The 'Justice League' Snyder Cut movement got a big burst of support from stars like Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, and fans hope it will appear on HBO Max
- "Justice League" stars Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, and more tweeted on Sunday in support of the "Release the Snyder Cut" movement.
- The movement calls for the studio Warner Bros. to release director Zack Snyder's cut of the movie, which didn't make it to theaters.
- Snyder departed "Justice League" late in production after a family tragedy and "Avengers" director Joss Whedon stepped in for significant reshoots.
- Former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson and HBO's "Watchmen" creator Damon Lindelof also posted to social media in support of the movement on Sunday.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Sunday was the two-year anniversary of the release of Warner Bros.' superhero crossover "Justice League." But instead of celebrating the movie's theatrical release, its stars took to Twitter to demand the release of the "Snyder Cut," director Zack Snyder's version of the movie that didn't make it to the big screen.
Ben Affleck (who played Batman), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), and Snyder tweeted the hashtag #ReleasetheSnyderCut in support of the movement, which was trending on Twitter thanks to loyal fans who planned a week-long social-media campaign leading up to Sunday.
Warner Bros. has never confirmed the existence of a "Justice League" director's cut. Many fans hope it will be released on its parent company WarnerMedia's upcoming streaming service, HBO Max, but "no announcement of a release of any such cut is imminent," anonymous sources told The Hollywood Reporter.
Warner Bros. did not immediately return a request for comment from Business Insider.
Snyder departed "Justice League" late in production after a family tragedy and "Avengers" director Joss Whedon stepped in for significant reshoots. The movie opened in 2017 to abysmal reviews from critics and disappointing box-office results (it cost $300 million to make before marketing costs and earned $658 million worldwide).
Since the movie's underwhelming release, fans have called for the release of Snyder's original vision.
"The theatrical cut was a drastic change in the tone and quality of what we had become accustomed to when viewing a film directed by Zack Snyder," Will Rowlands, an actor from the UK who helped coordinate the movement's New York Comic Con campaign, told Business Insider last month.
It wasn't just Snyder fans and the movie's stars that joined the campaign on Sunday. Former DC Entertainment president Diane Nelson also tweeted the hashtag. HBO's "Watchmen" creator Damon Lindelof posted in support of the movement on Instagram, saying, "I'm not saying I've seen it, but if I HAD, I would unequivocally support the powers that be to #releasethesnydercut" (Snyder directed the 2009 movie adaptation of "Watchmen").
While Warner Bros. has never confirmed the Snyder Cut's existence, Snyder regularly posts behind-the-scenes images and concept art from "Justice League" to Vero, a social-media platform. And star Jason Momoa, who played Aquaman in the movie, said in August that he's seen the cut and that it's "sick."
If you have a tip about the Snyder Cut, Warner Bros., or anything else, email the author at tclark@businessinsider.com
- Read more of Business Insider's coverage of the "Release the Snyder Cut" movement
- How the 'Justice League' Snyder Cut movement has gained momentum this year, from 'Joker' to Jason Momoa
- 'Aquaman' star Jason Momoa says he's seen the elusive Zack Snyder cut of 'Justice League' and that it's 'sick'
- 'Justice League' fans are planning a 'Release the Snyder Cut' letter-writing campaign aimed at Warner Bros. incoming CEO
- Warner Bros. named a new CEO and 'Justice League' fans started immediately begging her to release the 'Snyder Cut'
- Zack Snyder has never seen the theatrical cut of 'Justice League'