Zack Snyder Says TV Is ‘Way Riskier’ Than Movies Now: A Film Version of ‘Euphoria’ Would ‘Never Get Made’ and ‘Can’t Exist’

Zack Snyder joined Anthony and Joe Russos Pizza Film School podcast and raved about HBOs Euphoria and Netflixs Squid Game, two shows he cited while discussing how television has become far more adventurous and exciting than film when it comes to storytelling.

I think were in a real golden age of TV in the sense that TV shows are much better at showing you something that youve never seen before, or catching you off balance or making a turn that you didnt see coming, Snyder said (via The Playlist). Theyre way riskier.

Euphoria, for instance, I was just watching the show [and] its just unbelievable, Snyder continued. That show shouldnt exist; its so good. And thats the kind of thing I watch that show and go, This movie would never get made; this movie cant exist.

Joe Russo agreed, saying all the pressures placed on box office and more that exist for movies in Hollywood would take out all the risk in a Euphoria movie.

You could imagine Squid Game coming here as a movie; it would be an arthouse [film], maybe, Snyder continued. Euphoria and Squid Game take you to places where you have no idea where you are going or whats happening, and I think thats what people want.

Russo picked up Snyders thread and agreed, adding, Why I think youre saying TV is now in a golden age is that it is disrupting from a format standpoint. Its 10 hours of content; its eight hours of content. You get a different emotional impact killing a character five hours into a ten-hour story because youve spent five hours with that character versus an hour. Its just different. Youve assigned more of your time, you have more investment, and when that character goes, you feel it because of that investment.

The Russo Brothers are best known for helming Marvel movies such as Avengers: Endgame, but theyre now embracing television storytelling with their upcoming Amazon Prime Video spy series Citadel. Snyder, meanwhile, is somewhat embracing longer-form storytelling with his Netflix space opera Rebel Moon, which the streamer allowed the director to break up into two films.

Rebel Moon is scheduled to be released on Dec. 22, 2023, while Rebel Moon Part 2 will most likely arrive in 2024.