Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’ aired on the OTT platform, HBO Max, last year. Because of the Covid-19 imposed restrictions, it couldn’t see the face of theatres. Although possible, it is highly unlikely that it will ever be released in theatres in the future.
DC fans will never forget the struggles they had to go through to get Zack Snyder’s 4-hour-long cut of ‘Justice League’ released in 2021. Withstanding its generally positive performance after release, ‘Justice League: Snyder Cut’ has yet to see a proper theatrical release. Warner Media doesn’t seem to be too interested in the idea of releasing Snyder Cut in theatres right now. They might have some reluctance due to the exclusive streaming rights that Snyder Cut continues to offer to HBO Max.
Highlights —
- Will ‘Justice League: Snyder Cut’ ever see a proper theatre release?
- How can theatres pounce on Snyder Cut’s success?
- What can makers do to make a theatre release for Snyder Cut?
Snyder Cut and Theatres Can Pounce on the Former’s Success
Joss Whedon directorial ‘Justice League’s’ failure in the theatres was the main reason why Snyder Cut was unlikely to be greenlit in the first place. Nonetheless, Snyder Cut changed the entire situation as it had more effective plot points, a better-structured storyline and support from the fans. What makes Snyder Cut’s release a peculiar scenario is the fact that Whedon’s version, the one which failed, is the one that got a major theatrical release.
Snyder Cut didn’t get a theatre release. However, the charity screening for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, held in the summer of 2021, for the ‘Justice Is Gray’ version of ‘Justice League’ partially changed this. The same is also true for the occasional theatre screenings organized by hardcore DC or Snyder fans. Still, these haven’t been a release at the scale of the 2017 ‘Justice League’, being much more localized showings with limited opportunities for viewers to attend.
Theatres Can Pounce on Justice League’s Popularity
HBO Max got lucky as it acquired rights of the Snyder Cut at a reasonable cost. It is also a potential profit-making opportunity that doesn’t come often. A well-executed promotional push for a theatre run of Snyder Cut could take full advantage of this opportunity. The makers of ‘Justice League’ can use trailers and other marketing strategies to hype it up for cinema release. They could easily capitalize on the Snyder Cut as this is the version of ‘Justice League’ that received affirmative reviews and delivered a big chunk of the audience to HBO Max. On top of that, it was loved by the fans.
Snyder Cut could have a two or three-week theatrical run to give audiences the chance to see the film on the big screen. In turn, theatres could make a profit from the movie. It will also provide the theatres with a much-needed boost after facing a halt due to the omicron wave.
As of now, the producers and the distributing-rights owners are not planning anything with the Snyder Cut, but maybe in the future, we might see it having a proper theatre release.
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