'Justice League' producer and Zack Snyder debunk runtime rumor

I wasn't even going to cover this ridiculous story on Batman News, but since it's been debunked now I wanted to share it so that no one is falling for all the fake news that is out there.

Earlier this week a rumor was going around that said Justice League was 170 minutes long. The rumor originated from IMDb, which as of now still has the movie listed at 2 hours and 50 minutes. IMDb can be edited by its users, just like Wikipedia, so you should always proceed with caution when using it as a source of info. But then there's the obvious reason as to why this was a fake story... Justice League is still 8 months away!

There's no way they'd have a finished cut of the movie and know the runtime this far out. Thankfully, Justice League producer and DC Films co-president Jon Berg has taken to Twitter to debunk this rumor. Berg's account isn't verified, but he's followed by Geoff Johns and Patty Jenkins, and Johns has publicly tweeted at him before, confirming its legitimacy.

@ZackSnyder Disappointed the JL movie is only 170 minutes... also curious as movie isn't finished yet, but IMDB knows exact running time?
— jon berg (@thejonberg) March 31, 2017

Update: And now Justice League director Zack Snyder has replied to Jon Berg to laugh at this "rumor".

@thejonberg Forgot to tell you that I screened the first cut of JL for IMDB. Thought that was standard WB procedure. No?
— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) March 31, 2017

So there you have it! There is no official runtime for Justice League at this time. Anything you read before around September or October is probably going to be completely false. When the runtime gets officially announced, you can read it here first on Batman News!

133 comments

BlaqMaq

March 30, 2017

Needs to be about 150 min. Seems like there is a lot of story to tell in this one.

Karjenga
April 1, 2017
when was the last time Snyder told a "story"? From the trailer, seems like it will be a 2+ hours of CGI mind-numbing madness. The whole thing was probably filmed in front of a green screen.
Duke
April 6, 2017
BlaqMaq, I'm one of the moderators on Exodus, a place for former /film commenters to discuss film
related topics with one another. We're continuing to hunt down slashfugees. If you haven't stopped over check out
this Welcome thread: https://disqus.com/home/dis...
And I agree with you on the runtime. We need at least an hour of setup (specifically focused on characters like The Flash and Aquaman) and then another hour of slowly setting up the threat before an action packed final thirty minutes of fighting.
Basement Bro Ben
April 13, 2017
Hey there! If you ever feel like hanging out with the old /Film commentators, search for "Slashfilm in Exodus" on Disqus.

towblerone

March 30, 2017

Man, I hope it's closer to 3 hours. If I have to pee at any point during the movie, I'm not even getting up. I will proudly pee my pants.

