Zack Snyder Explains Why He Pitched An R-Rated Star Wars Movie

Zack Snyder at a Rebel Moon fan event
(Image credit: Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)

George Lucas' Star Wars has entertained audiences for decades, resulting in generations of loyal fans. That fandom is super invested in the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, with the latter being available with a Disney+ subscription. But there have also been a number of projects that have been scrapped along the way. And filmmaker Zack Snyder recently explained why he pitched an R-rated Star Wars flick

A variety of Star Wars movies were announced after Lucasfilm was acquired by Disney, some of which never came to fruition. But before that Snyder tossed around ideas for his own movie, one with an R-Rating. Obviously that movie never came to fruition, but the Justice League director explained his thought process. As he shared with The Atlantic:

The Star Wars audience, they've grown up. They're adults now. And it would be cool to make movies for them... When the acquisition happened, there were discussions of, like, 'Oh, maybe we'll make your movie, like down the liiiiiiiine,'" he said. "And I was like, 'Okay, whatever.'

He's got a point. While Star Wars has always been a franchise that can be enjoyed by moviegoers young and old, the 300 filmmaker was hoping to make a project focused on the latter group. Since kids who grew up when the prequels were being released are now adults, he wanted to craft a movie that was produced just for them. Does anyone else have FOMO now?

Zack Snyder's comments come as he's promoting his new movie Rebel Moon, which arrives with a Netflix subscription in time for the holidays. Eventually the conversation shifted to his other projects, including the scrapped Star Wars flick. And one can only imagine what his take on the galaxy far, far away could have been like. 

While Snyder's Star Wars movie never got to be come a reality, the beloved space opera has been dipping its toes into more adult-oriented content. Perhaps the best example of this would be Disney+'s Andor series, which was void of Jedi or cute creatures. Instead we got a complex story about the rebellion at the height of the Empire's strength. Luckily for fans of that series, Andor Season 2 is on the way.

The Skywalker Saga is officially in the rear view after Episode IX, and it should be fascinating to see Star Wars' future on the big screen. Lucasfilm recently announced its plan for a new trilogy, with each movie set during a very different period in the official timeline. But there's also other projects like Taika Waititi's Star Wars movie in the works. We'll just have to see if Zack Snyder ever gets his chance. For his part, he doesn't seem too hopeful.

The Star Wars franchise is currently streaming in its entirety on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.