After the success of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, fans of the DCEU are vocal in their demands when it comes to the continuation of what is now dubbed, the Snyderverse. With the Snyder Cut being an unrealised dream for the longest time, director Zack Snyder has long teased the fact that he had a black-and-white version sitting on his laptop. Justice Is Gray.
For years, the #SnyderCut existed in black and white and shown only to a select few.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League: #JusticeIsGray, a black and white version of the film, is now streaming on @HBOMax in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos on supported devices. pic.twitter.com/3c40221N27
— Zack Snyder’s Justice League (@snydercut) March 25, 2021
Following Snyder Cut’s tremendous success since its launch on HBO Max (HBO GO in Asia), Warner Bros. decided to double down by releasing Justice Is Gray, a week after the release of the Snyder Cut. Essentially, the film is the same cut as the color version, with “an extensive colouring pass or uncolouring pass,” Snyder said on Vero, as previously reported by Comicbook.com.
While DC fans may be upset that Justice Is Gray does not contain any new footage, the alternate version of Snyder Cut is worth checking out purely for aesthetic reasons. As opposed to the flashy aesthetics of the Snyder Cut, the black-and-white edition rocks a monochromatic color scheme that gives the film an entirely new feel and tone, one that is reminiscent of the film Noir and retro sci-fi movies of the 1940s.
As a result, aspects or fine details of each scene are also highlighted, something that many black and white films are able to take advantage of. Although black-and-white cinematography is not common for the usual superhero fare, this is far from the first time a major blockbuster got the grayscale edition treatment. Mad Max: Fury Road got a Black & Chrome Edition included in its Blu-ray release, while Logan was re-released as Logan Noir around the same time.
The black and white version of Zack Snyder’s Justice League: #JusticeIsGray premieres exclusively on HBO GO from 2 April. Now you can stream or download the #SnyderCut in black and white or full colour.