History of Zack Snyder's Justice League in Timeline
Zack Snyder's Justice League is the director's cut of the 2017 superhero film Justice League, restoring Zack Snyder's original vision. The film centers on Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg, and the Flash uniting after Superman's death to defend Earth against Steppenwolf and his Parademon army. Steppenwolf serves the powerful New God Darkseid, who seeks to conquer the planet. The Justice League must overcome their differences and individual struggles to prevent Steppenwolf from uniting the Mother Boxes, powerful alien artifacts, and transforming Earth into a hellscape.
1959: Zack Snyder's Justice League score surpasses Ben-Hur's score in length
The score for Zack Snyder's Justice League surpassed the score for Ben-Hur (1959), becoming the longest musical score in film history.
1980: Release of Superman II
In 1980, Superman II was released. The circumstances surrounding Justice League were compared to those of Superman II.
1984: Hallelujah Released
On August 22, 2020, the first teaser was released during the DC FanDome event, which featured a remix of the song "Hallelujah" (1984) by Leonard Cohen.
2006: Release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
In 2006, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released, after Richard Donner was able to complete his version of the film.
2009: Release of Watchmen extended cut
In 2009, Watchmen was re-released in an extended cut for home media, influencing assumptions about a potential alternate cut of Justice League.
2011: Ryan Reynolds Consideration for Additional Lantern
Snyder wanted to include Ryan Reynolds, who previously portrayed Hal Jordan in Green Lantern (2011), as an "additional lantern", but did not contact him.
2012: Whedon directs The Avengers
In 2012, Joss Whedon directed The Avengers, a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film.
2013: Release of Man of Steel
In 2013, Man of Steel was released, beginning Zack Snyder's trilogy. The #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement included both toxic fans and supportive moviegoers hoping to see the conclusion of his trilogy.
2013: Snyder outlines DCEU vision
In 2013, following the release of Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder outlined his vision for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), consisting of a five-film arc including Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and a Justice League trilogy.
2015: Whedon directs Avengers: Age of Ultron
In 2015, Joss Whedon directed Avengers: Age of Ultron, a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film.
April 2016: Principal photography begins for Justice League
In April 2016, principal photography for Justice League began. Filming wrapped the following December.
2016: #ReleasetheAyerCut movement started
Following the release of the film, fans began a new movement, #RestoreTheSnyderverse, and another movement, #ReleasetheAyerCut also started trending, with fans advocating for Warner Bros. to release director David Ayer's original cut of Suicide Squad (2016).
2016: Release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
In 2016, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was released, but it was poorly received, leading to Warner Bros. and Snyder re-evaluating upcoming DCEU films, including Suicide Squad and Justice League.
2016: Jared Leto stars in Suicide Squad
In 2016, Jared Leto played the Joker in Suicide Squad, which he reprised in Zack Snyder's Justice League as a surviving resistance member in the Knightmare future.
February 27, 2017: Snyder screens rough versions of Justice League
By February 27, 2017, Zack Snyder began screening his rough versions of Justice League. Studio executives disliked the plot's complexity, prompting them to pivot.
March 2017: Autumn Snyder dies
In March 2017, Zack Snyder's daughter, Autumn Snyder, died. Although Snyder was initially open to Whedon rewriting the Justice League script, he eventually became more resistant as Warner Bros. began granting Whedon more directing privileges, but did not directly challenge it as he and his family were dealing with Autumn's death.
May 2017: Snyder steps down from Justice League
In May 2017, Zack Snyder stepped down from directing Justice League following the death of his daughter. Joss Whedon was then hired to finish the film, making significant changes to the tone and runtime.
November 17, 2017: Justice League released theatrically
On November 17, 2017, Justice League was released theatrically and was described by critics as a "Frankenstein" film. The film grossed $657.9 million against an estimated $300 million budget, resulting in a net loss for Warner Bros. This led to a shift away from Snyder's vision for a shared universe.
2017: Kilowog Substituted for Martian Manhunter During Post-Production
During post-production in 2017, Snyder opted to change Kilowog to Martian Manhunter in one variation of the Justice League scene, rejecting the second idea during post-production.
2017: Initial Screening of Whedon's cut
In 2017, Early screening of Whedon's cut scored as high as Wonder Woman (2017), so Warner Bros. decided to move forward with it.
2017: Release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi
In 2017, Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released, and actress Kelly Marie Tran faced harassment, drawing comparisons to the toxic behavior within the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement.
2017: Release of Justice League theatrical version
In 2017, the theatrical version of Justice League was released, the fifth film set within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film features Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman, the Flash, and Superman forming an alliance to stop Steppenwolf and his army from conquering Earth.
