It’s official: the Justice League Snyder Cut is real – and it’s coming to HBO Max in 2021.
Director Zack Snyder announced the news during a Man of Steel watch party (featuring special guest Henry Cavill for a Q&A session) on social media site Vero.
He revealed the news with a black-and-white poster, detailing that the Snyder Cut is coming to HBO Max next year. "It'll probably be in '21... we've got a little work to do. We're doing it. Get ready."
Earlier during the Q&A, it appeared the Snyder Cut was a non-story and the saga would run on and on. The director said, "I'm not in control of it. I said it exists and am very clear what I did with it. It's not really up to me. If it was I would have left it on a thumb drive in a bathroom!"
Further details have been revealed by THR. A $20m to $30m budget have both been mooted, while the idea of reportedly splitting the Snyder Cut into six parts or running it as a four-hour movie has been floated.
"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," Snyder said. "You probably saw one-fourth of what I did."
The Snyder Cut, the version of Justice League that Snyder worked on before departing the project due to a family tragedy, was talked about for years: an almost-mythical, radically different version of the DC team-up movie that was eventually directed by Joss Whedon. It’s a director’s cut that has been vocally backed by fans social media campaigns and even flyovers at SDCC.
Speculation, though, reached fever pitch earlier this week after Snyder said he would be hosting a Man of Steel watchalong just a week before HBO Max’s launch on May 27. This, when coupled with several film journalists indicating that a big announcement was imminent, led to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut trending worldwide.
In an official statement on the Snyder Cut, Snyder added: "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."
Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of Warner Media Entertainment, 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. 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."
Honestly? We never thought we'd see the day. But it's now oh-so-close. Drink it in. The Justice League Snyder Cut is officially official. Because it's 2020, and why not? The S stands for hope, after all.
