The Snyder Cut was a weird moment in time. Justice League was supposed to be Zack Snyder's third movie in his trilogy and the biggest one yet. He had grand ideas, but behind the scenes, the vision at Warner Bros. was changing. Snyder frequently butted heads with Warner executives. While Snyder was in production on Justice League, his daughter passed away. He knew his family needed him, so he stepped away from the project. Executives hired Joss Whedon to come in, and the movie went forward.
The movie was released to lukewarm reviews. The tone and visuals were distinctly un-Snyder-like, and Snyder largely distanced himself from the film, claiming there wasn't much of his work that hit the screen. The movie performed poorly at the box office and looked like it would fade into the back pages of history...
But fans wouldn't go that easily. They posted on forums and social media, demanding Warner release The Snyder Cut, a version of Justice League they felt had not hit the screen. This groundswell of online support and even some online threats caused Warner Bros. to pump in an estimated $100 million to remake the movie as Snyder's vision. It was released to HBO Max and got some adequate, if not great, streaming numbers.
But it turns out, there was much more going on behind the scenes we never knew.
'The Snyder Cut'Credit: HBO Max
How Did #ReleaseTheSnyderCut Run on Bots and Toxic Fandom?
Rolling Stone just released a scathing report that detailed the behind-the-scenes comings and goings of the movie. In it, we learned that even before Whedon was brought on, execs were upset with Snyder's vision. They watched several cuts of the 2.5-hour movie, and some thought it was "convoluted" and "unwatchable." Whedon was then brought on to give notes and then reshoot it to be much lighter after Snyder departed the project.
Also, all those voices calling for The Snyder Cut on social media? Many were not human.
We've learned that at least 13% were bots. And these bots would get vicious, echoing threats from toxic fans that often included violence.
Warner Bros. commissioned two reports to trace the origin of #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. They came back with an account called @daniras_ilust. That account shared a meme with the decapitated heads of producer Geoff Johns, DC Films President Walter Hamada, and the former chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group Toby Emmerich, all who were involved in replacing Snyder with Whedon on Justice League.
The report concluded:
"After researching online conversations about the Snyder Cut of Justice League‘s release, specifically the hashtags ‘ReleaseTheSnyderCut’ and ‘RestoreTheSnyderVerse’ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, [the analysts] detected an increase in negative activity created by both real and fake authors. One identified community was made up of real and fake authors that spread negative content about WarnerMedia for not restoring the ‘SnyderVerse.’ Additionally, three main leaders were identified within the authors scanned on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram—one leader on each platform. These leaders received the highest amount of engagement and have many followers, which gives them the ability to influence public opinion."
Snyder denied fanning the flames behind the scene. He told Rolling Stone, "As an artist, it was fulfilling to be able to finally see my vision realized after such a difficult time in my life and for it to be so well received. I am grateful to both the fan community and Warner Bros. for allowing this to happen. To dwell on negativity and rumors serves no one."
But sources told Rolling Stone that Snyder was at the very least rooting for it to happen, with one anonymous source saying, “Zack was like a Lex Luthor wreaking havoc.”
There were also reports that he was the one paying for the plane flying over Comic Con with the banner about restoring the Snyderverse as well as a Times Square billboard. You should read the whole report, but there's certainly a lot to take away as lessons now.
Zack Snyder on the set of 'Justice League'Credit: Warner Bros.
What Should Filmmakers Think of This?
This entire report is scathing and disturbing. Toxic fandom combined with death threats seems to be the new trend in Hollywood. While fans' voices and preferences should matter, the vitriol and danger of a mob are very evident. Knowing they are stoked by fake bots brings a little terror into the system. It's like knowing people aren't actually mad, just this fake echo chamber of Twitter is mad, which in turn can be manipulative.
Warner Bros. put at least $70 million if not more into making The Snyder Cut. They did this during the pandemic when they also were laying off workers and not greenlighting many other movies. It's sort of funny they were easily manipulated, but it also shows how much studios need to be more socially aware and savvy. I also think in the wake of what Sony saw with The Interview, they must have been worried about hackers and real repercussions from the threats.
This is a messy situation and not one we want to see in Hollywood. Fandom is inclusive and amazing, but when it turns, it can be scary.
As filmmakers, we should stand for something. And we should be brave enough to call out toxicity just as we should be brave enough to stand up for the movie and cuts we believe in. It's a very fine line to walk.
We'll keep you updated as this all develops.