2017: Posters Used for 2017 Marketing Campaign
Posters used for the Zack Snyder's Justice League were originally used for the 2017 marketing campaign, though the HBO ones featured a black-and-white filter and emphasized Snyder's name.
February 2018: Snyder reportedly fired
In February 2018, a source claimed that Zack Snyder was quietly fired by the studio approximately three months prior to the public announcement of his departure from Justice League.
September 2018: Diane Nelson deletes Twitter account
In September 2018, former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson deleted her Twitter account after substantial online harassment by members of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement.
2018: Aquaman takes place after Snyder's version of Justice League
Jason Momoa stated that Aquaman (2018) takes place after Zack Snyder's version of Justice League, rather than Joss Whedon's.
March 2019: Snyder confirms a cut of Justice League exists
In March 2019, Zack Snyder confirmed that a cut of Justice League existed and that Warner Bros. had the authority to release it.
2019: Fundraising Campaign
Ahead of the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con, fans launched a crowdfunding campaign with half of the revenue to be spent for an advertising campaign consisting of billboards and a flying banner ad, while the other half was donated to the AFSP.
January 2020: Ads advocating release of Snyder Cut
In January 2020, the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement bought four minutes of ad space advocating for the film's release on a digital banner wrapped around the interior of Riverside Stadium during the FA Cup.
February 2020: Warner Bros. to release Snyder Cut
In February 2020, Warner Bros. decided to move ahead with releasing Zack Snyder's version of Justice League, often referred to as the Snyder Cut, after many people expressed interest in it.
May 2020: Snyder Notified Original Cast of Undertaking
During April and May 2020, Zack Snyder notified the original cast about undertaking the completion of the Justice League project, contacting Fisher first, who initially thought he was joking.
May 2020: Snyder announces release on HBO Max
In May 2020, Zack Snyder announced that his version of Justice League would be released as Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max.
May 20, 2020: Zack Snyder's Justice League announced for HBO Max release in 2021
On May 20, 2020, Zack Snyder announced at a Man of Steel online watch party Q&A that his cut of Justice League would be released as Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max in 2021.
June 2020: WarnerMedia Aiming for Early to Mid-2021 Release
In June 2020, Sandra Dewey of WarnerMedia stated they were aiming for an "early to mid-2021" release of Zack Snyder's Justice League.
August 2020: Scene Filmed with John Stewart
In August 2020, Zack Snyder filmed a final scene with John Stewart / Green Lantern, portrayed by Wayne T. Carr, which was later rejected by Warner Bros.
August 22, 2020: First Teaser Released During DC FanDome
On August 22, 2020, the first teaser for Zack Snyder's Justice League was released during the DC FanDome event, featuring a remix of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (1984).
September 2020: Additional Footage to be Filmed
In September 2020, it was revealed that Zack Snyder was preparing to film additional footage for Justice League, with Affleck and Fisher reprising their roles. The budget was estimated to have increased to $70 million.
October 2020: Scene Reshot with Martian Manhunter
By October 2020, Zack Snyder reshot the final scene of Justice League to only include Martian Manhunter after Warner Bros. rejected the inclusion of John Stewart.
October 2020: New material shot for Snyder Cut
In October 2020, $70 million was spent to complete the visual effects, score, and editing of Zack Snyder's Justice League, with new material being shot.
2020: Tom Holkenborg Rehired to Score Justice League
In early 2020, Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) was rehired to score Zack Snyder's Justice League and decided to create a brand new score for the film.
January 2021: Snyder Completes His Cut
By January 2021, Zack Snyder had completed his cut of Justice League.
January 2021: Snyder announces "one-shot" release
In January 2021, Zack Snyder announced on Vero that Zack Snyder's Justice League would be released as a "one-shot" film. WarnerMedia later confirmed this in a press release, describing it as a "full-length [HBO] Max Original feature film."
February 14, 2021: First Official Trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League Released
On February 14, 2021, the first official trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League was released, with sneak peeks of the Batmobile and Jared Leto's Joker having been previously released on social media.
February 2021: Fundraising efforts for AFSP
By February 2021, fans from the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement had raised over $500,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
February 2021: WB executive comments on Whedon's changes
Later in February 2021, an anonymous Warner Bros. executive stated that even the studio did not like the "stupefying" changes in Whedon's version of Justice League, they were reluctant to criticize it and thus decided to proceed with it.
February 17, 2021: "The Crew at Warpower" Released as Single
On February 17, 2021, the track "The Crew at Warpower" from the Zack Snyder's Justice League score was released as a single.