Kryptonian Knight
March 31, 2017
https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
1. towblerone
  March 31, 2017
  You ain't cool... UNLESS YOU PEE YOUR PANTS!
  1. Hung Like Jesus
    March 31, 2017
    If peeing your pants is cool, consider me Miles Davis
    1. UltimateEdition
      March 31, 2017
      Gross!
Mediator
March 31, 2017
Nah now you don't have to...there is a rumor WB will hand out Justice League pee buckets at the theater entrance.
You can even specially request for Justice League shit buckets if you need to but they are 10 cents each.
1. Are
  March 31, 2017
  you talking about soda cups and popcorn tubs? They are expensive and come pre-filled with pee and shit.
2. JAG2045
  March 31, 2017
  More likely replica jars of Granny's peach tea!
3. Wheez Von Klaw
  April 1, 2017
  Zack Snyder brings the world a trailer that looks like a Pothole.
thevigilante
March 31, 2017
In India we get a 10mins break halfway through the movie even if it is just 100mins long.
1. towblerone
  March 31, 2017
  I've made up my mind about the pee.
  Seriously, though, are superheroes a popular cultural cornerstone in India? What is the most popular heroic archetype in your country?
  1. Smart Ass
    March 31, 2017
    Superheroes are a big thing here in the cities at least. People love everything from Marvel to DC.
  2. thevigilante
    March 31, 2017
    Yeah, the fans are basically the same like elsewhere in the world. Marvel, DC, etc. Batman is definitely everyone's fav since the Nolan trilogy came out. In Marvel Iron Man because of RDJ. Also Deadpool now because Deadpool, Jokes. Meanwhile we got some Indian superheroes like Shaktiman(A la Superman), Krisshh, Captain Vyom, etc.
    1. towblerone
      March 31, 2017
      Freakin' cool!
    2. Alan Conn
      April 1, 2017
      How neat! Thanks for the info about ur local heroes! Thats sounds interesting! So cool to see the cultures of the world!
Kriss_Kringle
March 31, 2017
Use a bottle.That's what MacGyver would do.
1. towblerone
  March 31, 2017
  Only if I can roll the full bottle down under the seats during the movie.
  1. Alan Conn
    April 1, 2017
    You can!
Nick Farina
March 31, 2017
I'm sure Zack is aware the 3 hour cut of BvS was highly preferred to the theatrical cut. Hopefully that's another lesson learned.
1. OGmacrazy
  March 31, 2017
  Take out the unnecessary dream sequences, forced JL cameos, Clark's hallucinations in a mountain and Batman's chase sequence, and then you have a much better paced movie, with an even smaller run time than 2.5 hours. Amazing how the duration has nothing to do with the quality. And Justice League does have a lot of characters to introduce and stuff, but the story should be more simple than BvS. No need for a 3 hour extravaganza of heroes beating mindless robot soldiers to a pulp, amirite?
  1. Nick Farina
    March 31, 2017
    Agreed, especially in regard to WW's YouTube video extravaganza. Completely derailed the 3rd act for me, and served no other purpose other than to say "Look! These characters exist in this universe too!!"
    1. OGmacrazy
      April 1, 2017
      Yup. Might as well stop the movie, have Zack "blumbling bafoon" Snyder come on screen and say "Yes, don't forget about the Justice League, with all your favourite heroes like Aquaman, Flash and everyone's fav CYBORG!".
    2. Nick Farina
      April 1, 2017
      What's really sad is that, at least in my humble opinion, the Doomsday sequence and Superman's death/funeral were pretty well done, but there was just too damn much going on in the 3rd act to give it the impact it needed to be effective. So you have this huge moment that's completely neutered due to all the arsing around and subplots happening around it. Superman deserved better.
    3. OGmacrazy
      April 3, 2017
      Exactly. If this had been done with a better developed Superman, a much better Doomsday fight, and less shit going on all the time, then it could have been great. But it's Zack Snyder. He doesn't give a flying fuck.
  2. Josh Morgan
    May 14, 2017
    the scene with Pa Kent on the mountain was not a hallucination and was also one of the most important scenes for SUperman's development in the movie. He wasn't "actually" seeing Pa Kent and talking to him. Pa Kent's presence was simply a visual representation of Clark thinking back to a conversation he had with his father a long time ago as a way to communicate Clark's thoughts to the audience.
    1. OGmacrazy
      May 15, 2017
      Which makes it a terribly written scene in order to pass on something the writers didn't know how to write besides just making it a literal conversation between a living person and a dead one? Sorry, but you might as well just have a narrator coming out and explaining the situation then. Terrible explanation that doesn't make the scene any better.
    2. Josh Morgan
      May 15, 2017
      not my fault if you won't accept logic. What is it with you and hating every single aspect of this movie?
    3. OGmacrazy
      May 15, 2017
      I don't hate every single aspect, don't just throw absolutes when you have no proof to back them up. But that scene, while well intentioned, it simply didn't work. How is it logical? It was extremely forced. A Jonathan Kent cameo where he gives Clark more advice, and it really didn't look like anything else besides Clark receiving advice from himself. And if his father had already talked to him about that extremely specific subject, why was he only remembering this now, and not before? Usually, when you get such huge advice in your life, you don't just remember it on top of a mountain while seeking for solace. You take that advice for life, you know...
      It was extremely weird and it just didn't work like it could have. But ok, I guess accepting and loving every aspect of a movie is more acceptable than being critical of it?
    4. Josh Morgan
      May 15, 2017
      it worked perfectly fine. What are you even talking about? I dont see how it was bad at all. I thought it was fantastic actually. Just because it didn't work for you personally does not mean that is the case for everyone. Its really not even that hard of a scene to understand. I believe it was also meant to be reminiscent of the fortress of solitude and how Clark goes there to seek advice from his father (as he has done in the past). Just because its good advice doesn't mean he has to remember it all the time. Thats a poor excuse to criticize the scene. I imagine he was fairly young when he heard it, and he had little reason to truly heed said advice until now.
    5. OGmacrazy
      May 15, 2017
      And you know how a good scene would execute "I imagine he was fairly young when he heard it, and he had little reason to truly heed said advice until now"? Through dialogue, with someone else, about what his father said once. Not a fucking scene where his father is there saying it, as if it were the first time. That's what's wrong with the scene.
      And if you want to use such vague and invalid arguments, let me throw it back at you: just because it worked for you, it doesn't mean it's well written. You should be able to distinguish between liking and something actually being good. It's not easy sometimes, but it is doable. And for the record, that's literally where I stand with MoS, and to a much lesser degree, BvS. I love watching Man of Steel, but I know it really ain't a good movie. And I like BvS just fine, but it bothers me the potential wasted with this movie. Some good ideas that were fucked in the ass by piss poor execution.
    6. Josh Morgan
      May 15, 2017
      If it worked for me, then why would I think it was poorly written? If I thought it was poorly written/executed, that means it didn't work for me. How is him remembering something his dad said to him wrong? Again, maybe you just aren't understanding whats happening here. He is not "actually" hallucinating and seeing his dad speak to him. Its all in his head. Kevin Costner's physical form is only there to communicate his inner thoughts to the audience. And Man of Steel wasn't a bad movie. Most people thought it was good. Even the majority of critics liked it.
    7. OGmacrazy
      May 16, 2017
      A 55 on metacritic/55% on Rotten Tomatoes isn't something to brag about, in terms of the "majority of critics liking it". It's razor thin, the difference.
      Anyways, it has nothing to do with not understanding the scene. It's simply a very forced way to represent what clark was thinking, which in a good movie, would be him talking to someone about it, not just going to a mountain and seeing his father there and talking to him. It's not good writing, it's beating a dead horse over it's head, like most of the movie was.
    8. Josh Morgan
      May 16, 2017
      im not trying to brag. Just stating a simple fact. And the thing is, half the reasons a lot of the critics were on the fence about Man of Steel was because of how different it was. If you are going by Rotten Tomatoes, they liked Superman Returns, and just about every sane person agrees that Man of Steel was far better than that movie. Either way, all you are giving me is just your opinion on the Pa Kent scene. All you are really saying is "I dont like it and it sucks because I say so".
    9. OGmacrazy
      May 17, 2017
      How different? I'm sorry, what? Probably thanks to Nolan writing the story, it was very similar to Batman Begins, structure wise, and that movie had a great critical reception.
      I also could say the same about you liking it because "I like it, therefore it works". I gave reasons to why I think it was poorly written. It just didn't translate well enough.

