Justice League Snyder Cut: Release date, what it is and how to watch

The officially titled Zack Snyder’s Justice League hits HBO Max this Thursday on March 18 at midnight PT/3a.m. ET, according to a Tweet reply to a fan from the movie’s official Twitter account. (In other words, Wednesday night or early Thursday morning). It’s director Zack Snyder’s re-edited version of 2017’s Justice League, a project he left early due to personal tragedy (Joss Whedon stepped in to complete the movie). After a years long fan campaign, and with support from the cast, HBO Max gave Snyder a chance (and a reported $70 million) to piece together his original footage that had been left on the cutting room floor.

Now, a four-hour director’s cut, with an R-rating, a new score, finished special effects, two new villains and Jared Leto reprising his role as The Joker — is hours away. Early critic reactions praised the new version, but subsequently less favorable reviews have swooped in.

 Here’s how to watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League, aka The Snyder Cut.

How to watch Zack Snyder’s Justice League

In the US

You’ll need a subscription to HBO Max, which is currently $15 a month. Unlike Mulan on Disney Plus, it won’t cost you any extra to catch the film.

International

In countries like Australia, HBO Max isn’t readily available without a VPN. Snyder confirmed mid-last year he’s been working with WarnerMedia and HBO Max on an international distribution plan. We know the film will be available in most countries on March 18. The UK can watch it on Sky Cinema and Now TV. It’ll stream on Crave in Canada and on HBO GO in Asia, the Nordics, Central Europe, Spain and Portugal. Latin America will be able to access it when HBO Max launches toward the end of 2021. HBO Max said more details are still to come for the rest of the world in the coming weeks.

Read more: The best VPN of 2021

HBO Max is currently doing a deal

If you don’t subscribe to the streaming service, HBO Max is currently doing a deal. Sign on for six months and you’ll get a 22% discount at $70. Not bad.

HBO subscribers get HBO Max for free

If you currently subscribe to HBO via your cable or satellite provider in the US, you can probably get HBO Max without paying anything extra. The only difference is that you can’t watch HBO Max using most cable boxes. The HBO Max app is available on Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, PlayStation, Xbox and numerous other devices, including Roku.

Roku users now have access to HBO Max

You read that right. After months of delay, Roku is finally giving its streaming devices and TVs access to HBO Max. Roku users who already use the HBO app will automatically update to HBO Max. You can find more information here.

If you’re not a subscriber

Iffy on signing up? Here’s a lengthy explainer on HBO Max, which has a fat library of other movies and programs you could check out, including Lovecraft Country, Rick and Morty, the Studio Ghibli movies and more. But last December, conveniently before the release of Wonder Woman 1984, HBO Max announced it would no longer offer a free one-week trial. Still, you could sign up and cancel after paying for a month if you realize you won’t watch the service enough to make it worthwhile.

Will it be available in 4K HDR?

Following Wonder Woman 1984’s lead, The Snyder Cut will stream in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on supported devices. Not quite sure what that means for you? We break it down here, but essentially, if you have the right TV, streamer or sound system, you can watch the film with better picture quality and, in the case of Dolby Atmos, better sound.

How long is it available on HBO Max?

There’s no limit to the amount of days you have to watch the film. Wonder Woman 1984 had a limited 31-day streaming window, but Zack Snyder’s Justice League should be around to stream in your sweet time.

What’s the plot of the movie?

Amid all the hubbub surrounding The Snyder Cut, you’d be forgiven for forgetting the general plot of Justice League. Set after Batman v Superman in which — spoiler — Superman dies, Batman and Wonder Woman put together a team of heroes to take on alien Steppenwolf and his monstrous troops searching for the three Mother Boxes. The Snyder Cut will flesh out the backstories of all those characters, including recruit Cyborg, so everything makes sense. Aquaman, the Flash, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Hippolyta and Martian Manhunter are among the mammoth character list.

Here’s the latest trailer: