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Justice League: Gods of Earth (Released)

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 (Edited)

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GODS OF EARTH

(a ZSJL film editing project)

To inquire about this edit, email krausfadr at gmail dot com and include the word fanedit in the subject line.

Intent

ZSJL was a major improvement to the travesty which occurred in 2017; however, Snyder’s 4 hour release was rushed in production and stuffed with significant filler. Releasing such a long cut, open matted, was probably more for production speed than artistic reasons. This cut rescores, reduces, and rearranges this film for a more epic feel, with greater dramatic impact in a much shorter runtime. With no preconceived idea of how long the edit should be, the end result is 2 hours 27 minutes, about the same length Snyder had initially envisioned.

Major Improvements

⦁ Filler scenes that didn’t further the main storylines are cut, for a standard sci-fi/action feature runtime
⦁ Reframed to a cinematic aspect ratio; most scenes (except for the brand new VFX shots) were clearly not intended for an “open matte” aspect ratio
⦁ No anti-life equation or future visions
⦁ The Flash is still comedic but at the right moments
⦁ Thoughtful improvements to the score, and songs with modern vocals (which will feel dated in a few years) are all removed/replaced
⦁ The Amazon Queen is a stronger character and is no longer surrounded by fools/foils
⦁ The UK terrorist sequence has a thematic purpose, contrasting the battle of Themyscira
⦁ Silas Stone (Cyborg’s father) is a more bold character throughout and tries to destroy the Motherbox
⦁ De-aquification… (removed certain underwater scenes which were cringey)
⦁ Aquaman is a more flawed character and is now conflicted and drunk while the battle of Atlantis happens, contrasting Wonder Woman who was away but noble
⦁ Decringed the Justice League meeting with Gordon
⦁ Superman getting his suit and taking flight has real dramatic impact now, with a great score and improved voiceover from his Earth father, Jonathan Kent
⦁ Cyborg breaking the bond from within the Unity now has real dramatic impact with reworked flashback footage
⦁ Removed/reduced Bruce’s phoney character arc of redemption and faith
⦁ Helped make actors in more recent reshoots look like their earlier footage, and removed very unflattering shots of Affleck
⦁ Reduced the video game CG feeling during the final battle in nuke town

Change List

  1. Letterboxed with proper scene by scene framing and discreet tilt and scan as needed.
  2. Removed entire filler scenes. Examples include scientists talking about lasers, Gordon at police headquarters, and Lois being sad.
  3. Rearranged scene structure throughout. This change list is in approximate order of the rearranged edit.
  4. Replaced score in limited scenes only if necessary to change the intended mood, if needed for transitioning scenes, or if the original score was lackluster, e.g., the uninspiring music when Superman takes flight. This edit is not a complete score replacement because most of it was good.
  5. Fixed a few parts where they forgot to add SFX to Batman’s voice (also removed a line where they accidentally put Batman’s voice SFX on one of Aquaman’s lines).
  6. Slimmed down Bruce and Batman in some scenes.
  7. Removed all the chapters.
  8. Added Gods of Earth to opening title.
  9. New opening credits.
  10. Cut all scenes with Lex.
  11. After Superman screams and we see the sonic echoes, the first sequence is the full battle of Themyscira intercut with Wonder Woman fighting the terrorists. This contrasts the failure of the Amazons with the success of the god killer (Diana), suggesting hope despite her absence.
  12. Trimmed the warrior in Themyscira walking up to the awakened Motherbox so she gets there a bit faster.
  13. After the warrior says to alert the queen, we cut to the bridge with the Superman symbol in the UK. Rescored with a more suspenseful track to replace the melancholy one.
  14. Cut the terrorist walking up to the window, the sniper aiming, and the police banter outside.
  15. After Wonder Woman looks down from above on the statue, we cut back to Themyscira.
  16. The queen doesn’t talk down to one of the few black Amazons.
  17. The queen is less hesitant, more authoritative, she doesn’t keep making sexy Keira Knightley lips, her subordinates are not idiots, and they follow her orders.
  18. Tightened up Themyscira sequences, less bad acting, slightly less fake looking CG horseback riding, and Steppenwolf has expository dialogue cut.
  19. Added camera shake to the face shots of the queen just after she escapes the crumbling structure. Now it fits in better with its adjacent scenes.
  20. After the queen says that men won’t know what the ancient fire means but Diana will, cut back to the bomb counting down then Wonder Woman smashing through the door. The scene with Diana making a terrorist tell the truth with the lasso is cut.
  21. Wonder Woman moves to kill the terrorist leader faster without saying, “Believe it.”
  22. Trimmed building destruction and the terrorist’s hat gliding down.
  23. Added new music to end of terrorist sequence as Wonder Woman talks to the young girl, which now leads into Bruce trekking through the snowy mountains.
  24. Cut early scene of Lois mourning and Starbucksing to sad hipster piano.
  25. Trimmed Bruce traveling in the snow to find Arthur and making his way to the village leader, no more credits here.
  26. Cut the whole act about Aquaman being make believe, the town laughing at Bruce, Bruce paying to meet the stranger, and Arthur picking Bruce up off the ground.
  27. Arthur doesn’t say the line about “diggin’ into my business.”
  28. Tightened up Arthur’s water departure, he doesn’t repeat the dressing up like a bat joke.
  29. No more Nordic musical, singing goodbye to Aquaman. Rescored to give a similar vibe though.
  30. Trimmed Bruce’s conversation on the jet with Alfred. Less filler.
  31. Trimmed and moved the Aquaman saves a fisherman / drunk Aquaman music montage.
  32. Cut the underwater Aquaman scenes when he’s swimming around Atlantis, but moved one to the end. Cut all scenes where Vulko speaks.
  33. Trimmed the scene where Bruce is pretending to be a mechanic so that Diana doesn’t start reminiscing about Steve. Bruce talks less about the troop carrier; that side plot is removed.
  34. Significantly trimmed much of the Age of Heroes flashback, especially the parts with fake looking CG electro Hercules a.k.a. Zeus. No Lord of the Rings Motherbox burials. The sequence ends with the Amazons cautiously examining a Motherbox.
  35. Bruce doesn’t speak to Diana right after the Age of Heroes flashback. His physique was way off in this reshoot scene, and the camera angle was most unflattering, so no closeups here.
  36. Trimmed and recut the parademons dragging Atlanteans to the shore.
  37. Trimmed the scene with the Atlantean being interrogated by Steppenwolf to remove expository.
  38. Cut the Barry’s father in prison subplot.
  39. Significantly trimmed the Barry car accident sequence. Rescored with some amazing music without vocals to give a similar (but more heroic) vibe. His antics are toned down so he does not steal a floating hotdog.
  40. Cut Barry turning on his ridiculous, malfunctioning light switch at home.
  41. Trimmed and rescored parts of Bruce recruiting Barry and the two departing in Bruce’s car.
  42. Trimmed and moved Victor’s extensive early backstory.
  43. Cut the scene with Diana and Alfred talking about a black lasso.
  44. Cut Diana’s after school special speech when she meets Cyborg. She’s believable now.
  45. Aquaman doesn’t show up underwater to defend the Motherbox. Moved and rescored the Arthur saves the fisherman and drinking whiskey scenes to intercut with Steppenwolf killing the Atlanteans.
  46. Trimmed the parademons dropping off Victor’s father, and cut him yelping and struggling weirdly, so he doesn’t look foolish.
  47. Cut the close up of Bruce hopping off the jet ramp when he and Barry meet up with Diana. Another reshoot with Affleck’s noticeably different physique.
  48. Removed the serious cringe from the League’s meeting with Gordon. No super drawn out Batman up high, no kindergarten drawing of the parademon, Wonder Woman is not an encyclopedia of expository, Cyborg doesn’t need Batman’s help explaining stuff, and no ditching Gordon joke.
  49. Rescored and tightened up various parts of Stryker’s Island / saving the scientists for better action and pacing. Cyborg doesn’t cry out before saving his father.
  50. As Aquaman holds off the flood the others don’t keep on staring, negating the whole point of him giving them extra time to run.
  51. Cut all the anti-life equation subplot and resulting scenes and dialogue.