Jesse Hernandez

March 30, 2017

I like how Zack Snyder is hard at work with this Justice League movie, he'll probably be done with it by comic con or maybe in October, but I'm excited how this movie is shaping up to be

towblerone
March 30, 2017
I'm getting older and am pretty jaded about everything. I find it difficult to get excited about most new movies or new video games coming out or whatever, but I'm legit excited at the fact that the DCEU is just growing and expanding and we're getting all of these announcements. I get excited the same way I did about stuff when I was a teenager.
As a kid who grew up with posters of Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman on my bedroom walls, I never ever imagined I'd be getting the chance to see all these movies with them and other DC characters in them and it's frickin' amazing.
At this point it seems like just a matter of time before movies about Plastic Man, Challengers of the Unknown and Doom Patrol get announced and that's frickin' crazy.
1. Only
  March 30, 2017
  natural, man. We're getting a superhero film every quarter.
  1. towblerone
    March 31, 2017
    Why do people comment and then delete their accounts? Disqus should remove the comments of anyone who deletes their account.
    1. I
      March 31, 2017
      was off this site for almost a year. Didn't feel like making an account again. I think it's upto Chris if he wants guest commenters commenting on his site.
2. iPhilGreat
  March 31, 2017
  Beautiful message man
3. Mark
  March 31, 2017
  Doom Patrol would be awesome.
  When they were cooking up Legends of Tomorrow, when they started with dead Sara and thought-he-was-dead Atom I thought they would use the Challengers of the Unknown name.
  3 things I would really love to see in movies: Metal Men, the LoSH, and above all, do the whole Fourth World saga as a series. Not just Darkseid, but Highfather and New Genesis, the Forever People, Mister Miracle, all of it through to The Hunger Dogs. Just take Kirby's masterpiece and run with it.
  1. towblerone
    March 31, 2017
    All those things are awesome. My dream is for George Miller to do a New Gods prequel movie setting up the war between New Genesis and Apokolips and the peace accord where Darkseid and Highfather traded sons.
4. Drew Atkins
  March 31, 2017
  I just turned 17 and I love gaming and superhero movies and TV to death. I hope I don't become jaded like you. It's awesome that you're excited though. Justice League looks like the stuff of dreams
  1. towblerone
    March 31, 2017
    I sure as hell wasn't jaded at 17. My oldest son is 17 but when you get older and face greater responsibilities, the things you used to fawn over become less relevant to you. Other things like family, your health, money, the future, these things become more important because life forces you to become more independent and focus on the important stuff.
    Like, my kids play games all the time but if I did that it would be criminally irresponsible so instead I have playlists of gameplay videos that I have running in the background while I work. I still read comics and I still sometimes buy nerd merchandise, but it's all controlled. My kids are the priority to me, not my personal hobbies.
    I guess I wouldn't say even that I'm jaded, but more informed and no longer naive, so when I get excited about something it's because that thing has earned it. I don't get hyped for every little thing anymore.
OGmacrazy
March 31, 2017
Not trying to burst your bubble or be an asshole or anything, but you like how a director is currently doing the work he is supposed to do on a movie, when it's 8 months away from release?

