This is the question that I believe many fans of the DCEU and in particular fans of Zack Snyder’s work are asking themselves: Is Warner Bros. Pictures actively trying to kill the Snydercut? What about the Snyderverse?
Well, the simple answer to that question is, yes, they are.
Right, you might think the article should end there.
However, it’s more nuanced than that and there’s a fascinating story behind all of this that I wanted to go into.
The story has heroes and it has villains.
One of the first things I have to address is that interview that Ann Sarnoff did with Variety.
Let’s make no bones about it, that interview was a hit piece and the targets were Zack Snyder, Ray Fisher and Zack Snyder’s fans.
WarnerMedia doesn’t like the Snyderverse and Snydercut fans
Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Read more: Restoring The SnyderVerse: Inside The Civil War Between Warn
OK, let’s address the elephant in the room: there are some people – and I really mean a small minority – that went about trying to get the Snydercut released the entirely wrong way.
I have contacts at HBO Max – friends that I’ve known since I was young – that have told me horror stories of the things that have been sent to their offices from ‘fans’ of Zack Snyder and his DC Comics movies.
However, the fact of the matter is that these fans are very small in number, but Sarnoff was very deliberate in highlighting them in her interview.
Not only did she highlight the “toxic fandom”, but she lumped all other fans in there with them.
We, and I think I can safely say that I am now a Zack Snyder fan, are not all toxic, and WarnerMedia needs to be reminded of that fact.
The vast majority of the fandom is kind, is conscientious, and were just trying to get WarnerMedia to do the right thing.
The other thing Sarnoff was trying to do was actively tell Snyder through that article that his time making DC Comics films was over.
That was the message, and Snyder and the fans heard it loud and clear.
Is there someone pulling the strings behind the scenes at WarnerMedia?
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Zack Snyder’s Justice League 2 Is In ‘Active’ Development For HBO Max
So, the question is, is Sarnoff the villain, or is there a Mephisto pulling the strings behind the scenes over at WarnerMedia?
The truth is that it’s more complex than that.
There is a civil war of sorts over at WarnerMedia that I’ve explained pretty comprehensively in a previous article here on Small Screen.
It all boils down to Team SnyderVerse vs Team HamadaVerse, and Sarnoff is on Hamada’s side.
She and other executives at WarnerMedia want to actively follow the MCU model, and they see Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams and Hamada as the future.
Then, there’s the Snyderverse side of this civil war.
This is a more nuanced side to be one.
This is primarily the people over at HBO Max, and they’re backed up by Jason Kilar and Casey Bloys.
They see the huge potential for their streaming service if they make it the exclusive home of the Snyderverse.
There are people at AT&T that see the benefits in this too, however, this has now turned into a power play.
It’s almost like Game of Thrones inside WarnerMedia, which is pretty ironic.
It’s a bit like a Game Of Thrones at WarnerMedia and they’re trying to kill the Snydercut
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: EXCLUSIVE: Zack Snyder Offered ‘Exclusivity’ Deals With Both Netflix And HBO Max
There are numerous players who are all vying for ultimate power at WarnerMedia.
Sarnoff claimed that she was trying to bring the “silos” together.
That’s literally why she was brought in to Warner Bros. from the BBC in the first place.
She was brought in to steady the Warner Bros. ship, and now that ship is leakier than ever before, and there’s a mutiny onboard.
The way WarnerMedia is structured doesn’t help.
It’s composed of too many companies who are not working together in harmony.
Instead, they are actively playing against one another, and this is why we’re seeing so much negative press surrounding the Snydercut from certain executives at WarnerMedia.
Sarnoff has been doing almost all the talking.
We’ve virtually heard nothing from the likes of Toby Emmerich, Jason Kilar, Casey Bloys and literally nothing from Walter Hamada.
Sarnoff is now the face of the company, but even she admitted that there is not one single person in charge of the DC Comics movies and TV shows.
There is no Kevin Feige figure at WarnerMedia. It’s not Hamada because he doesn’t have control over every aspect of the DC Comics movies and TV shows.
He’s only partially in charge. Jason Kilar and Casey Bloys also have an important say in what happens.
WarnerMedia is facing a civil war and the Snyderverse is the main casualty
Credit: HBO Max
Read more: HBO Max Rumoured To Want A Justice League Trilogy From Zack Snyder
This is the issue with WarnerMedia and until they sort themselves out internally, they’re going to be fractured for eternity.
And that’s not good for business.
It’s ironic that a movie that was all about being “Us united” has ended up dividing the execs at WarnerMedia so drastically.
So, to answer the question, is Warner Bros. trying to kill the Snydercut?
Yes, some people inside WarnerMedia are trying to do exactly that.
They are spreading false information about Zack Snyder’s Justice League’s viewership figures.
They are conducting interviews with the big Hollywood trades that are basically hit pieces against Zack and his fans.
And, they are also fighting their own people internally and trying to squash the SnyderVerse before they see it getting out of hand.
Maybe Sarnoff shouldn’t have done that interview.
Maybe they could have let Zack and his fans have their moment of glory and enjoy his cut of Justice League.
Perhaps they could have even thanked Zack for his hard work.
Remember: Zack Snyder wasn’t paid for making the Snydercut.
They could have also thanked the fans for being so passionate about all things DC Comics-related.
But, no.
Sarnoff and her friends inside WarnerMedia opted to ignore the brilliant numbers the film’s done, and label the fandom as “toxic”.
That was seriously good PR guys (insert sarcasm gif).
What do you make of this story? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages! And if you enjoy listening to film podcasts, why not check out our podcasts, Small Screen Stories and Small Screen Film Club wherever you get your podcasts!
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