Some subscribers to HBO Max got an unexpected preview of “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” on Monday when the four-hour superhero movie started playing instead of the Warner Bros. film “Tom and Jerry.”
Doug Bass, a realtor and digital marketing analyst based in Charlotte, N.C., tells Variety he was “just looking for some background TV while I worked, and when I clicked on ‘Tom and Jerry,’ [the] Snyder Cut started playing.”
Bass quickly posted a screenshot from the movie featuring the back of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), joking that someone at HBO Max was “getting fired.”
@hbomax someone’s getting fired…Tom and Jerry this is not…#SnyderCut pic.twitter.com/B0ReNp2JR2
— Doug (@ThenDougSaid) March 8, 2021
About an hour into the feed, Bass says, he noticed the definition of the image began to degrade, then an error message appeared on his screen and the film disappeared.
Variety confirmed that the version Bass viewed was indeed Snyder’s version of the film, which is due to premiere on the streaming service on March 18.
“‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ was temporarily available on HBO Max and the error was addressed within minutes,” says a spokesperson from WarnerMedia. Despite the statement, however, the film was available for at least an hour.
Bass says that he’s “never been a huge DC movie fan,” including of the 2017 theatrical version of “Justice League,” which was largely reshot and reedited from Snyder’s version by director Joss Whedon after Snyder left the movie due to creative differences with the studio and a family tragedy. But after getting a preview of Snyder’s restored version, which runs just over four hours in total, Bass says he’s a convert.
“I planned to watch it after the 18th at some point,” he says. “But now I’m ready for the 18th.” On Twitter, Bass also said the footage he got to see “is the best DC film I’ve ever seen.”
No one from HBO Max has contacted Bass about the error, he says.
American Airlines flight with 95 passengers and 6 crew lands safely; 737 MAX planes have faced scrutiny for years.
American Airlines Co said on Friday that a Boeing 737 MAX bound for New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport declared an emergency after the captain shut down one engine due to a possible mechanical issue.
American’s Flight 2555 from Miami with 95 passengers and six crew landed safely at Newark without incident, the airline said.
The possible issue was related to an engine oil pressure or volume indicator and not the result of anything related to the MCAS system linked to two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that prompted the plane’s 20-month grounding, it said.
The 737 Max has been under heavy scrutiny for a while. Aviation authorities around the world grounded 737 Max aircraft in March 2019 following deadly crashes involving the plane model in Ethiopia and off the coast of Indonesia, which occurred within five months of each other.
Boeing said it was aware of the American flight and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it will investigate.
American was the first US carrier to resume 737 MAX flights late last year following the FAA’s approval of safety updates by Boeing.
When it cleared the plane to fly again, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said he was confident that the jet was safe but warned that in-flight mechanical problems occasionally occur with all commercial aircraft.
“For that reason, it is inevitable that at some time in the future, a Boeing 737 MAX will turn back to its originating airport, divert, or land at its destination with an actual or suspected in-flight problem,” he said.
The FAA evaluates all events involving a US airline, he said at the time, adding: “It’s very important to differentiate between these routine events that happen with any aircraft and the acute safety issues that led to the loss of lives and grounding of the MAX.”
Morning SpoilersIf there’s news about upcoming movies and television you’re not supposed to know, you’ll find it in here.
The Shazam sequel adds to its cast. One of the Titans’ new antagonists gets a shiny new costume. Plus updates from Doctor Who, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Superman & Lois, and more. Friday spoilers dropping in 3…2…1…
Nocebo
Eva Green, Mark Strong, and Chai Fonacier will star in Nocebo, a new psychological thriller from Vivarium director Lorcan Finnegan currently filming in Ireland. According to Variety, the story follows “a fashion designer (Green) suffering from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband (Strong) until help arrives in the form of a Filipino carer (Fonacier), who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.”
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
According to The Wrap, upcoming West Side Story actor Rachel Zegler has joined the cast of Shazam! Fury of the Gods in a currently undisclosed “key” role.
G/O Media may get a commission
Titans
HBO Max debuted the new costume for Damaris Lewis’ Blackfire (aka Princess Komand’r) for Titans’ upcoming third season on the streaming service.
Doctor Who
John Bishop—upcoming companion to the 13th Doctor—said showrunner Chris Chibnall spoke to him about a role on the sci-fi series a while ago but the timing wasn’t right. He also had doubts he could pull off comedic acting.
“Not last Christmas, the year before that [2019]. And he had this idea and this character and he’d seen me in a few things, and I’m flattered that he said so, and he wants to know if I’d be interested in it. And the problem was, I was meant to be on tour. They were meant to be filming earlier on in the year around March, April time and I was meant to be on tour throughout big parts of it. So, although I fancied it, I had to say, ‘No.’”
…
“I didn’t want to do comedic acting. And the reason is, the thing that is really odd… I don’t think I am very good at it. Some people are brilliant at being comedy actors and if you’re a stand-up comedian I think there’s a perception that, if your acting at something that’s meant to be funny, it’ll be funny all the way though and you’ll be dropping in gags.”
“I want to do straight acting or dramatic acting so do a hit show when you get chased by aliens,” Bishop said while laughing. “So I’d definitely like to do more. It’s literally playing out. Its daft!”
[CultBox]
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Buzzfeed debuted a look at the updated Proud Family designs coming for the reboot.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
In conversation with Collider, Tom Holland revealed his contract at Marvel expires following Spider-Man: No Way Home.
[Spider-Man 3] would be my last one [under contract]. So, I’ve always said to them if they want me back I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I’ve loved every minute of being a part of this amazing world. It’s changed my life for the better, I’m so lucky to be here. If they want me back I’ll be there, if they don’t I will walk off into the sunset a very, very happy person because it’s been an amazing journey.
Seance
Bloody-Disgusting reports Shudder and RLJE Films have acquired Seance, Simon Barrett’s directorial debut starring Suki Waterhouse as “the new girl at the prestigious Edelvine Academy for Girls. Soon after her arrival, six girls invite her to join them in a late-night ritual, calling forth the spirit of a dead former student who reportedly haunts their halls. But before morning, one of the girls is dead, leaving the others wondering what they may have awakened.”
Mission: Impossible 7
Tom Cruise beats feet in a new image from Christopher McQuarrie’s Instagram.
Werewolves Within
Entertainment Weekly has our first look at Werewolves Within, a new horror-comedy from Scare Me director, Josh Ruben, starring Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntrub as a forest ranger and postal worker attempting to suss out the identity of a lycanthrope trapped inside a snowed-in lodge. More pictures at the link.
Photo: IFC Films
Photo: IFC Films
Photo: IFC Films
Oxygen
Collider has new images from Alexandre Aja’s Oxygen, a thriller starring Mélanie Laurent as a woman who finds herself mysteriously locked inside a cryo pod.
Photo: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
Photo: Netflix
The Collected
Meanwhile, Bloody-Disgusting has several new images from The Collected, the third entry in Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton’s killer entomologist franchise. Head over there to see the rest.
Photo: Clear Horizon
Photo: Clear Horizon
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Baron Zemo gets in costume in the latest trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Superman & Lois
A tease of what’s to come this season for the Super-family in this season one trailer for Superman & Lois.
Resident Alien
Finally, it’s revealed Harry also hates side parts in the trailer for “Sexy Beasts,” next week’s episode of Resident Alien guest-starring Linda Hamilton.
Apple’s beta release of iOS 14.5 includes a preview of new emoji coming in the spring, including a heart on fire, an exhaling face and more skin tone variations for emoji including couples kissing. Changes have also been made to the syringe emoji, removing blood to make it more useful for depicting COVID-19 vaccines.
The iPhone maker also tweaked the headphones emoji, making it resemble its new AirPods Max, and added helmets to emoji depicting people climbing.
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Other additions include gender options for people with beards, a face in the clouds and a face with spiral eyes.
Apple has placed a greater emphasis on adding more inclusive and gender-neutral emoji. In an iOS update late last year, the company incorporated gender variations for people wearing a tuxedo or wedding veil, as well as several options for people bottle-feeding a baby.
