Justice League

Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name. Produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Atlas Entertainment, and Cruel and Unusual Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Zack Snyder and written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, the film features an ensemble cast including Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In the film, following the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after the death of Superman to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons. Warner Bros. began to develop a live-action Justice League film in 2007 with George Miller set to direct, but the project was canceled due to production delays and budgetary concerns. Principal photography took place from April to October 2016. After Snyder stepped down from the film following the death of his daughter, Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including writing and directing additional scenes, as well as reshooting a large portion of the film, which changed many aspects of it; Snyder ultimately retained sole credit as director. With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. Justice League premiered in Los Angeles on November 13, 2017, and was released in the United States four days later. The film grossed $657.9 million worldwide against an assumed break-even point of $750 million, becoming a box office bomb and losing Warner Bros. an estimated $60 million. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, with criticism aimed towards the plot, pacing, generic villain, direction, cinematography, and computer-generated imagery, while its humor and disjointed tone were met with polarized responses, although the action sequences and performances were praised. Whedon's major involvement during post-production also received harsh criticism especially from the cast, particularly Gadot and Fisher. A director's cut, titled Zack Snyder's Justice League, was released on HBO Max in March 2021, after fans had begun to advocate for Snyder's original version of the film since the film's theatrical release. Plot