OFFICIAL: Holy s#@t, Batman! HBO Max is RELEASING THE SNYDER CUT!!!

The speculation can end. Once and for all. The Snyder Cut is coming.

In the throes of lockdown, Zack Snyder delivered the ultimate pick-me-up to DC fans across the globe by unveiling plans for his much-hyped version of Justice League.

Snyder announced the news during a live watch party of Man of Steel on Wednesday, turning his camera to show an image projected on a screen with the Justice League characters.

“Zack Snyder’s Justice League,” it read.

The film will be released in 2021 on HBO Max, the streaming service which is due to launch on May 27.

“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,” said Snyder in a statement announcing the news.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Snyder is undecided over what form the film will take. It might be either a film stretching close to the four-hour mark, or a series split into six chapters. Both sound intriguing.

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut. Only on HBO Max 2021. @ZackSnyder https://t.co/cfXCK1B6pA pic.twitter.com/hqeA9i7tTL

— HBO Max (@hbomax) May 20, 2020

Snyder is currently working on his cut. As per THR, new visual effects will be added, while some of the actors may be called to record additional dialogue.

“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,” added Snyder.

In an interesting tidbit, Snyder revealed that he has not seen the Justice League film that was released in theatres in November 2017.

Snyder was forced to leave the project in March 2017 following the sudden death of his daughter.

Joss Whedon, who had found great success helming a superhero team-up pic before with Marvel’s Avengers, was brought in to finish.

However, the result was a film that underperformed at the box office and scored poorly with critics.

Acknowledging the efforts of fans, Snyder said: “Clearly this wouldn’t be happening without them.”

He also paid homage to Warner Brothers for allowing him to complete his vision.

“This return to that pedigree and to let my singular vision of my movie be realised, in this format, in this length, is unprecedented and a brave move.”

While 2021 may seem like a far way off (although everyone’s concept of time is pretty scrambled at the moment), at least the fans who have campaigned for the release of Snyder’s version have something to look forward to.

The speculation can end. Let the hype begin.

FULL STATEMENT:

LOS ANGELES – May 20, 2020 – After global passionate fan calls to action and the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that it will exclusively world premiere Zack Snyder’s director’s cut of the Warner Bros. Pictures/DC feature film Justice League in 2021. Snyder surprised fans with the news this morning during a live online commentary of his film Man of Steel with Henry Cavill.

#ReleaseTheSnyderCut first became a passionate rallying social media cry among fans in 2017 and has not let up. From countless press articles and hundreds of thousands of social media mentions, it became a powerful global movement among cinephiles and comic book fans.

“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,” said Snyder.

“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. This could never have happened if it weren’t for the hard work and combined efforts of the teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, Warner Media Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer.

“When Zack and Debbie shared the extraordinary vision of where Zack wanted to take Justice League, my team and our counterparts at Warner Bros. took it as a mission to solve the many issues that stood in the way,” said Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer at HBO Max, President, TNT, TBS and truTV. “Thanks to the partnership at Warner Bros. and the relentless pursuit of the entire WarnerMax team we are able to deliver this incredibly exciting moment for Zack, the fans and HBO Max.”

“Thanks to the efforts of a lot people, we’re excited to bring fans this highly anticipated version of Justice League,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “This feels like the right time to share Zack’s story, and HBO Max is the perfect platform for it. We’re glad the creative planets aligned, allowing us to #ReleaseTheSnyderCut.”

In Justice League, fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy. Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes—Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash—it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.

The Justice League screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Jim Rowe, Ben Affleck, Wesley Coller, Curtis Kanemoto, and Chris Terrio.

via GIPHY