I almost can’t believe I’m writing this, but it finally happened. More than two years after the butchered theatrical cut of Justice League limped into cinemas, we’re going to get to see Zack Snyder’s original vision. That’s right, everyone: The Snyder Cut is coming to HBO Max, just like We Got This Covered first told you it would way back in December.
This long-awaited Director’s Cut has had a torturous path to screens. The story began soon after Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice received an unexpectedly frosty critical reception. Despite eventually making a lot of money, Warner Bros. executives reportedly lost faith in Zack Snyder’s plans for the DCEU. They removed him from Justice League mid-way through the shoot, replaced him with Joss Whedon (no doubt hoping he’d replicate the success of The Avengers) and tried to stitch together a coherent movie after extensive reshoots.
They failed though, with Justice League bombing at the box office and the entire future of the DCEU being reworked to focus more on individual heroes than team-ups. That might have been the end of the story, but a group of dedicated fans launched the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign and have worked tirelessly to keep the film in the public eye. They’ve been backed up by Snyder himself as well, who has released a steady stream of images and material from his cut.
And now, it’s finally happening, with the pic set to arrive on HBO Max in 2021. Speaking about the big news, here’s what various people involved with the movie have had to say:
“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,” said Snyder.
“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,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer.
“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,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV. “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.”
“Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “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.”
Today’s announcement will inevitably see much rejoicing, though it’s not entirely unexpected, as there’ve been whisperings of this for months now. Earlier this year, we heard that Warner Bros. were prepared to grant him a budget to work on it, that a nearly-finished version has been screened for various people and stars from the film have been popping up to voice their support.
There’s no exact release date for it just yet, but we know that the Snyder cut of Justice League will premiere on HBO Max in 2021. In the meantime, let’s raise a glass to those tireless social media campaigners who never gave up hope. We all owe you one.
