The Power of the Hashtag
Published on April 9, 2021 at 9:10 p.m.
by Rachel Fuller.
In 2017, Warner Bros. Pictures released “Justice League.” The film’s director, Zack Snyder, had to step down from post-production due to the tragic death of his daughter. Director Joss Whedon finished the film for Snyder, making changes to tone, reshooting scenes and shaping the film into art Snyder never intended it to be.
Directors have distinct artistic visions for their productions. When a studio like Warner Bros. steps in and limits duration of a film (two hours maximum for “Justice League”) and allows scene reshoots and rewrites, bringing the budget up to $300 million, it’s no wonder that the end product “Justice League” (2017) is miles away from Snyder’s vision.
Superhero films owe the majority of their success to their dedicated fanbases. Many people grew up reading comic books about Superman, Batman and the rest of the “Justice League” characters, and found a deep love for the stories. It’s no wonder, then, that the chopped-up, watered down “Justice League” taken over by Whedon angered fans around the world.
The fans demanded the epic film they were promised. They took to the internet and started a campaign, introducing #ReleaseTheSnyderCut. They knew they were not given the full potential of the story Zack Snyder envisioned before his absence from post-production. The hashtag went viral; fans battered Warner Bros. to let Snyder do whatever it took to put together his vision for “Justice League.”
The power of the hashtag has brought people together. This unprecedented campaign will have groundbreaking, long-lasting effects on the film industry, all because the fans propelled a movement forward to see their beloved director’s vision come to light. On Nov. 19, 2019, #ReleaseTheSnyderCut was the no. 1 trending topic on Twitter in several countries. PR campaigns can have massive reach, but what other film campaign has brought millions of people pushing for one common goal?
All because of a hashtag, Warner Bros. allowed Zack Snyder to complete his vision for “Justice League.” Released on HBO Max on March 18, 2021, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” has awed fans of the DC Comics with its gritty and graphic performance. The film’s run time of four hours makes it a cinematic experience, not just your average movie. After experiencing four hours of Snyder’s vision, fans are hungry for more. The film’s release has sparked yet another hashtag movement: #RestoreTheSnyderVerse. Fans are rallying behind Snyder and pushing for Warner Bros. to allow any future DC Extended Universe films to follow his distinct vision. The hashtag has been tweeted over 1 million times.
Because Warner Bros. listened to its audiences, the future of DC Films has the potential to rival the crowd-pleasing Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. has created an opportunity for itself to reach a different audience. While the original “Justice League” is rated PG-13, “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” is rated R. This is a key difference from the popular Marvel movies that could allow Warner Bros. to market the DC Extended Universe and its films as an adult experience. The hashtags #ReleaseTheSnyderCut and #RestoreTheSnyderVerse opened up a world of possibility for Warner Bros. The question now is will the company listen to the fans once again?
While the future of the DC Extended Universe with Zack Snyder at the helm looks hazy, there is one thing that’s certain: Never underestimate the power of a hashtag.
