Justice League’s 2-Hour Runtime Reportedly Requested By WB

Justice League‘s short runtime was reportedly requested by Warner Bros.’ top brass. Zack Snyder’s movies have always been quite long, and the extended cuts for both Watchmen and Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice prove that he needs extra time for all of the stories to properly conclude. And that’s precisely what concerned his fans when it was revealed that the filmmaker’s latest DC film would clock in at under two hours.


Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman’s stories have already been told, and the studio is aiming to introduce audiences to the rest of the world’s finest heroes – Aquaman, Cyborg, and Flash – in Justice League, which is why many people had assumed the film would be longer than normal, not shorter. Justice League‘s 119-minute runtime (including credits) fueled rumors that Joss Whedon, who boarded the project following Snyder’s exit, was drastically altering the movie, which has unfortunately been the narrative ever since he signed on earlier this year. However, it turns out that the shorter runtime may have been mandated by the studio’s upper echelon.


According to the WSJ, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara requested that Justice League be trimmed down to under two hours, though the report hasn’t been confirmed. Still, it’s not difficult to believe considering that the movie is currently the shortest DC film ever to release – and the shortest movie Snyder has ever helmed.


Justice League‘s reshoots reportedly cost the studio an additional $25 million due to the core cast’s scheduling conflicts, namely Ezra Miller’s role in Fantastic Beasts 2 and Henry Cavill’s role in Mission: Impossible 6. However, the WSJ reports that the cost may actually be higher. Although the outlet doesn’t provide specific numbers, the report does say the film’s overall production budget was raised to approximately $300 million.


As some may recall, Batman V Superman‘s budget was also a subject of controversy and speculation when the film hit theaters last year. Box office analysts estimated that the movie needed to cross $800 million in order to break even and it wouldn’t be considered commercially successful until it passed the coveted $1 billion mark – which didn’t happen, seeing as Batman V Superman finished its global run at $873.2 million.


Hollywood studios aren’t in the habit of revealing budget details, especially on blockbuster films, but it’s not difficult to believe that Justice League‘s budget would hover around $250 million. While $300 million may seem unrealistic, it’s technically possible considering that the film is the studio’s first major DC team-up movie.