Release the Snyder Cut: The Crazy True Story Behind the Fight That Saved Zack Snyder's Justice League

This book provides an effective and efficient primer/summary of the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Warner Brothers Pictures' DC Extended Universe film franchise, and more specifically, the troubled 2016-17 production of the film "Justice League" and the fan movement that followed to fight for the release of the director's original film.Insiders may not find much new to glean from the contents of this book, but the book succeeds in providing several things for the uninitiated or casual fan:1) What happened with the movie "Justice League" (2017)?2) What is "the Snyder Cut"?3) Why does it matter, especially to the group of global fans identified as the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut Movement?4) Why and how have those fans of director Zack Snyder been so vocal for the last three years, and what did they accomplish with their commitment?The story is fleshed out with interviews from various fans who contributed to release efforts from 2017-2021 and also an exclusive interview from director Zack Snyder himself.With the release of "Zack Snyder's Justice League" (the official title of the Snyder Cut) imminent on HBO Max in March 2021, this is a quick, breezy read to get you, your friends, or your family members caught up on three years of drama, rumor, and passion.Full disclosure: I was interviewed for this book, so I am closely connected with the subject matter. I was given the opportunity to read and review this book by means of a digital ARC provided by the author.

This book is ok, it gives the outline of what happened to Zack Snyder’s film and the journey fans took to return JL to its rightful owner.But, much of what’s inside the book can be found in online articles, and Twitter chats.I was expecting a deeper dive into the behind the scenes choices and mistakes made by WB.How the actors felt, how the crew that worked on the film felt, and how Snyder himself felt. This is an historic moment in the entertainment industry and the book never mentioned how pondered how this would change the landscape.We aren’t even given a brief look at who Snyder is or what makes him tick, or why this film was even important to him.I went in really wanting to love this book but I was really let down.

Say what you will about the vision and creative success of Zack Snyder’s films, one thing that is difficult to dismiss is the real-life drama that took place behind the scenes of his Justice League. Set against the backdrop of the competing franchises of the ultra-successful Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Films racing to catch up, unhappy executives, and Snyder leaving the project, the story of the Snyder Cut is a Hollywood epic all its own.In March 2017, Snyder's 20-year-old daughter, Autumn, committed suicide. The director, already under assault by studio executives fretting about the film's tone and Snyder's pervious films, Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, failing to perform well beyond already-lofty box office expectations, no longer had the energy to fight and, consumed by grief over the loss of his child, left Justice League before its post-production could be completed. Joss Whedon, who'd previously scored big with two Avengers movies for Marvel, was brought in to all but remake the film as a superhero action-comedy on an exceedingly tight timeline.The resulting film was an unmitigated disaster, but one that ultimately made cinematic history thanks to the fervent support of Snyder's fans who had but a singular demanded from Warner Bros.: Release the Snyder Cut! Over the course of three years, the Release the Snyder Cut movement campaigned hard for the real Justice League movie to finally see the light of day, getting their message to trend on Twitter and making headlines for the work on various ComicCons. They didn't just champion Zack Snyder's work, though. They worked to honor his daughter's memory and helped to increase awareness of suicide prevention, and raised money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.While it's impossible to deny that the RTSC movement did have some toxic members, author Sean O'Connell devotes his energies here to the positive and more uplifting members of the groups that formed to save Snyder's film from the cinematic waste bin. Reading about the work RTSC did behind the scenes is heartwarming, and what they've accomplished should be celebrated. Fandoms can grow incredibly toxic (see, for instance, the so-called fans of Star Wars who chased Kelly Marie Tran off social media for having the audacity of being an Asian woman in a Star Wars flick and attacked author Chuck Wendig for including sexually and racially diverse characters in his Aftermath trilogy. See, too, sci-fi's Sad and Rabid Puppies, whose members spent several years championing anti-diversity slates for Hugo nominations because they were worried too many authors who weren't white men were winning awards.), but it's clear from O'Connell's balanced reportage here that the good most certainly outweighed those loud and obnoxious bad fans who used the Release the Snyder Cut mission statement as an excuse to attack journalists and other DC Films actors. Those positive voices helped to make the Release the Snyder Cut community a far cry from the toxic, racist, far-right Phantom Zone of ComicsGate and GamerGate movements.O'Connell's focus is on the positive, and for good reason. Those positive voices and those forces for good are what ultimately saved Justice League and convinced Warner Bros. to work with Snyder to complete his vision for the film. In a David vs Goliath-like struggle, these fans won and were able to convince a massive major movie studio to allow the film's original director to finish his work after those executives did everything possible to muck it all up the first time around.While the focus here is ultimately on the RTSC movement and their work, the Release the Snyder Cut book itself is a damn fine piece of well-rounded entertainment journalism. As managing editor for CinemaBlend, O'Connell knows his way around Hollywood and reporting on the ins and outs of Tinseltown and provides an excellent bit of reportage here, tying together first-hand accounts with thorough research. Release the Snyder Cut explores the storied history of filming Justice League, the behind-the-scenes battles with executives who wanted a lighter, fluffier, more colorful movie, the changes made by Whedon, and fan reactions to the 2017 release of the heavily altered theatrical cut.Early on, O'Connell notes that Snyder is a natural showman, but the author himself shows a similar knack with his well-paced reporting and cliffhanger endings. He does a great job doling out information and building it to a crescendo, such as during the climax of his reporting on the Man of Steel virtual watch party with Snyder, which culminates with an appearance from Henry Cavill and fan questions that led to Snyder's HBO Max reveal. It's a great piece of writing that proved to be just as emotionally satisfying as the actual event itself. O'Connell's book is a hell of a page-turner, and the highs and lows of of the narrative pack a real emotional wallop.Readers looking for new and juicy information on Ray Fisher versus Joss Whedon will be disappointed, though, as the findings from that investigation had not been released at the time of this book's writing. Also unexplored is the potential role, if any, the COVID-19 pandemic played, in conjunction with the efforts of the RTSC community, in convincing AT&T executives to greenlight Zack Snyder's Justice League for HBO Max. That, perhaps, is a topic for another day, and another book - especially if reactions from fans and critics (which, at the time of this writing, is currently at 76% approval across 108 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes) to Snyder's four-hour flick are enough to sway studio executives to #RestoreTheSnyderVerse.As it stands, O'Connell's Release the Snyder Cut is a compelling and thorough look at the making, undoing, and rebuilding of a major Hollywood blockbuster and the role fans played in making it all happen. Even if you're well-versed in the drama surrounding 2017's Justice League, you'll likely find new pieces of information and informed speculation, as well as a fresh perspective on a global protest movement and fan community that made cinematic history thanks to their unwavering support of film director Zack Snyder and each other.

