There have been rumblings lately that Justice League will undergo reshoots this summer and as is so often the case with movies like this one, that’s led to inaccurate reports that it somehow spells doom for the highly anticipated DC Comics adaptation. Well, more details have been revealed this morning, but the story behind them is, unfortunately, a tragic one.
Justice League director Zack Snyder has confirmed that he is stepping away from Justice League for its post-production process to deal with the death of Autumn Snyder. The twenty-year-old committed suicide back in March but that had been kept private until now.
The movie was put on a two-week hiatus and Warner Bros. offered to delay the release date, but Snyder refused and has now handed the reigns over to Joss Whedon. He had written new scenes which were going to shot during reshoots but will direct them now too.
“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was the way through it,” the filmmaker explains to THR. “The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all-consuming. And in the last two months, I’ve come to the realization … I’ve decided to take a step back from the movie to be with my family, be with my kids, who really need me. They are all having a hard time. I’m having a hard time.”
Snyder went on to explain that he hoped to keep his daughter’s death private, but that it was necessary for the sake of the film to speak out because of the narrative the internet would have created about Whedon taking over had he not made it clear why he was stepping down. That says a lot about issues with how movies like this are reported on.
Warner Bros. Pictures President Toby Emmerich adds: “The directing is minimal and it has to adhere to the style and tone and the template that Zack set. We’re not introducing any new characters. It’s the same characters in some new scenes. He’s handing the baton to Joss, but the course has really been set by Zack. I still believe that despite this tragedy, we’ll still end up with a great movie.” That sentiment was then echoed by Snyder. “I want the movie to be amazing, and I’m a fan, but that all pales pretty quickly in comparison. I know the fans are going to be worried about the movie, but there are seven other kids that need me. In the end, it’s just a movie. It’s a great movie. But it’s just a movie.”
Our thoughts and prayers obviously go out to the Snyder family at this difficult time.
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