  52. Aquaman doesn’t accuse Cyborg of being a spy.
  53. Trimmed some technical jargon as the League discusses the Motherbox. Diana doesn’t say, “Reinstate?”
  54. Martian Manhunter is not Martha. Trimmed Martha’s weird facial expressions when visiting Lois. Slimmed Lois slightly and softened her features in this and a few other scenes so Zack’s reshoots match up a little better with his earlier footage.
  55. Moved the night scene of Lois in bed, then looking at a photo of her and Clark to just before the League exhumes his body. No pregnancy test.
  56. Cyborg doesn’t “talk” to the Troop Carrier or feel it’s pain.
  57. In the hangar, the League does not debate about using their Motherbox to resurrect Superman.
  58. Cyborg does not see any future vision.
  59. Cut Wonder Woman’s line, “Kal-El no” before he fights them (Bad Kryptionian! Sit, heel, go fetch kryptonite. Good boy).
  60. Batman doesn’t tell the soldier to get up, magically healing him.
  61. Trimmed the Aquaman and Flash comedy routine just after the fight with Superman.
  62. Cyborg’s father doesn’t duck when he hears Steppenwolf crashing into the building. Once again the filmmakers were intent on making this heroic man into a bumbling oaf.
  63. Cyborg’s father was trying to destroy the third Motherbox. He failed but it still left a heat signature. When Steppenwolf breaks the glass wall of the laser room we hear the laser cycle down.
  64. Wonder Woman doesn’t warn Victor he could die. Trimmed, rearranged, and rescored scene with Cyborg saying “just get me in and get me time” for better dramatic impact.
  65. Rescored Clark getting the Black suit. Now only Jonathan Kent speaks.
  66. Rescored with something more epic and godlike when Superman is in space and leading into the League preparing for battle.
  67. The League doesn’t casually lounge in the Batlab when they know Steppenwolf has all three Motherboxes. So Bruce doesn’t grunt, “I had a premonition…” and Cyborg doesn’t fix the Troop Carrier (it’s not broken).
  68. Trimmed much of Arthur and Bruce’s talk about Bruce’s character motivation but left in Alfred questioning use of the Motherbox and the red cape part.
  69. Cut the League loading the coffin into the vehicle at the cemetery and replaced it with Diana and Cyborg putting it in the military transport. Cut the bit about “getting dressed.”
  70. Changed dialogue so Steppenwolf doesn’t say his redemption is nigh as he is forming the Unity (anti-life equation subplot is cut so there is no redeeming himself by conquering Earth). Now he says, “The great fall is nigh.”
  71. Trimmed and rescored the League boarding the troop carrier so it’s more badass, less cookie-cutter hero sounding. Removed banter about Cyborg being meant to fly. Bruce doesn’t answer Alfred’s question with a feel good answer (“Faith Alfred, faith”), removing the obligatory attempt at Bruce’s character arc.
  72. Trimmed Batman’s speech to the league just outside Steppenwolf’s base.
  73. Made the music louder when Batman flies off and then attacks Steppenwolf’s base.
  74. Toned down final battle slo-mo with Aquaman riding on the Batmobile. He doesn’t leap from the Batmobile or get swept up by a small flock of parademons. Tightened up the action in the nuke town fight.
  75. Added camera shake to various shots during Batman’s driving. This was noticeably missing from some of the interior vehicle shots.
  76. Trimmed some cringe from the final battle with Steppenwolf (Aquaman approaching Steppenwolf, Wonder Woman and Aquaman admiring Superman).
  77. Slightly trimmed The Flash’s speech as he saves the day so as not to mention his father, a callback to a scene which was cut.
  78. When Cyborg enters the Motherbox he has the football touchdown / car accident flashback. Flashback moved here, rescored, and shortened.
  79. Rescored the League posing in the glory of their triumph with something more dangerous and powerful since they had just totally trounced and murdered Steppenwolf. Also, the original source used the same music for both this and the epilogue of Clark opening his shirt to reveal the black suit. They just added some drums to the score of the Clark scene.
  80. No tape recorder or narration from Cyborg’s dad. Reduced the League’s epilogues. Gave Aquaman a new epilogue (he just swims away underwater rather than meeting with Mera and Vulko and then boozing it up).
  81. Final scene is Clark opening his shirt with the black suit underneath. No Deathstroke, Joker, or Martian Manhunter scenes.
  82. Rescored the end credits, beginning with a beautiful instrumental version of Hallelujah.
  83. New end credits. Actors no longer appearing removed from credits. Reordered cast. Added more credits for DC comic writers and graphic artists responsible for the main characters and storyline influences. Music no longer used removed from credits. Added credits for new music used.

heil Palpatine!

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How are you going to beef up Ben Affleck in the reshoot footage exactly?

“The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.”
-Sheev Palpatine, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

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 (Edited)

I’m going to try and deepfake BvS buff Bruce’s face onto chunky Bruce’s face.

EDIT: @CamSMurph I have successfully figured out the basics of deepfacelab. I find that in order to get anything worthwhile I would have to do a full head swap. And that is far beyond the amount time I will spend on this part of the project. So I’ve removed the most unflattering shots of Affleck and slimmed down other’s slightly using another technique, but not deepfakes.

heil Palpatine!

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Finished encoding the 4K HDR file.
Now working on encoding a 1080p HDR version.

heil Palpatine!

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This is released in

4K HDR
1080p SDR
720p SDR

heil Palpatine!

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Bro…can you please send a link to your fanedit Justice League: Gods of Earth?..It sounds really intresting as you have put a lot of intricate stuff into it…thanks in advance…

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hey, was wondering if i could get a link? im interested in your cut of the film