It’s been the talk of social media for over two years now and after rumors, petitions and an ever-trending hashtag, it appears Warner Bros. is finally giving fans what they wanted and has unveiled the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League is heading to HBO Max in 2021!
UPDATE MAY 20 11:21 A.M.: According to The Hollywood Reporter, sources are reporting that Snyder was given an additional $20-30 million in order to properly finish the editing, effects and other elements of the film to bring it to WarnerMedia’s forthcoming streaming service, though an exact number has yet to be revealed.
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“I want to thank HBO Max and Warner Brothers for this brave gesture of supporting artists and allowing their true visions to be realized. Also a special thank you to all of those involved in the SnyderCut movement for making this a reality,” Snyder said during the Man of Steel watch party on Wednesday.
“Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes. Well, the fans have asked, and we are thrilled to finally deliver. At the end of the day, it really is all about them and we are beyond excited to be able to release Zack’s ultimate vision for this film in 2021. This could never have happened if it weren’t for the hard work and combined efforts of the teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures,” Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer, said in an official statement.
Following the divisive reaction to the film, many fans likened the situation to Superman II in which a director was replaced before completion of the film and drastically changed the tone from the previous helmer, and most believe that the 54-year-old director had shot enough material for a full cut fo the film. Snyder himself has hinted at its existence countless times via his Vero social media account, with stars Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher, Ben Affleck and Jason Momoa all sharing their support for the edition to come out over their various social media accounts as well.
“When Zack and Debbie shared the extraordinary vision of where Zack wanted to take Justice League, my team and our counterparts at Warner Bros. took it as a mission to solve the many issues that stood in the way,” Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV, said in a statement. “Thanks to the partnership at Warner Bros. and the relentless pursuit of the entire WarnerMax team we are able to deliver this incredibly exciting moment for Zack, the fans and HBO Max.”
Varying reports have also come out over the years, with some claiming that while he may have enough material, the visual effects are in no shape complete and the studio doesn’t want to fund it, calling its release a “pipe dream,” while recent word has spread that the director screened a copy of the film for studio executives after raising his own capital to finish certain parts of the film to be ready in time for the upcoming launch of HBO Max.
“Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement. “This feels like the right time to share Zack’s story, and HBO Max is the perfect platform for it. We’re glad the creative planets aligned, allowing us to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.”
Fueled by the hero’s restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Justice League sees Bruce Wayne enlist the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.
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Justice League, which features a screenplay from Chris Terrio from a story by Snyder and Terrio, stars Affleck as Batman, Cavill as Superman, Gadot as Wonder Woman, Momoa as Aquaman, Miller as The Flash, Fisher as Cyborg, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Connie Nielsen as Queen Hippolyta, with J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.
Released in November 2017, the film earned mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike, praising the action and performances from Gadot and Miller while criticizing every other aspect of the film, namely the inconsistent tone that many fault Joss Whedon (The Avengers) for after taking over directorial duties from Snyder. With a large budget of $300 million and a break-even point of $750 million, the film is considered a box office bomb having grossed only $658 million.
