Zack Snyder will probably be known for his DCEU projects for a long time to come. Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League seem to have overshadowed every other project he has made till now. Whether people hate these films or love them, it’s undeniable that rarely a day passes without the director being talked about on social media.

However, it’s a pity that his other films, like 300 have been overshadowed due to his DC projects. In fact, it was 300 that put Snyder on the map and established him as a major powerhouse director. However, lead actor Gerard Butler wasn’t initially confident in the film at all.

Gerard Butler Recounts His Dreadful Feeling On The Set Of Zack Snyder’s 300

Zack Snyder and Gerard Butler on the sets of 300

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gerard Butler, who played King Leonidas in Zack Snyder’s 300 revealed how ecstatic he was to meet the director and confessed that they clicked right from the first moment they met.

He said, “I met him for coffee in the valley. I came in like a force of nature, but I was met with an equal force of nature, and the two of us came together like a whirlwind.” However, things were a little different while filming.

Gerard Butler

Butler revealed that he felt silly wearing leather shorts and a long cape on the sets of the movie. Since the film was almost entirely shot on a green screen, it was probably a little difficult for the actors to immerse themselves in the setting as well.

As a result, the actor thought that the film would be a flop. Butler said, “There were times you would walk around in your red cape and little leather underpants and someone would point at nothing and say, ‘Look! A burning village!’ And I remember going, ‘Oh my God. This movie’s going to suck.” 

But the opposite happened. The film, which had a budget between $60 to $65 million, ended up rattling the box office with $454 million.

Audiences praised Snyder’s cinematography as well as the action scenes. But what drew the most attention were the chiseled bodies of the actors. The stars, especially Gerard Butler, had a hard time attaining that physique. In fact, he almost ruined his body.

Gerard Butler Almost Ruined His Body In Pursuit Of The Perfect Physique In 300

Gerard Butler in 300

In the interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gerard Butler explained the insane training he had to undertake to carve out his chiseled physique for 300. The star said that he “worked out six hours a day — two hours of CrossFit-style training, two hours bodybuilding, and two hours on fight choreography. In some ways, I was ruining my body, but I was looking amazing doing it.”

Zack Snyder

He even said, “That was the best shape I have ever been in in my life.” The film was a major turning point for Butler’s career and even though he had reservations about it, all of that went away when he saw the final cut of the movie.

He stated, “When I first saw the final product, I was with 13 of my representatives and friends, and our jaws were dropping. It was like, ‘Look at what Zack did!’ I can’t speak highly enough about him. As a director, as a creative, as a kind, excited, passionate guy.” 

Butler isn’t the only person to speak highly of Zack Snyder. The director is loved by his fans and DC cast mates as well. It’s now a wait-and-watch to see what the director brings out next.