After Years of #ReleaseTheSnyderCut, a Director’s Cut of Justice League Is Finally Coming to HBO Max
If you have been on the internet at any point in the last few years, you may have seen #ReleaseTheSnyderCut going around.
Zack Snyder, director of DC films Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, stepped away from Justice League during post-production after the tragic death of his daughter Autumn. Joss Whedon — who directed Marvel films The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron — was brought in to complete the movie.
The final product ended up getting a mixed response when Justice League dropped in November 2017. Fans of Snyder’s work weren’t thrilled and have been demanding for years to see his vision of the film fully realized. Hence, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.
The fan demand took on a monstrous life of its own, with fans keeping up the demand over the past few years of DC film releases. At one point the fan campaign was actually the subject of a Wall Street Journal profile.
It seemed for a while like this was just something that would only exist in the minds of fans (the Honest Trailers YouTube channel made a trailer riffing on the hypothetical film), but rumors started circulating that this could actually be a real thing, especially with the upcoming release of HBO Max.
And, well, it’s actually happening now.
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut. Only on HBO Max 2021. @ZackSnyder https://t.co/cfXCK1B6pA pic.twitter.com/hqeA9i7tTL
— HBO Max (@hbomax) May 20, 2020
HBO Max officially announced that a director’s cut of Justice League from Snyder will be coming to the streaming service in 2021.
Snyder broke the news to fans earlier today and tweeted, “This is real.”
This is real. #releasethesnydercut@HBOMax pic.twitter.com/Cnvupwg48W
— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) May 20, 2020
WarnerMedia Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt said, “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.”
This is not the first time fans have willed something this big into existence, and it most certainly won’t be the last. (#ReleaseTheButtholeCut, Universal.)