Big fan of Snyder and the movement, so I have been waiting for a book or documentary to tell the whole story, and this is it!Sean does a great job of capturing the true nature of the movement and shows that it is more about getting a movie we want.Clearly a lot of work went into writing this book and it has definitely paid off. Would have written it myself if I had to (would not have turned out the best), but luckily we got a good writer to effectively tell the whole story!

I don't know if I'm as big of a Zack Snyder fan as many of the people mentioned in the book, but I love The Watchmen and I think Batman v Superman UE is an absolute masterpiece.This story does an excellent job telling the story of people who felt betrayed by the theatrical cut of Justice League and the behind the scenes drama that caused Warner Bros to intervene in what was ultimately a disaster.Perhaps the best takeaways are the stories of loss, unity, and charity across the fanbase and the Snyder family. The revelation of how close the fans and the filmmakers became in their pursuit of artistic integrity was also very touching.Finally, I want to say I really appreciate how the author, Sean O'Connell, did not make this book about him, but instead focused on the stories of the fans and filmmakers.

I was looking forward to this book in advance of the release of Zack Snyders Justice League.Unfortunately , in my opinion, there was not much in the way of new or surprising information revealed in this book. A lot of which has been covered in the authors own you tube video channels which i have watched and been entertained by.Too much in the way of here is what some people thought about various elements of the story , with some unfortunate repetition that dulls the impact.I was expecting a more in depth interview with Zack Snyder , but maybe thats the fault of my expectation than what was promoted.Also a fair few spelling errors for asomewhat big release, and a quick read ( 3.5 hours approx)Kudos for documenting some of the worldwide efforts , and support of the movement though.#ReleaseTheSnyderCut#March18#HBOMax

If anyone ever asks you “what’s the Snyder Cut?” just point them to this book. It’s a fantastic read about the journey from what happened to Justice League bask in 2017 to the Snyder Cut’s announcement. It also provides first account stories from the fans who were directly effected by what happened. This book shows you that sometimes a movie isn’t just a movie.Even if you know the story and like me lived through it & followed it online it’s still an essential read. It may make you look at some people in a different light too.

One of the more fascinating stories behind a movie's creation, release, and resurrection. Sean's book details the journey eloquently and with humour. A unique aspect of this book that fans will appreciate is the voice that O'Connell gives to the members of the RTSC movement -- after all, this Zack Snyder's Justice League wouldn't be if it wasn't for them. Would recommend this for anyone interested in learning more about the RTSC movement or film buffs in general, this really is historic stuff for the industry.