for Netflix, which marks the fourth feature to fall under their partnership after Rebel Moon, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver and Army of the Dead.
The Snyders also produced Zack Snyder’s Justice League for HBO Max. Zack Snyder is repped by CAA.