iAbeLincoln

March 30, 2017

What is the negative about this rumor? I understand its just completely false because of how the movie isn't finished yet but I think that would be a great run time for JL.

BatmanNewsChris
March 30, 2017
The negative is that everyone ran with this "rumor" even though they knew it was 100% fake just for clicks. I have 0 respect for websites that (knowingly) spread fake news, and that's exactly what happened here. Anyone who knows anything about movies knows that you don't have a final cut 8 months out. Especially on these big superhero movies. They edit down to the final month sometimes!
1. iAbeLincoln
  March 30, 2017
  Much respect Chris. I'm always happy to come here knowing you're not being a piece of s**t running stories for the clicks like literally every other comic book movies website. Thank you! Do you think that would be a an ideal runtime for JL though? I think right around there would be perfect.
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    March 30, 2017
    Pretty close. I think Anywhere from 2:30 to 2:45 is likely. I don't think they want to go longer than that.
2. UltimateEdition
  March 30, 2017
  agreed and much appreciated when it comes to the fake news... sorta unrelated question... they have wrapped shooting on justice league right?
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    March 30, 2017
    Yes, they wrapped last October: http://batman-news.com/2016...
    1. UltimateEdition
      March 31, 2017
      Thought so thanks... it be great is Snyder and co were trolling everyone and Justice League is actually a 5 hour 2 parter with an intermission... lol I'll watch that!
3. BatmanNewsChris
  March 30, 2017
  Wooooooow. Who looks at that poster and thinks *that*?
  1. Mediator
    March 31, 2017
    lol not only that they even made a ridiculous article regarding one of the JL posters.
    http://www.avclub.com/artic...
    1. col42
      March 31, 2017
      My god, do people actually visit those articles? They're so...meaningless.
    2. LordofFlies
      March 31, 2017
      Shame what journalism has come down to.
  2. Scribe
    March 31, 2017
    Yeah I saw that article and didn't even bother with reading it. It sounds like more DCEU bashing.
4. Foomankru
  March 30, 2017
  Yep, this is the same "journalist" who failed to mention in her article that the Spider-Man trailer maybe showed a little too much...
  1. Polygon
    March 30, 2017
    called out the JL trailer for being a collection of action shots and not telling much about the story. Thus the Spider-Man trailer is much superior in their opinion.
    1. Foomankru
      March 31, 2017
      Turrible.
5. Scribe
  March 30, 2017
  And now I'm a fan of this website :)
6. Ravager
  March 31, 2017
  *cough* comicbookmovie.com *cough*
7. Blockhead Jr.
  March 31, 2017
  Batman News has run with runtime rumors before, don't deny it now lol. Nothing to be ashamed about.
  1. BatmanNewsChris
    March 31, 2017
    From reliable sources, very close to the release of the movie. Not from IMDb 8 months out. Big difference!
8. Sisyphus
  March 31, 2017
  That was really terrible. I can't believe ppl choose to see that and miss out on how well they have portrayed Wonder Woman on the big screen. Unlike other movies they have focused on showing her to be a strong and fierce fighter. I am sure the movie is going to show her kind side too. I loved her in BvS. Gal Gadot has done a fantastic job.
9. Mediator
  March 31, 2017
  I sometimes, well most of the time check AV club out whenever there is new DCEU news just to see the ridiculousness every time they post an article and their fan base.
  I'll tell you that fanbase is extremely toxic. The most cynical fanbase you'll ever see on the internet when it comes to the DCEU.
  They all think they are 'right' and anyone who likes the DCEU 'don't have taste', are 'sick 12 year olds', 'jerks' etc..
  1. LordofFlies
    March 31, 2017
    I just visited that site, didn't knew about them before but to be honest certain other 'reputable' sites are no better when it comes to DCEU. Comicbookmovie just hates DCEU with passion, the users and the writers on the site, alike. I stopped going there after they slammed critics for rating Iron Fist too low.
    Hypocrites.
    1. Mediator
      March 31, 2017
      Comicbookmovie is alright for now. Majority of their fans seem genuinely interested in JL and WW.
    2. LordofFlies
      March 31, 2017
      What about the writers? They are fine, until they get another piece of 'news' to blow it out of proportion or even twist it to do another click-baity negative story. Did they ever wrote an article trying reason why DCEU films get low ratings? Maybe one single word of support. Never.
      Nah, I am absolutely sure I am done with that site. Batman-news is both fast and reliable and the news is just news, which is all it should be.
10. Schuyler Finley
  March 31, 2017
  Even as a joke, this article is complete crap.
  1. Wheez Von Klaw
    April 1, 2017
    You would know. Licking Zack's hairy butt on a daily basis.
11. Mario
  March 31, 2017
  https://uploads.disquscdn.c...
Foomankru
March 30, 2017
It's not. Yet once again, shitsites like to paint the DCEU in a negative light. Amazing how some people are in denial about this..
BravestWarrior
March 31, 2017
Some people believe that it's too long.

