Filmmaker Zack Snyder Is Truly In a League Of His Own with ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE

By BILL HARRIS Special to The Lede If someone wrote a book about the exciting emergence of ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE, it might well be titled, “When Filmmaker Met Format.” First, the basics: The highly anticipated Warner Bros. Pictures and DC full-length HBO Max Original feature film ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – starring Ben Affleck as Batman, Henry Cavill as Superman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Cyborg – debuts Thursday, March 18, only on Crave. This is the ultimate “director’s cut,” after acclaimed filmmaker Snyder stepped away from the original Justice League project due to a family tragedy. Justice League was completed without Snyder and released in 2017, to mixed reviews and disappointing box-office results. But a groundswell of support began to emerge for the release of the “Snyder Cut,” and the noise became so deafening – from fans and actors alike – that a deal eventually was struck. “This movie has no business existing, especially in the form that it exists,” Snyder said in a virtual interview last week with entertainment reporters from all around the world. “But, you know, the fans have been so dedicated, and it has inspired me, frankly, to be aggressive with the vision, and with the length, and everything.” Ah yes, the length – this is the point where the concept of “When Filmmaker Met Format” comes into play. The running time of ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE is four hours and two minutes, which obviously would be a challenge for a traditional theatrical release. But anything is possible in the world of streaming, where viewers can watch in whatever chunks they choose. Nonetheless, Snyder was asked bluntly: As the visionary and the creator, how would he prefer that viewers watch ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE? “You know, it’s four hours, and this is what I would suggest – and by the way, it’s a freestyle, so whatever anyone chooses is up to them,” Snyder said. “But for us, it’s six chapters and an epilogue. They’re about 30 minutes each, so it really depends on staying power. If you were to see it in IMAX, or a theatrical presentation, there’s an intermission right at (the beginning of) All The King’s Horses (chapter five). So if you’re watching at home, and All The King’s Horses comes up, you should pause it, then go to the bathroom and get your food and whatever you want to do. Because you’re basically a little over halfway. So then you can just kind of ride it, surf it to the end. Or, if you’re just hardcore, you just go all the way. Why stop?” Viewing stamina notwithstanding, Zack’s producing partner and wife Deborah pointed out that there are practical advantages to having ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE divided in the manner that it is. “I think it’s also nice to have those chapter headings, because if you want to go back, if you like something, it’s easy to find it,” Deborah Snyder said. “The perfect storm allowed this film to happen. Having a four-hour movie for a theatrical version, that really isn’t a reality. But there are now streaming services for this movie to live. It wouldn’t be here without the fans. We watched it bubble up slowly. And then we had COVID, which helped play into it, too, because there was a little bit of a lack of content, with all film sets shut down, and during this time we were able to work on this movie, and create this content, in a virtual world. So I don’t know that we’re going to see this again. But, you know, for us, it was incredible to watch.” While Deborah has viewed the 2017 version of Justice League, Zack still hasn’t watched it, and has no immediate plans to do so. In fact, Deborah is one of the people who advised Zack not to see it. So ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE is clearly Zack Snyder’s take on it, untarnished and unencumbered, with his arcs, and his tone, and his specifications, including one substantial and memorable newly shot scene. Finally, justice! billharristv@gmail.com @billharris_tv