Buckle your seatbelts, Snyder Cut fans! Even though fans are only mere weeks away from the release of Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max on March 18, Snyder still has a few surprises to share.
Ever since Snyder's cut of 2017's Justice League was announced last year, there's been nonstop speculation about the format of the release and just how different the original director's version would be in comparison to what audiences saw in theaters.
Due to frequent interviews and revelations from Zack Snyder, fans now know the cut will exist as a four-hour-long epic, end with a cliffhanger, and include additional characters like the Joker and Martian Manhunter.
But wait, there's more! Snyder is now letting fans know there will be more than one version of his finally realized vision.
TWO SNYDER CUTS?
In an interview with IGN Fan Fest, via Game Spot, Snyder shared that a black and white version of his Zack Snyder's Justice League is coming to HBO Max after the color version streams on March 18.
Snyder also claimed this new additional version will receive its own title, aptly dubbed the Justice is Gray edition:
“There is Zack Snyder's Justice League 'Justice is Gray' edition, which is the black and white version, which I'm a huge advocate of and huge admirer of. For me, it's my favorite version of the movie. I understand that people want to see it in color, and that's great, and I really want them to enjoy it in color. But for me, the ultimate version is the black and white IMAX version of the movie, which is sort of the penultimate ridiculous movie that shouldn't exist at its highest most fetishistic level, and I really, really love that.”
This is somewhat of a surprise announcement considering the number of interviews Snyder participated in promoting his cut. And, from his statements, this additional version sounds like a passion project of the director's.
But, HBO Max won't be the only platform to view this bonus version of his film. In fact, Snyder claimed he plans to release his black and white version and its colorized version in IMAX. This explains the cut's aspect ratios yet raises the question of why he didn't use IMAX cameras.
Snyder responded to this question, claiming that IMAX cameras "aren't sound:"
“I didn't use the IMAX cameras per se, because their cameras aren't sound. And so I knew there was gonna be a lot of dialogue in this movie but I did shoot it in the aspect ratio that would be ideal for the big 1:4:3 theaters. And so when you see it in its big square, it's unbelievable because you know they've never done a movie in IMAX that's entirely in that aspect ratio, and they've never done one in black and white so it's kind of it's kind of two firsts in a row so it's kind of fun to see.”
Despite these revelations, Snyder doesn't have a theatrical release date for his black and white version of the film in IMAX.
He only commented that he hopes for an "...opportunity to let fans get in the theater and see the color and black and white versions of 'Justice League' on the big screen.”
Nor does Snyder have a release date for this version streaming on HBO Max apart from it having to follow the original cut's March 18 release date.
All Snyder could say about a streaming date was, “...at some point after release, I believe, and you'll be able to see that somehow on, I don't know how you're gonna get to it but that's the plan.”
MORE ANSWERS, MORE QUESTIONS, LESS LEGITIMACY?
Zack Snyder's Justice League isn't a traditional film release. It's an unprecedented move by a studio, born out of a remarkable fan movement, and an event that looks to impact the industry for years to come.
And, since it's a fan-driven anomaly, Snyder has been generous with his fans in participating in countless interviews, offering information, and revealing what went on behind-the-scenes then and now. But, the constant flow of news and reveals tends to lead to just as many questions as it does answers.
For instance, fans now know they will see Snyder's cut in theaters. It's what the director wanted considering he shot the movie in an aspect ratio for IMAX, but that now leaves fans with the question of when.
Of course, theaters, not streaming services, are a huge question mark when it comes to studios' financial feasibility these dates, so it's no shock that Snyder doesn't have a theatrical release date at this time. Fans haven't had a chance to even see the film yet, though.
Plus, it's becoming harder to take the project as seriously as fans would like considering the frequency of these surprise announcements, how last-minute this reveal appears to be, and the fact that there is no HBO Max release date for his black and white version.
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