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The DC Extended Universe has had a unique life in theaters, with plenty of surprising turns of events. The universe will continue to be expanded with upcoming theatrical releases, as well as the Snyder Cut's arrival on HBO Max. This alternate version of Justice League has a massive budget, and now some box office experts have weighed on Warner Bros.' financial investment.
Zack Snyder's Justice League wasn't quite completed when HBO Max announced plans for its four-part release. Various reports have come out about the project's budget, with the latest estimates around $70 million due to reshoots, extensive visual effects, and editing necessary to bring the story to life. Senior Box Office Analyst Jeff Bock recently spoke to the financial marts of using this sum of money for Justice League's alternate cut, saying:
While Justice League wasn’t The Avengers DC was hoping for at the box office, there is no denying superheroes and their machinations are still the champions of social media. Considering content is at a premium right now, and we’re in the middle of an all-out war for eyeballs, HBO Max investing upwards of $100 million for an extended comic book caper seems like a solid play for subscribers.
Well, there you have it. While putting millions and millions of dollars behind Zack Snyder's Justice League seems like a bold choice, it might actually make a great deal on financial success. HBO Max was launched with original content, but conversation around the Snyder Cut is showing no signs of slowing up until its release next year. And as such, audiences are more likely to sign up for the new streaming service to finally see the filmmaker's vision for Justice League after all these years.
Jeff Bock's comments to Observer help to peel back the curtain on what Warner Bros. is planning for Zack Snyder's Justice League. The numbers for the movie's budget keep going up, and reshoots have brought a variety of stars back to the set. And while the fandom is eager to see the filmmaker's long-awaited vision, the four hour-long episodes are costing a pretty penny.
The Snyder Cut is expected to hit HBO Max sometime in 2021. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
While completing Zack Snyder's Justice League is costing millions, anticipation for the four-part HBO Max event has been steadily building. This was especially true following the release of the first teaser, which debuted deleted characters like Darkseid and Iris West. As a reminder, you can check it out below.
In the same piece by Observer, more box office experts weighed in on HBO Max's budget for Justice League. According to Senior Box Office Analyst Jeff Bock, the success of this financial venture won't even be related to its contents. Instead, he believes that the upcoming release of Zack Snyder's DC blockbuster will help keep momentum on the overall franchise-- especially thanks to the new footage. As he put it,
While viewers may ultimately shrug, this kind of substance moves the needle and keeps the conversation about Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman going. Front and center in the mind of consumers, that’s exactly what WB wants for their legacy characters. Plus, the additional wrinkles of Joker and Deathstroke further the connection of the DC universe of characters, something Marvel has consistently done well, and something DC is finally moving towards.
Touche. Fans were shocked to hear that even Jared Leto would be participating in Justice League reshoots, especially considering that Joker wasn't even in original theatrical release at all. The same is true for Joe Manganiello's Deathstroke, who made his debut in the movie's credits scene. While the character has yet to pop up again on the big screen, both villains getting more content has the potential to change the course of the DC Extended Universe.
All eyes are on what Zack Snyder has in store for his version of Justice League. Names like Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck are once again suiting up to bring the story to life. The filmmaker has also maintained that none of Joss Whedon's reshoots will make it into the finished product, highlight just how much his vision for the story was altered.
The Snyder Cut will arrive in HBO Max sometime in 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies next year.
