This week has been a dizzying one for DC fans, particularly related to Justice League. Because after years of fan campaigning and crowdfunding, The Snyder Cut will finally become a reality over on HBO Max. Snyder and company have been given a massive budget by the streaming service, which should allow the filmmaker to complete the process of editing, visual effects, and ADR. And now it looks like the budget may be even more hefty than we originally anticipated.
HBO Max and Zack Snyder only recently revealed their plans for Justice League's Snyder Cut quickly breaking the internet in the process. The mythical alternate cut originally seemed like a pipe dream, but Snyder's full vision is coming to streaming, possibly in multiple installments. The original report indicated that the budget was ranging from $20-30 million, although the head of HBO Max recently indicated it would be even more expensive. As Bob Greenblatt put it,
It isn’t as easy as going into the vault and there’s a Snyder Cut sitting there to put out. It does not exist. Zack is actually building it and it’s complex including…new VFX shots. It’s a radical rethinking of that movie and it’s complicated and wildly expensive… I’ll just say I wish it was just $30 million and stop there. It’s an enormous undertaking and very complex.
Well, that was honest. It looks like the Snyder Cut hasn't actually been cut together just yet. And when you add in the additional visual effects that will be necessary to bring action sequences and characters like Cyborg to life, HBO Max is going to have to put out a pretty penny in order to complete Zack Snyder's original vision for Justice League. And the streaming service's boss seems to think it'll be over $30 million.
Bob Greenblatt's comments about the Snyder Cut come from his recent appearance on the podcast Recode Media. Greenblatt spoke to his plans for HBO Max, which will include content new and old for subscribers. Eventually the conversation turned Zack Snyder's alternate version of Justice League, where it was revealed that the past budget estimations might not have been entirely accurate; it's probably going to be even more expensive.
Considering how many high concepts and over the top action that Zack Snyder had in store for Justice League, it make sense that it's going to be an extremely pricy investment for HBO Max. Snyder was doing a ton of world building in the movie, with underwater scenes in Atlantis, and Cyborg's CGI appearance. Comic book movies are famously expensive to produce, partly due to the extensive visual effects needed to bring superheroes to life. And since it also looks like the Snyder Cut will be a particularly long product, there's a ton of work to do before it finally arrives.
It should be interesting to see what Zack Snyder has in store for Justice League's alternate cut. He's been slowly revealing information and stills from unseen footage in the years since Justice League was released, so it's never been far from his mind. But as Bob Greenblatt indicated, the movie hasn't been completed just yet, so there's no telling when we might see the first glimpse.
Justice League's Snyder Cut is expected to hit HBO Max sometime in 2021, while the DCEU will continue with Wonder Woman 1984 on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
