It’s virtually unheard of in the history of Hollywood for a filmmaker to not only return to a project they’d departed previously that had already been released into theaters, but for the studio to hand them a huge amount of money to deliver an entirely different version of said project. But based on how the Justice League saga has played out from start to finish, it only feels fitting.
For both Zack Snyder and the fans, the upcoming HBO Max exclusive is going to be a hugely cathartic experience, with the director finally getting to finish the job he was paid to do all those years ago, while audiences around the world reap the rewards of a social media campaign that rolled on for over two and a half years.
Warner Bros. might be stumping up a reported $70 million to get the Snyder Cut, but none of that money is going into the architect’s pocket. Snyder revealed a few months ago that he wasn’t getting paid a single penny for the movie, and in a new interview, he explained why.
“I’m not getting paid. I didn’t want to be beholden to anyone, and it allowed me to keep my negotiating powers with these people pretty strong.”
Snyder was no doubt already paid millions of dollars for Justice League, so it makes sense that he would strengthen his bargaining position with the studio by opting to complete his original cut for free. Not only does it avoid any more legal or contractual snafus, but the 54 year-old also admitted that he never thought he’d even get the chance to do it, and on his part, it’s very much a labor of love as opposed to a financially incentivized job.