See also:iOS 14.5 is coming soon. What we know about a release date and new features
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On Sunday, the service released the latest trailer for the “Snyder Cut” — an extended version of the 2017 superhero flick “Justice League” from director Zack Snyder. The film, which is scheduled to hit HBO Max on March 18, comes with significant hype and lofty expectations.
But why would WarnerMedia, which is also CNN’s parent company, go to the trouble of re-releasing a film from 2017? And not only recut the film, but actually add new scenes to create a big-budget four-hour version of it?
Well, it serves two purposes: pleasing fans and boosting HBO Max’s subscriber base.
Fans have been clamoring for the updated film — which sees DC superheroes Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman team up — ever since the original hit theaters four years ago.
Snyder, who has directed other films in the DC Entertainment catalog including “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” stepped down as the director of “Justice League” after a family tragedy. Joss Whedon, director of Marvel’s “The Avengers,” was brought in to finish the movie.
Since then, DC fans have practically begged Warner Bros. to release Snyder’s version, posting the hashtag #ReleasetheSnyderCut on social media. Eventually, they got their wish, with the studio announcing last May that it would release Snyder’s version on HBO Max.
Releasing a film that stars Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman on their new streaming service may seem like a slam dunk for WarnerMedia. However, it does pose some risk seeing that2017’s “Justice League” was a disappointment.
Fans didn’t like the film — as you probably guessed, considering that they’ve been asking for a new version — and critics largely panned it. The box office totals were also lackluster for a superhero movie, despite it making roughly $660 million worldwide.
But box office numbers aren’t a concern when it comes to streaming.
For WarnerMedia, the decision to debut the “Snyder Cut” on HBO Max makes sense. Streaming is now the top priority for Hollywood media companies, and in order to compete with the likes of Netflix, new services need as many subscribers as they can get as well as the exclusive content to get them.
Although HBO Max’s 17.2 million activations is solid, it pales in comparison to Netflix(NFLX) and Disney+ subscriber numbers, so the service needs to push hard to catch up.
This also helps explain why WarnerMedia announced in December that all of Warner Bros. feature films would be released for streaming and in theaters on the same day this year. That choice, which will bring potential blockbusters such as “Dune,” “The Suicide Squad” and “The Matrix 4” to viewer’s living rooms, caused a big stir in Hollywood. However, in a streaming market where content is king, WarnerMedia isn’t holding back.
So, bringing together DC’s most popular heroes in a movie fans can only find on HBO Max is a no-brainer for WarnerMedia as it tries to create its own heroics in the streaming world.
HBO Max is doubling down on adult animation, ordering three series and setting a bustling development slate.
The streamer has handed a two-season order to Clone High, the reboot of the classic MTV series with Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence, and ordered Velma with Mindy Kaling set as lead voice star and exec producer and Fired on Mars from Pete Davidson.
These projects are the latest to be ordered by HBO Max, which also has Harley Quinn, The Prince, Santa Inc., 10 Year Old Tom and The Boondocks. Last month, it also introduced a new landing page for animation.
Clone High, a reboot of the 2002 series set at a high school for clones of historical figures, comes from MTV Entertainment Studios. Lord and Miller are set as executive producers and writers, Lawrence is executive producer with Erica Rivinoja, who wrote on the original Clone High, named as showrunner.
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Lord and Miller began their careers with writing, directing and executive producing Clone High — whose concept the duo first developed while at Dartmouth College in the 1990s — alongside Lawrence in 2002.
Velma tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. Voiced and exec produced by Kaling, the series from Warner Bros. Animation has has Charlie Grandy, Howard Klein and Sam Register as executive producers.
Nate Sherman and Nick Vokey, who made Adult Swim’s Wet City, have created Fired on Mars, an existential workplace comedy set on the Martian campus of a modern tech company. Based on their short film, SNL star Davidson voices a character and executive produces with Carson Mell and Dave Sirus.
HBO Max has also handed JG Quintel’s adult-animated comedy Close Enough a two season renewal. The show comes from Cartoon Network Studios.