I'm Batman Man 39

March 30, 2017

Already knew this was fake, but man! I would really love to have a 170 minute Justice League movie. I hope it's like TDKR runtime, which was 165 mins.

Canucks Fan

March 30, 2017

I see it around the 2hr 30m mark maybe max 2hr 45m. Backstory for Flash,Aquaman and Cyborg, Battle with the Amazons, gathering up the league, a couple battles with the league and then Superman gets revived and saves them :) also he saves a cat out of the tree

LordofFlies

March 30, 2017

But, but... nobodydotcom says its 5 hours long and it's already a disaster!!!!

Don't
March 30, 2017
forget the rewrites and re-shoots.

Anthony Piccolo

March 30, 2017

Better to be longer than get edited/hacked down to an incomplete and rushed story. Just like Lord of The Rings, these stories deserve to be fleshed out.

Yohn

March 30, 2017

Next rumor: It's going to be split into two parts

BatmanNewsChris
March 30, 2017
lol oh man. Don't remind me!
1. Part
  March 30, 2017
  One is going to be called Justice League: Enter the Dark
  1. Schuyler Finley
    March 30, 2017
    More like Justice League: Battlefield Earth
    1. Part
      March 31, 2017
      Two Justice League: Apokolips Now
Sisyphus
March 31, 2017
In a sense wouldn't it be 2 parts? Steppenwolf, then Darkseid? Are they fighting Darkseid now? I understand that this will have a logical conclusion, but it will lead to a bigger plot.
1. Duddete
  March 31, 2017
  It will be in two parts. As an overarching story that includes Apokalyps, Darkseid, Steppenwolf. Remember? Justice league part one and two, same as Avengers, and they all changed it, because for ordinary audiences that seems like too much of an investment and confusion. Oh now I have to see both of them, do I need to "study for the second" etc.
  Me personally, i dont like those two parters, this isnt tv episodic storytelling.
  1. Sisyphus
    April 1, 2017
    Hmmm, thats what I thought
Duddete
March 31, 2017
Hahahahha. Dawn of justice and The noon of justice.

Jcool

March 30, 2017

I feel bad for Jon Berg, one of the main DCEU producers and has less then 500 followers.

Foomankru

March 30, 2017

I hope it is 170 minutes. Actually, make it 171 minutes. Does no one have an attention span anymore?

Foomankru

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'Justice League' producer and Zack Snyder debunk runtime rumor

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