Director Zack Snyder (300, WATCHMEN) and animator extraordinaire Ben Hibon have been busy bee’s collaborating  on a few short films to further explore the fantasy worlds of SUCKERPUNCH.

Director Zack Snyder on recruiting Ben Hibon: “It made sense to me to not only approach the worlds from an original direction in terms of story and focus, but also to really push the visual style in a different direction as well. Having seen his contribution to the latest Harry Potter film and looking at some of his other recent work, Ben’s talent was obvious and his aesthetic felt like a perfect fit. His work is graphic and visually arresting.”

Not one to brush off a crazy-cool opportunity, Ben Hibon jumped aboard the good ship SUCKERPUNCH readily and with vigor. Ben says; “Zack is one of the most exciting and original directors working in Hollywood today. SUCKERPUNCH is nothing short of pure visual madness.”  From what I’ve seen so far, no argument from me.

Warming up the crowd are a couple of very interesting (nay, very cool) animated viral videos’ making their way online- two of which I’ve dropped in below.  Worth a minute to peruse if you’re a fan of Snyder’s industrial strength conceptual art-driven work as a director, crossed with Ben Hibon’s distinctive aesthetic and animation style.

THE TRENCHES, Synopsis: In Sucker Punch, the girls face off against an army of mechanized WWI soldiers. Through the use of clockwork and steam technology, human soldiers who die in battle are reanimated and sent back to the front lines. Although seemingly indistinguishable and soulless, the zombie army is not just made of gears and steam, but also of human flesh, bone, and memory. In “The Trenches” there is a tragic tale behind each lifeless mask.

DRAGON, Synopsis: The girls drop into a castle courtyard, finding themselves caught betwixt a hoard of gruesome Orcs and an army of Black Knights during a chaotic battle. The cause of the massive conflict? Hopelessly lost amidst the ensuing death and destruction.  DRAGON is a tale of religious persecution; who is the righteous and who is the heathen?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhpedq_sucker-punch-dragon_shortfilms#from=embed&start=0

This trailer (edited by Breanne Brennan), is a brilliant mash-up of classic Disney characters with SUCKERPUNCH trailer audio. Disney’s princess’ sell the concept, with nary a clip from the actual film. Enjoy.

Just for kick’s, Ben’s got another project on the go; a zombie apocalypse flick entitled “A.D.”  Have a look at the trailer below;  head over HERE for an interview covering the project!  Crazy.