Visionary filmmaker Zack Snyder has unveiled his latest Netflix project, Twilight of the GodsWhich is his first series and a rare sighting of him working in the animation format. Between 300, guards, And his DC Universe movies, he’s proven himself to be a pop culture lightning rod. His recent Netflix collaborations have taken him away from superheroes but still offer stories of power and violence that speak to similar themes as his previous work.
Twilight of the Gods tackles Norse mythology, with gorgeous visuals crafted by Snyder’s production company The Stone Quarry and French studio Xilam Animation. It follows the lovebirds Sigrid (a child of giants voiced by Sylvia Hoeks) and Leif (a mortal warrior voiced by Stuart Martin), whose marriage is tragically disrupted by a raging bull (Pilou Asbæk). He slaughters Sigrid’s family in his pursuit of the trickster god Loki (Paterson Joseph), leaving the survivors with no choice but to take their revenge.
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Screen Rant Interviewed Snyder and Twilight of the Gods Executive producer Wesley Coller, who has collaborated with Snyder ever since 300About their approach to the world of Norse gods and inspiration for the unique animation style. The duo also discussed what separates Thor and Loki from their popular MCU interactions and shared how far they’ve gotten with plans for season 2 of the Netflix series, despite not yet being renewed.
Twilight of the Gods is adult animation in every sense of the word
Zack Snyder wanted “the mature themes and sexuality to be front and center.”
Screen Rant: First of all, Twilight of the Gods blew me away. Netflix is ​​killing it with adult animation right now, in between Blue eye samurai And Twilight of the Gods. Zach, can you talk to me about the inspiration behind creating the show? I know we’ve seen Norse mythology in many of your films, but why have it in animation form?
Zack Snyder: Yeah, when we were talking about doing the animated series and using Norse mythology as the backbone, I just thought it was an incredible opportunity because I know how wacky it is and how crazy it is. I said, “This is a great way to introduce people to the real deal of Norse mythology.” It’s kind of a non-sugar-coated version, so for me, it was a big treat. I just thought it was the perfect format because you can really go for it. Netflix really gave us the big green light to say, “Whatever you think! We’re not going to pull punches.” And that’s what we wanted to do.
Screen Rant: Wesley, there’s action and sex in this series, but at its heart is the story between Sigrid and Leif, voiced by Sylvia Hoeks and Stuart Martin. Can you elaborate on the character dynamic and how their relationship drives the story?
Wesley Coller: Yeah, I think it’s very much the love story that we get introduced to in the opening. On the battlefield, they came together and shared the common thread of the journey they were on. But to have the world turned upside down on their wedding day puts them on the shared path of revenge. For me, the driving force is really the engine for the whole show.
Indeed, what becomes interesting is that – in addition to what the two of them brought to their performances – they then choose this team with members who each have their own quest that they are on, some with very similar end goals, and some that intersect Partly through. Actually, if they were to get their goal before Sigrid and Leif finish what they’re doing, that might improve everything. For me, that’s the fun of being on this journey. The love story follows a very sure path, but they can be anything but sure-footed on this unstable ground.
As a testament to all the talent we have, the performances they delivered were fantastic. I just love that I fell into the world and immersed myself in it.
Zack Snyder: I think one of the cool things about the show is that the relationship between Sigrid and Leif is really tender. He is really, madly in love with you. It’s just a really cool thing to see such a nuanced warrior figure willing to take a knee and do anything just to get through it with you safe. He doesn’t give a shit.
Screen Rant: Zach, you book this by directing the first episode of the last episode. How does this push the boundaries of what is typically expected for an animated series, especially in the realm of mythology?
Zack Snyder: I feel like we’re pushing it in a bunch of ways. First of all, there is subtlety and beauty in the performances and in the quiet moments of this show. I think the show really sings. But I will also say that we didn’t pull any punches when it came to the action and the violence and everything. I really wanted the adult themes and sexuality to be front and center with how comfortable they are with their bodies, with their love, and all that stuff.
The show is always surprising, always immersive, and when it turns a corner, you don’t know where it’s going to go. And I think that in that way, it’s not a typical animated series that you’ve seen before.
What separates Twilight from the Gods’ Thor and Loki from their MCU versions
“What kind of story do we want to tell? What sets the story apart from previous experiences with the character?”
Screen Rant: Wesley, this is a very different version of Thor and Loki than many fans might expect. I know Marvel popularized these characters, but this is a very different version of them. Tell us a little about this iteration and how Pilou Asbæk and Paterson Joseph brought the characters to life.
Wesley Coller: I think so many of our experiences with Norse mythology come from a pop culture perspective, and that was very much my entry point into that world as well. But our writers all brought with them this amazing knowledge, and then Zach and Jay [Oliva] Obviously have very specific names as directors. Together, we were able to sort of step back and say, “What kind of story do we want to tell? What sets the story apart from previous experiences with the character?”
We put Thor in the story and anchor him in that position. For Loki, it’s easy on a surface level to step back and see him through a villain lens. But I think that if you really look at what his story is, what he’s fighting for and what he’s trying to achieve – there’s an underlying sadness. It’s something that I think we can all relate to, and I think that’s the most interesting part of a character. Whether it’s a hero or a villain or somewhere in between, can I as an audience member relate to that character? Can I understand their mitzvah, even if I don’t agree with it?
I think that was the exciting part about the whole approach to the show; Don’t necessarily let things land in the pop culture column that we’re used to seeing them in.
Zack Snyder: Yeah, he’s got a lot of trauma, Loki. In a big way, just like we all do. It’s like the scene between Sigrid and Loki at the end where she finds out he’s only doing it to protect his family. She’s like, “Oh, s–t. I thought that guy was an a–hole, and now I’m like, who’s the a–hole?”
Screen Rant: I love this animation style. Can you talk about what inspired the look?
Zack Snyder: Yes, we went on a long dive and very intensive design journey to settle on this look. It was a year in the making, and it was really about embracing the 2D animated style that we were going for as deeply as possible and not shying away from it. It wasn’t one of those things where we were like, “It’s 2D, but we’re going to do our best to create a 3D vibe.” We wanted to be all in.
I think that when everyone finally drank the Kool-Aid of just pure 2D, that’s when we finally landed on this look. I think this style is really sensual and mythological, which is really difficult [to achieve].
Will there be a Twilight of the Gods Season 2?
Zack Snyder confirms that the show hasn’t been renewed yet, but he knows where he wants to go next.
Screen Rant: I’m not going to lie to you, I wanted episode 9 after the last scenes of the finale. Are there any talks about season 2 yet? Have you talked about what other realms you want to explore?
Zack Snyder: We definitely talk about it. We know what we want to do, and we’re all excited about a potential season 2, so we’ll see. of course, [we’ve talked about it]. We’re well on our way, so we’ll see what happens.
More about Twilight of the Gods Season 1
Zack Snyder presents Twilight of the Gods, an all-new daring and spectacular animated vision of Norse mythology. In a mythical world of great battles, great deeds and great despair, a mortal king named Leif is saved on the battlefield by Sigrid, an iron-wild warrior with whom he falls in love. On their wedding night, Sigris and Leaf survive a rampage of terror from Thor, which sets them – and a crew of Crusaders – on a against-all-Shadows and merciless mission for revenge. This heroic story of love, loss and revenge is a journey to hell and beyond, across fantastic lands, fierce and bloody battlefields, and wars waged against gods and demons.
Check out our previous interviews with Zack Snyder here: