It's finally happening!
Today during a Watch Party for his 2013 Superman movie MAN OF STEEL, Zack Snyder revealed that ZACK SNYDER'S JUSTICE LEAGUE is coming to HBO Max in 2021!
You asked for it! You campaigned for it! You rented billboards for it! Ladies and gentlemen, your passion for Zack Snyder's cut of JUSTICE LEAGUE has been heard, and so HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it will exclusively world premiere Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the Warner Bros. Pictures/DC feature film Justice League in 2021! Go ahead, look at your calendar, because we're way past April Fool's Day. It's real, and it's likely going to be spectacular.
From Warner Media's official press release:
“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.”
For the moment, it remains unclear with regard to how Snyder's version of the film will arrive. Will it be a four-hour epic of the director's intended vision? Will it be divided into six "chapters" of superhero shenanigans? Only Snyder and those close to him know for certain. However, it has been revealed that the director is currently in the midst of reassembling key members of the original production crew to score, cut, add new and finish old visual effects, and yes, perhaps bring the actors back to record additional dialogue as well as other contributions. (via THR)
In terms of budget, one source close to the project has floated a figure of $20 million to complete the project, though another party has speculated that it could cost the studio upward of $30 million to make the magic happen.
"It will be an entirely new thing, and, especially talking to those who have seen the released movie, a new experience apart from that movie," Zack Snyder recently told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the project's official reveal.
While continuing to speak with THR, Snyder revealed "You probably saw one-fourth of what I did." It's worth noting that Snyder has yet to watch the version of JUSTICE LEAGUE that was released in theaters, so perhaps consider his estimate with that information in mind.
In talking about the elusive "Snyder Cut" before Emmerich reached out, Snyder confessed that for a time he was uncertain if he'd ever get to present his version of the film. "I always thought it was a thing that in 20 years, maybe somebody would do a documentary and I could lend them the footage, little snippets of a cut no one has ever seen."
His wife, Deborah Snyder, then added, "With the new platform and streaming services, you can have something like this. You can’t release something like this theatrically, but you could with a streaming service. It’s an opportunity that wasn’t there two years ago, to be honest."
According to Snyder, it was on the film's two-year anniversary when #ReleasetheSnyderCut fever had reached an all-time high. In fact, Warner Bros. says that #ReleasetheSnyderCut is the most-tweeted hashtag for any one film in the studio's history. "It's a weird stat but it's cool," Snyder remarked about his film becoming a part of internet history.
Knowing that they had to act, Zack and Deborah set their minds to making the "Snyder Cut" of Justice League a reality. "We had to figure out what it meant to finish it, and how do you pull it off?" recalls Deborah.
Shortly thereafter, the Snyders organized a presentation, and in early February, invited a select group of WB execs, HBO Max, and DC to their house in Pasadena to screen Zack's little-seen, black and white version of the film. In attendance were Warners' Emmerich, Carolyn Blackwood, Walter Hamada and Courtney Valenti, as well as HBO Max's Kevin Reilly, Sarah Aubrey and Sandra Dewey. DC's Jim Lee was also a part of the exclusive party. Once all were assembled, the Snyders unveiled their plan to give fans what they've been rallying for.
After wowing the powers that be, Snyder spent a great deal of April and May reaching out to the film's primary cast, hoping to clue them in about the latest developments on the project. The way Snyder tells it, the first person he reached out to was Ray Fisher, who played Cyborg. "He was like, 'You’re kidding me, right?'" Zack recalls.
As of the moment, there is no schedule in place for completing Zack Snyder's JUSTICE LEAGUE. That said, talks between the actors and crew are happening now, and eveyrthing will be ironed out in due time.
Wow! I feel as if a congratulations is in order for all who've supported the #ReleasetheSnyderCut initiative. Your cries have been heard and your passion felt by the powers that be, and so now we have this to look forward to in 2021. More than anything, I'm glad that Snyder will finally get to present his version of a film that remains very close to his heart. I look forward to seeing his version of the film, and hope that it's everything fans have wanted and more. Take a victory lap, everybody. You've all won out big time today.