March 12, 2021: "Middle Mass" Released as Single
On March 12, 2021, the track "Middle Mass" from the Zack Snyder's Justice League score was released as a single.
March 18, 2021: Release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max
On March 18, 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on HBO Max in the United States. The film received positive reviews but was criticized for its long runtime. It became the fourth-most-streamed film on the platform that year.
May 24, 2021: UK home media release
On May 24, 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD in the United Kingdom.
May 27, 2021: Italy home media release
On May 27, 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Blu-ray in Italy.
June 29, 2021: Release on HBO Max in Latin America
Zack Snyder's Justice League was released on HBO Max in Latin America when the service launched on June 29, 2021.
September 5, 2021: Initial Release Date
Zack Snyder's Justice League was initially planned to be released on September 5, 2021.
2021: Top streamed and pirated film
According to Whip Media, in 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League was the eighth most-streamed film. Variety stated that the film was the fourth most-streamed film of 2021.
2021: Film Declared a Hit by WarnerMedia
At the 2021 WarnerMedia Upfront, WarnerMedia declared Zack Snyder's Justice League was "a hit" Max original. Priya Dogra stated the film to be a "global phenomenon" during a presentation for HBO Max Europe.
2021: Variety ranks the film
In 2021, Owen Gleiberman and Variety's Peter Debruge ranked Zack Snyder's Justice League as the eighth best film of the year.
2021: Streaming success
In 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League became the most-streamed content of all time on Crave in Canada, with 1.1 million viewers in one week. It also allegedly led to the service growing in subscribers by 12%. In the United Kingdom, it was viewed by 954,000 households via Sky Cinema. In India, it became the most rented film of 2021 on BookMyShow Stream. In Spain, it became the 3rd most viewed release of 2021 on HBO Max España. In Germany, it ranked first during its first full week of release on Netflix.
2021: Release of Zack Snyder's Justice League
In 2021, Zack Snyder's Justice League, the director's cut of the 2017 film, was released. It is the fifth film in the DC Extended Universe, based on the DC team of the same name. The film shows director Zack Snyder's original vision of the film prior to his departure from the production.
2021: Release Year Announced for Zack Snyder's Justice League
On May 20, 2020, it was announced that Zack Snyder's Justice League would be released on HBO Max in 2021.
January 2022: Second most pirated film
In January 2022, tech firm Akami reported that Zack Snyder's Justice League was the second most pirated film of 2021.
February 2022: Oscars Cheer Moment finalist
In February 2022, Zack Snyder's Justice League was named one of the five finalists for the new Oscars Cheer Moment Twitter Sweepstakes as part of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Oscars Fan Favorite." The scene "The Flash Enters the Speed Force" finished in the first place.
May 29, 2022: Domestic video sales
As of May 29, 2022, The Numbers reported that Zack Snyder's Justice League had made an estimated $15.96 million from domestic video sales, with 439,547 Blu-rays and 92,599 DVDs sold.
July 2022: Report of fake online activity
In July 2022, Rolling Stone reported that WarnerMedia discovered that approximately 13% of online activity relating to the Snyder Cut had been deemed "fake" and the result of Internet bot activities.
July 2022: No Plans for Additional DC Projects with Snyder
In July 2022, at San Diego Comic-Con, DC artist Jim Lee confirmed there were no plans to create more DC projects with Zack Snyder or develop sequels to his Justice League cut.
July 19, 2022: "Justice Is Gray Edition" theatrical release
On July 19, 2022, the black and white version of the film, titled "Justice Is Gray Edition," had an exclusive theatrical release with three IMAX screenings in New York City, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas. Proceeds from the event were donated to a charity for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Snyder added a 10-minute intermission into the film accompanied by the score track "The Crew at Warpower."
2022: AT&T merger finalizes
In 2022, the AT&T merger finalized, later confirming the concerns that Warner Bros. had regarding the potential dissolution of the studio.
2022: Ezra Miller Films Additional Scene for Justice League
In October 2020, Ezra Miller filmed an additional scene as Flash over Zoom while filming Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) in London.
April 30, 2023: Full color IMAX screening
On April 30, 2023, the film was screened in full color for the first time on IMAX as the last film in a "Snyderverse Trilogy" three-day event to benefit suicide prevention.
July 2023: Trailer Delisted from YouTube
In July 2023, the trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League was delisted from YouTube again after a music licensing issue. It had by then gained over 31 million views, making it Max's most-viewed trailer.
2023: The Flash Acknowledges Zack Snyder's Justice League
The Flash (2023) acknowledges the events of Zack Snyder's Justice League.
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