Last month we got the much anticipated release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Now I’m not going to review it (that’s not what this blog is). What I am going to do however, is look at the quite frankly unprecedented way in which we got this 4 hour behemoth of a film? Mini-series? Not quite sure what to call it, but either way it is a testament to the power of the internet.
Background
Let’s start off with the basics. Back in 2016 Zack Snyder was in the middle of production on his newest film Justice League. A few months before critics and fans lambasted his previous entry in the series Batman v Supermen: Dawn of Justice. Right in the middle of production tragedy struck. Snyders daughter committed suicide and he left the project to be with his family. Warner Bros brought in Joss Weadon to finish up the film and punch up the script. It made sense he had come off of two successful Avengers movies and it was an opportunity to change direction.
In reality they ended up making a Frankenstein’s monster of a film that didn’t seem to work for anyone. It is here where our story really begins.
#ReleasetheSnydercut
Almost immediately after the film’s release, fans began a hashtag of #releasethesnydercut. It was typical wish fulfilment from fans and no one really expected anything to come from it. Rumours began to circulate that there was a whole host of footage that was left on the cutting room floor. This garnered more interest and gave the movement more speed.
Fans started petitions and reached out to people in the company to try to get it released. One group raised money to get a flying banner and billboards to promote it. In a respectful touch they also donated half their proceeds to suicide prevention. Cast members would hashtag it and say they’ve seen bits of the original cut, stoking the fire even more.
It is also here I should do my due diligence and point out some fans became toxic. They were so engaged in trying to get the film, they harassed and bullied people who opposed them. Eventually it became the poster child for entitled fans who felt they were owed something. After a year it became a parody of what it once was.
Justice League Rises
A year and a half after the film came out Snyder confirmed that his cut existed, but it was up to Warner Bros to release it. This was the status quo for the next year where many thought of it as a pipe dream. It reverted into a meme and received a mythic status as something that it could never really live up to.
Behind the scenes however, Warner Bros reached out to Snyder to release his current version. He refused saying he wanted to finish it as he intended. Eventually they relented and allocated $35 million (this ballooned to $70 million) to finish it. In May of 2020 it was announced to the world and then the hype machine surrounding it began. 10 months later, here it is while your opinions on it may vary we can all agree it is a marvel of perseverance.
Why talk about it?
Now you may have gotten this far into the article and began to wonder why is he talking about this? How is it relevant to Social Media or Marketing? Well it’s a testament to how a social media movement can create change. It started out on the fringes and as time wore on and people came to it, it grew. What started as a social media hashtag managed to achieve its goal. They made their voices heard, gained support from the people involved and eventually the decision makers.
It is also a perfect microcosm of the internet space. There is a group who were largely dedicated and civil to anyone and explained their points with passion but respect. Then there were the die-hards who were abusive, bullying and self-righteous who became the epitome of toxic fandom. Both sides are present (one more vocal than the other) and it’s worth studying how it came to be.
What does it mean for the future of film and social media movements? Not sure it’s certainly a win, but we will have to see how it all pans out in time.
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