If you were sitting down yesterday for a showing of the live-action adaptation of the classic cartoon Tom & Jerry on HBO Max, you might have been surprised to find yourself watching Zack Snyder's new Justice League cut, instead.
It's unclear how this happened, only that it did definitely happen. "Zack Snyder's Justice League was temporarily available on HBO Max, and the error was addressed within minutes," said a spokesperson for the streaming service.
Viewers were seemingly able to see about an hour or so of the movie before the overlords at HBO hauled it from the platform, and now if you choose to watch Tom & Jerry on HBO, you get 101 minutes of belly-laughs and slapstick pranks between a cartoon cat and a mouse in New York City. I'm only guessing here, but it's possible that Tom & Jerry, which released late last month, was the most recent movie or TV show to be uploaded to HBO Max.
As Zack Snyder's Justice League is intended to premiere on March 18th, an employee was tasked with placing it on the platform to ensure everything was shipshape before the big day. Only the team realised it had somehow replaced Tom & Jerry. Sweat beading on their brows, they attempted to calm themselves. It's alright. No one will be watching Tom & Jerry on a Monday afternoon in March. It simply isn't done. Except that they were, and it's probable that some of the first people to see what's probably the most-hyped movie of this year were between the ages of five and ten. Best to be wary of spoilers on social media from now on though.
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Released in 2017, the original Justice League may have made twice its budget at the box office, but ultimately failed to break even with other costs considered, and it considered something of a modern box-office bomb. It was also roundly criticised for its poor pacing, vague story, cheesy writing, and dodgy CGI.
Director Zack Snyder had to leave the project owing to a death in the family, and Joss Whedon stepped in to continue the movie's development. This disjointed approach to filmmaking didn't float, and Snyder himself has refused to watch the original theatrical cut of Justice League. Fans clamoured to see the 'true' vision of the movie and Warner Bros. and the director will release Zack Snyder's Justice League on HBO Max as a four-hour-long movie.
Featured Image Credit: HBO Max, Warner Bros.