Elsewhere, the company is producing presentations for a slate of originals in developments.
These include Hello Paul, about a neurotic millennial cat whose intense job and freeloading mouse roommate stress him out from creator and musician Sean Solomon; Obi, about a 30-year-old man-child chasing his dream to become an artist while navigating adulthood with his friends from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, Studio71 and David Devries, based on an Instagram comic and co-created by Obi Arisukwu and Arthur Harris; Uncanny Valley, from creators Brendan Walter and Greg Yagolnitzer and exec producer Ed Helms that tell the story of three awkward domestic helper robots who kill their human owners and try to assume their identities and comes from Universal Television and Pacific Electric Picture Company; and Cover, an adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack DC Comics series, an animated espionage thriller and conspiratorial love letter to the comic book industry from Rooster Teeth.
“It is a tremendous privilege to build on the 100 year plus legacy of ‘cartoons’ at this company. We can draw a straight line from our hundreds of childhood hours spent watching Bugs outwit Elmer to the current slate of adult animated projects we are building here at HBO Max and we think fans will agree,” said Suzanna Makkos, EVP, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, HBO Max. “We are proud to introduce this distinctive group of series from a wide range of diverse creators that will form a first stop destination for animation lovers everywhere.”
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (aka “The Snyder Cut”) will hit HBO Max on March 18th, the director announced on Twitter today.
The original theatrical release of Justice League debuted in November 2017 and, ahead of its release, endured a difficult production. Most notably, director Joss Whedon stepped in to finish the film during post-production after Snyder stepped away from the project for personal reasons. After Justice League was released, fans criticized Whedon’s contributions to the film, which included a lighter tone. Fans started an internet campaign for Warner Bros. to “Release the Snyder Cut” in the years since.
Warner Bros. previously announced in May that the long-rumored extended cut was getting an official release but as an exclusive on WarnerMedia’s new streaming service, HBO Max. With a firm release date for Zack Snyder’s Justice League finally set, the film is launching at a competitive time for superhero media as it will release one day before the debut of Marvel Studios’ newest miniseries, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which will stream exclusively on Disney Plus.
Zack Snyder’s Justice League isn’t the only new film arriving on HBO Max this year. In December, Warner Bros. announced that every single one of its films in 2021 would release simultaneously on HBO Max the same day they premiered in movie theaters. AT&T now credits the decision for helping boost HBO Max subscriber numbers in its latest earnings report.
Apple’s AirPods Max noise-canceling headphones may cost a bundle — $549 to be precise — but they’re selling so well, Apple can’t keep them in stock. And while they may not be as popular as the standard AirPods and AirPods Pro, the Max is the latest example of a high-profile Apple product that creates its own cottage industry for dedicated accessories. Indeed, there are already plenty of AirPods Max add-ons, including traditional “shell” cases, charging stands and ear cup and headband covers. Here’s a look at some of the best accessories available. Note that I’ve only tested the three of these, while the others are alternatives that I think are cheap enough that they’re worth rolling the dice on. I’ll update this list as more arrive (and as I get more hands-on experience with them).
Read more:Best noise-canceling headphones for 2021
David Carnoy/CNET
When Apple released the AirPods Max, it got a lot of grief about the headphones’ unusual protective covering, which drew its fair share of bra and purse comparisons and was criticized for not fully protecting the headphones. I wasn’t as down on it as others, but I knew we’d soon see a bunch of third-party cases, and several have already arrived, including Waterfield Design’s $89 Max Shield case.
Aside from its swanky design, what makes it different from all the $20 to $25 generic cases showing up on Amazon is that it has a “Magnetic Butterfly” that puts the AirPods Max in low-power mode just like the magnets on Apple’s cover do. With other cases, you stick the AirPods Max (with their cover on) in the case — they don’t have magnets.
The Max Shield is designed to house the AirPods Max naked — or wearing their cover — and has an inner pouch to store the the included USB-C to Lightning charging cable or the optional Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable for wired listening. There’s also an exterior zippered pocket, as well as an exterior stretch mesh pocket for storing additional items. The Max Shield is available in eight color variations.
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David Carnoy/CNET
Apple doesn’t include a cable for wired listening with the AirPods Max, which is pretty irritating because the fact is the AirPods Max do sound better in wired mode and sometimes it’s easier to plug into a device than pair with it wirelessly, particularly if you’ve got non-Apple devices that aren’t on your iCloud account.
The easiest way to listen to high-res audio is to plug into a Mac or Windows PC and load up some FLAC files, which I did. Obviously, you can also listen to streaming services this way (and any other audio). The volume levels were plenty high on the MacBook Pro I was using and I did experience a subtle but noticeable bump up in audio quality going the wired route.
Also the cable does eliminate any latency, which might be a factor while gaming or with music production. Note that the AirPods Max still needs battery power to deliver audio, even in wired mode; there’s no “passive mode” available.
Apple’s cable lists for $35, but you can get it for $30. It’s available in black or white.
Best Buy
Anker’s Lightning to 3.5mm cable for wired listening costs $5 less than Apple’s cable.
Amazon
If you drop your AirPods Max headphones on the wrong surface, the aluminum earcups could get dinged up. That’s where a silicon ear cup protector could save the day. There are plenty of them available on Amazon in plenty of color options. The Seltureone model is currently rated most highly by users — and it’s priced around $12 — so that’s my current pick in this category. But it could change as new versions become available.
Amazon
The AirPods Max mesh-infused headband is designed to be quiet sturdy, but this headband cushion serves three purposes: It offers some increased protection for the mesh, adds some extra cushion for the crown of your head and it customizes the look of the headphones.
It’s available in a few color options and can be easily removed and washed.
Amazon
You can find several AirPods Max hard carrying cases on Amazon ranging in price from around $17 to $30. This case doesn’t incorporate magnets to put the AirPods Max into their lower-power sleep state, but it has a plush interior, a slot for storing a power adapter and comes in multiple color options for $23.
Aukey
The AirPods Max include a USB-C to Lightning charging cable in the box, but no power adapter. This affordable Aukey Swift 30W 2-Port USB-C Charger allows you to charge your AirPods Max and iPhone (or another device) at the same time. It lists for $15 but there’s currently a 30% off instant coupon that brings the price to under $11.
Best phone and gadget chargers for 2021.
Amazon
This is your basic silicone rubber charging stand for the AirPods Max. Once you thread charging cable into the stand, you’re good to go (no cable is included). Hopefully this comes down in price. It should be closer to $10.
Read more: Best AirPods Pro accessories
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HBO Max has unveiled its list of upcoming TV shows and films for February, which includes complete runs of Static Shock and Justice League.
HBO Max will soon be seeing an infusion of new TV shows and films, including the complete runs of Static Shock and Justice League.
Justice League and Justice League Unlimited will be available to stream starting on Feb. 1, while Static Shock will arrive on the service on Feb. 15. Other DC Comics-based shows and films slated to debut on HBO Max include Batman: Brave and the Bold, plus Aquaman on Feb. 5 and The Batman on Feb. 15.
RELATED: HBO Max ‘Same Day Premiere’ Trailer Showcases Sopranos Prequel & More
HBO Max will also see a pair of “Same Day Premieres” in February, as part of Warner Bros.’ plan to release its 2021 slate of films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Those films include Judas and the Black Messiah, which premieres on Feb. 12, and Tom and Jerry on Feb. 26. Another DC Comics film is part of this slate, as The Suicide Squad will premiere on on Aug. 6, 2021.
Static Shock is based on the Milestone Media comic of the same name, and centers around teenager Virgil Hawkins after he gains electromagnetic abilities from an accident called “The Big Bang.” Virgil adopts the persona of Static to protect his hometown of Dakota from all manner of threats. A live-action Static Shock film is currently in development at Warner Bros., with Michael B. Jordan producing through his Outlier Society banner.
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Source: WarnerMedia
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About The Author
Collier Jennings (1712 Articles Published)
A freelance journalist based in Seattle, Collier enjoys all facets of pop culture, namely comics and anime. Spider-Man is his favorite fictional character of all time.
