The hype surrounding the extended cut of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is certainly building. Even before the slightly disappointing theatrical run of ‘Batman v Superman’ began, Warner Bros. announced plans to release an R-rated “Ultimate Edition” featuring over 30 minutes of additional footage. For many fans, this additional running time is looked at as a ray of hope. Will this new footage “fix” a film that has polarized the fan community?
Well, one person who has an inside knowledge of what is gained by those extra 30 minutes is cinematographer Larry Fong. He’s the longtime collaborator of director Zack Snyder, working with him on “Watchmen,” “300,” and “Sucker Punch.” However, when asked whether or not the Ultimate Edition of ‘Batman v Superman’ is a better film, Fong can’t seem to keep his story straight.
Earlier this month, Fong tweeted, “Those of you who are fans, will dig it. If you hated it, you’ll still hate it.” That’s a pretty straightforward critique. However, the internet does what the internet does, and the internet decided to take that quote and use it as an example of how the Ultimate Edition is bound to disappoint those hoping for a whole new film.
Those of you who are fans, will dig it. If you hated it, you'll still hate it.
— Larry Fong (@larryfong) June 2, 2016
It’s obvious that Fong didn’t realize his comments would go viral. Just the other day, he decided to clarify by tweeting, “Watched the #UltimateEdition again; now believe EVERYONE will LOVE it. Pre-order TODAY!” This just added to the confusion.
Watched the #UltimateEdition again; now believe EVERYONE will LOVE it. Pre-order TODAY! #BatmanvSuperman #WBHomeEnt https://t.co/bRVQbTZLzi
— Larry Fong (@larryfong) June 10, 2016
So, what is Larry Fong’s honest opinion of the Ultimate Edition? We’ll probably never know, but we do know that not everyone involved with ‘Batman v Superman’ is happy with the film. Jeremy Irons has been vocal about his dislike for the finished product.
However, one thing is clear. When you look at the IMDB page of the upcoming “Justice League” film, directed by Snyder, there’s a name missing – Larry Fong. Maybe that’s more telling than any tweet.
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition” is going to be released digitally June 28th and on Blu-ray July 19th.
