Fans to see ‘Snydercut’
Bowing to fan pressure, Warner Bros. studio will release director Zack Snyder’s controversial version of his 2017 film Justice League next year. It will stream on Warnermedia’s HBO Max in the U.S. and on Crave in Canada.
Snyder announced the news during a live Q&A Wednesday, after a virtual screening of his Superman film Man of Steel.
“I want to thank HBO Max and
Warner Bros. 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,” said Snyder.
“Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #Releasethesnydercut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of Warner Media Entertainment and direct-to-consumer products.
“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.”
Justice League was DC’S answer to Marvel’s Avengers, with a superhero storyline that brings together Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Flash and Cyborg.
Snyder had a cut of the film, rumoured to be about 140 minutes, ready by early 2017, but left the production after a family tragedy. Avengers director Joss Whedon was brought in to finish filming, but a clash in styles led fans to believe Snyder’s vision was compromised.
With a reported Us$300-million budget and a worldwide gross of US$658 million, the film was a commercial disappointment. Critics were equally unimpressed, where it sits with a 40 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. A planned sequel was shelved and the tumultuous shoot led Ben Affleck to exit a proposed Batman spinoff.
Elsewhere, Ezra Miller’s solo Flash movie has suffered a number of setbacks (it’s now due out in 2022), while Cyborg has been postponed indefinitely.
But fans remained resolute in wanting to see the Snydercut get an official release, with the filmmaker himself contributing to the chorus by releasing some never-before-scene images from the film.