Zack Snyder’s Justice League has had to jump through so many hoops just to exist, with plenty of twists and turns along the way, that it’s almost fitting that the first people to see the hotly-anticipated redux didn’t have any intention whatsoever of doing so.
Warner Bros.’ Tom & Jerry may have topped the domestic box office two weekends ago after scoring the second-biggest opening of the COVID-19 era, but it would be fair to say that the live-action/animated hybrid is aimed at a very different demographic than a four-hour superhero epic that’s been backed by fervent fan support every step of the way.
However, HBO Max subscribers looking to check out the latest adventure for the longtime cat and mouse nemeses got an entirely different sort of surprise when they were treated to Justice League by accident, and it didn’t take long for the news to spread across the internet like wildfire before WB rushed to fix the huge blunder. As you can see from the reactions below, social media users were quick to have a laugh at the studio’s expense.
Oh boy the hype… First hour is amazing eh? #ZackSnydersJusticeLeague "I just wanted to put on Tom & Jerry for background noise while I worked, and instead I watched an hour of an amazing movie," says Bass. #JusticeLeague pic.twitter.com/JqAo44K6Zh
— Bernard (@bernardlaufilms) March 9, 2021
*Opening HBO Max for some innocent Tom & Jerry time and suddenly the Justice League intro begins* #SnyderCut #JusticeLeagueSnyderCut #HBOMax pic.twitter.com/AwVdqBpWnb
— Mainstream (@be_mainstream) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/CSWSpodcast/status/1369166473395109889
Heard that some people trying to watch Tom & Jerry on @hbomax was actually watching the new Justice League. Apparently they fixed it though 😩😩
Side note: Give us season 3 of Warrior @hbo #WarriorSeason3 #hbomaxwarrior 😤😤😤
— Chris🅿️y. #CPSTRONG 🍥 (@CHRISPYakaKON) March 9, 2021
HAHAHA IMAGINE SWITCHING ON TOM & JERRY AND JUSTICE LEAGUE STARTS PLAYING I WOULD LOSE IT https://t.co/8wx3Fg4gXN
— Benny Efosa (@EfosaBenny) March 9, 2021
Woke up to the news that Zack Snyder's Justice League was "accidentally" leaked on HBO Max while people where watching the Tom & Jerry film. Screw Warner Bros I know they are behind that shit 😕 pic.twitter.com/k0Xpyzt5xf
— Thami 福徳 (@_DarthGayder_) March 9, 2021
not warner bros leaking justice league through tom & jerry djdjfmdmrmdmm pic.twitter.com/TdDrsTNFWs
— jay (@rendezwolves) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/spookyvelm/status/1369150568296505345
Imagine logging onto HBO Max with intention of watching Tom & Jerry, only to see Zack Snyder's Justice League instead. What a downgrade
— Waraboshi-kun (@Waraboshi) March 9, 2021
https://twitter.com/Therron71/status/1369139375175589889
While it could always be an ingenious guerrilla marketing tactic used to convince Tom & Jerry enthusiasts to check back next Thursday when the Snyder Cut officially debuts, this is much more likely to be a glaring error on the streaming service’s part, and no doubt the culprit has already been reprimanded behind the scenes.
In any case, in the long run, the leak doesn’t do anything to damage Justice League with the exception of allowing HBO Max customers to catch another glimpse at the movie over a week ahead of schedule, but it’s still a little embarrassing for Warner Bros. nonetheless.
