The Snyder Cut is coming.
After years of calls from fans, Warner Bros. is releasing the director's cut of "Justice League." But you won't get to see it until 2021.
On Wednesday, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that the "Snyder Cut," named after the film's director Zack Snyder, would come exclusively to the company's new streaming service.
"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," Snyder said.
Snyder's initial cut was reportedly 214 minutes long and contained dozens of scenes that fleshed out characters' backstories, developed the mythos of the world in which "Justice League" was set and teased upcoming films.
However, Snyder left the project after Warner Bros. balked at his first cut of the film. Then, Joss Whedon was brought on to add more humor to the superhero team-up. While the main plot of the film remained, much of Snyder's secondary plot was cut in Whedon's rewrites in an effort to streamline the film.
Also, because it was Snyder's first cut of the film, much of the computer-generated images were not finished. It was a rough, skeletal outline of what the film would look like.
Since Whedon's version altered so much of Snyder's vision, fans have clamored to see the director's cut of "Justice League," believing it to be the purest version of the film. On Twitter, the hashtag #releasethesnydercut has trended on and off since the film's theatrical release in 2017.
"Since I got here 14 months ago, the chant to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut has been a daily drumbeat in our offices and inboxes," Robert Greenblatt, chairman of Warner Media Entertainment and direct-to-consumer, said in a statement. "Well, the fans have asked, and we are thrilled to finally deliver."
Greenblatt said the company would release Snyders' "ultimate vision" for the film in 2021. This likely means that Warner Bros. is going to complete the post production of the film that wasn't done when scenes were left on the cutting room floor. It would also explain why the company isn't releasing the film sooner, as HBO Max is set to debut next week.
