Let’s be honest, the bloom is off the rose of Zack Snyder’s Netflix deal following Army of the Dead and Rebel Moon, so he’s turning his attentions elsewhere: to the Ultimate Fighting Championship and Saudi blood money! Snyder’s next film is Brawler, an MMA drama in which he’ll team up with UFC chief Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia.
The story, directed and co-written by Snyder, follows a young Los Angeles man as he rises in the ranks of UFC. Joining in as co-writers are Snyder pals Shay Hatten (Ballerina) and Kurt Johnstad (300).
“Behind every great fighter is the story of how they got there,” said Snyder in a statement. “UFC is the world leader in combat sports and I’m honored to be partnering with them to tell this incredible story.”
“His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Zack Snyder have a shared vision to create a film about UFC,” said White. “They are both very passionate about this project to show fans what it takes to become a UFC champion. It’s an incredibly ambitious project and I look forward to seeing it come to life.”
Here is the official synopsis: Rising from the rough streets of Los Angeles, a young fighter gets a shot at a UFC championship, battling his inner demons as he fights for redemption.
Expect deep cooperation with the UFC, with many of its stars of the octagon likely to appear in the film or assist in advisory roles.
Snyder still has an LAPD action film for Netflix in the works as part of his overall deal with the streamer.
This move comes as no shock. UFC falls under the parent company TKO, which recently bought WWE. Pro wrestling movies have been a hot item of late, and it was only a matter of time before MMA got the same rub. Gavin O’Connor’s 2011 film Warrior is probably the best we’ve seen up to this point. A24’s Mark Kerr drama The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, could also set a high bar.
