A $100 million horror James Gunn successfully spearheaded before the DCU still holds up nearly 20 years later

Out of the plethora of mind-melting collaborations that have opened throughout the history of cinema, it’s certainly hard to discredit the successful alliance between Zack Snyder and James Gunn for 2004’s highly successful zombie extravaganza Dawn of the Dead. For many, it’s easily Snyder’s best movie to date — all while interestingly being his first — and a top-notch zombie flick thanks to Gunn’s engaging screenplay which has helped the movie stand the test of time.

Over on the r/horror subreddit, where all spine-tingling projects are carefully dissected, horror fanatics, DCU enthusiasts, and flat-out Snyder defenders all joined together to offer praise to the iconic zombie spectacle which first arrived in theaters back in the early 2000s. Since then, the pulse-pounding project has gone down in movie history as one of the greatest horror films of all time. But with Gunn co-leading the project with his brilliant writing, the cult classic status hardly comes as a surprise.

Even despite the 2004 flick being a remake of George A. Romero’s original from the ‘70s, both Snyder and Gunn managed to deliver an unforgettable cinematic experience that continues to live on in the hearts and minds of horror fans everywhere. In fact, some commenters in the Reddit thread even insisted that the film is their own personal “comfort movie.”

And although Gunn and Snyder have individually graduated to the realm of DC, there’s absolutely no denying that both creators lent a strong helping hand to the horror genre that is still recognized two decades past its peak.