Justice League is currently in post-production, but some behind-the-scenes changes are being made after director Zack Snyder made the decision to step away from the film to spend more time with his family amid a personal tragedy. Sadly, Snyder’s daughter committed suicide in March, and after initially deciding to lose himself in his work, Snyder has now decided to take some time off and heal.
The film was set for reshoots this summer, and while Warner Bros. offered to push back the release date for Snyder, he declined, opting instead to let another filmmaker come in and help out. That filmmaker is Joss Whedon (The Avengers), who will oversee the completion of post-production and direct the reshoots. Snyder’s wife and producer, Deborah Snyder, is also stepping away.
Zack said as part of a joint statement:
“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was way through it. The demands of this job are pretty intense. It is all consuming. And in the last two months I’ve come to the realisation…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”.
Whedon was actually already partly involved in the film anyway, having been brought in to write additional scenes after Snyder screened a rough cut. Warner Bros. President Toby Emmerich stressed that Whedon will adhere to Snyder’s vision and won’t change much, if anything, about the movie:
“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 a 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”.
Snyder added that while the movie and how fans react to it was important to him, the well being of his family comes first. This is a tragic situation and it’s heartwarming to see Warner Bros. and others pull together and help the Snyders through this incredibly difficult time. Hopefully this time will be cathartic for the family.
#Peace.Love.JusticeLeague
