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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a 2016 American superhero film based on the DC Comics characters Batman and Superman. It is a follow-up to Man of Steel (2013) and the second installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, and Gal Gadot. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is the first live-action film to feature Batman and Superman together, as well as the first live-action cinematic portrayal of Wonder Woman. In the film, criminal mastermind Lex Luthor manipulates Batman into a preemptive battle with Superman, whom Luthor is obsessed with.
The film was announced at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con after the release of Man of Steel. Snyder stated that the film would take inspiration from the Batman comic book series The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller but clarified that it would follow an original premise. The incarnation of Batman in the film is different from the character's previous portrayal in The Dark Knight Trilogy, serving as a cinematic reboot of the character. The film is also inspired by narrative elements from the "Death of Superman". Pre-production began at East Los Angeles College in October 2013, with principal photography starting in May 2014 in Detroit. Additional filming also took place in Illinois and New Mexico, concluding that December.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice premiered at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City on March 19, 2016, and was released in the United States on March 25, 2016, in 2D, 3D, premium large formats, and 70 mm prints by Warner Bros. Pictures. Following a strong debut that set new box office records, the film experienced a historic drop in its second weekend and never recovered. Despite turning a profit, it was deemed a box office disappointment and received generally unfavorable reviews from critics for its tone, screenplay, and pacing, though some praised its visual style and acting performances. An extended cut dubbed the "Ultimate Edition", which features 31 minutes of additional footage, was released digitally on June 28, 2016, and on Blu-ray on July 19, 2016. A follow-up, Justice League, was released in November 2017.
In June 2013, it was announced that director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer would both be returning for a Man of Steel sequel, which was being fast tracked by Warner Bros. with the studio considering a 2014 release for the film. The following month, Snyder confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con International that the sequel to Man of Steel, now set for release in 2015, would feature Superman and Batman meeting for the first time in a cinematic format. Goyer and Snyder would co-write the story, with Goyer writing the script, and Christopher Nolan involved in an advisory role as executive producer. Snyder stated that Batman v Superman would take inspiration from the comic The Dark Knight Returns. In November 2013, however, Snyder clarified that the film would not be based on the graphic novel. "If you were going to do that, you would need a different Superman. We’re bringing Batman into the universe that now this Superman lives in." Batman v Superman marks the first appearance of Wonder Woman in a live-action, theatrical film, which Warner Bros. had been developing as far back as 1996. In December 2013, Chris Terrio was hired to rewrite the script, due to Goyer's commitments in other projects. Terrio had previously collaborated with Affleck on Argo. The film's official title Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was revealed in May 2014. Snyder stated that having the "v" in the title instead of "vs." was a way "to keep it from being a straight 'versus' movie, even in the most subtle way."
Hans Zimmer composed the film score, emphasizing a challenge not to reuse the themes he established with the Batman character from Christopher Nolan's trilogy. Junkie XL, who provided additional music in Man of Steel, also returned for this film, helping to compose the theme for Batman. Originally, Zimmer enlisted Junkie XL to compose the Batman material, with Zimmer planning to focus solely on the Superman side of the score, but the final Batman theme was written by both composers as a collaboration. Zimmer noted that he had significant trouble in finding a new angle from which to tell the story and after the release of the film, Zimmer announced that he was retired from superhero films, though he has since retracted this. The soundtrack album of the film was released on March 18, 2016 by WaterTower Music.
Songs featured in the film include: "Kang Ling (An Instrument Made From A Human Thigh Bone)", a traditional song performed by the monks of the Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery, Dharamshala; "Night and Day" and "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" written by Cole Porter and performed by Richard Cheese; "Shostakovich: Waltz II (Jazz Suite No. 2)" written by Dmitri Shostakovich[172][173] performed by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly; and "Amazing Grace" arranged and performed by John Allan and again performed by the Canadian Scottish Regiment Pipes and Drums and the United States Third Marine Aircraft Wing Band. Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, and Christina Wren reprise their roles from Man of Steel. Joining the cast are Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Ray Fisher as Cyborg, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Tao Okamoto as Lex Luthor's assistant Mercy Graves. Scoot McNairy, Callan Mulvey, Jena Malone, and Holly Hunter have been cast in unspecified roles.
Dawn of Justice is Affleck's second film as a comic book superhero; he earlier played Daredevil in the 2003 film of the same name, and was initially reluctant to accept playing Batman, citing that he "felt didn't fit the traditional mold. But once Zack showed me the concept, and that it would be both different from the great movies that Chris[topher Nolan] and Christian [Bale] made, but still in keeping with tradition, I was excited." Affleck previously stated in 2006 that Daredevil had "inoculated myself from ever playing another superhero". Snyder felt that casting an older Batman would be a layered juxtaposition to a younger Superman, while "bear[ing] the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne." Nolan was involved with the casting of Affleck and he was the first actor Snyder approached for the part. The director has also discussed the part with Josh Brolin.
Snyder commented on casting Eisenberg as Luthor, "Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions". Olga Kurylenko was considered for the role of Wonder Woman before Gadot was cast. Producer Charles Roven revealed that this incarnation of Wonder Woman would use the character's origins in The New 52, wherein the character would be a demigoddess, and the daughter of Zeus. This deviates from the character's original origins, where she was "a clay figure brought to life by the gods". Dawn of Justice is Ray Fisher's feature film debut, and the first live-action film to feature Cyborg, whose role will become more significant in future DC comics films. It is also the live-action theatrical debut of Aquaman.
Affleck's casting caused significant backlash from comic book fans, with several online petitions demanding his removal from the role; unlike previous Batman actors, he was not considered intimidating enough for the role by the protestors. Via social media, many fans criticized Gadot's small frame in contrast to Wonder Woman's warrior-like build in the comics. Responding to this, Gadot has stated that she has been participating in various training regimens to achieve a body that stays closer to the source material. Fans criticized Eisenberg's casting as Luthor, feeling that the then-30-year old was too young for the role, and not physically imposing enough.
Michael Wilkinson is reprising his duties as costume designer. He updated the Superman suit from Man of Steel slightly so that it "feels fresh and right for this installment of Zack Snyder's comic-book universe." The first Batsuit featured in the film is influenced by the one seen in The Dark Knight Returns; unlike the suits seen in previous live-action Batman films, it is made of cloth instead of armor. An image of the Wonder Woman costume was revealed at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, in which the costume saturates the red, blue, and gold colors that make up the costume of most versions of the character. A second Batsuit was also unveiled at Comic-Con, and unlike the first, it is armored. Aquaman's look in this film, unlike most versions of the character which show him in a bright orange and green wetsuit, shows him "tattooed in Maori-like patterns," and wearing a suit "decked out in shades of gold, black and silver armor".
In September 2013, Larry Fong joined the crew as cinematographer after previously having worked with Zack Snyder in 300, Watchmen, and Sucker Punch. Initial filming commenced on October 19, 2013, at East Los Angeles College to shoot an American football game between Gotham City University and rival Metropolis State University. At the end of the month, construction began on the Kent farm seen in Man of Steel for the film. The principal photography involving the main cast of the film began on May 19, 2014 in Detroit, Michigan, with scenes featuring Gal Gadot as Diana Prince being filmed early on May 16. Additional filming began in Chicago, Illinois in November 2014. Other locations included the Michigan Motion Picture Studios, Yorkville, Illinois, and New Mexico. Sequences of the film, including a scene depicting the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents, were filmed using IMAX cameras. The planned shoot in Morocco were shifted to New Mexico due to incidents related to the 2014 Ebola outbreak. Principal photography wrapped in December 2014.
Dawn of Justice released in the United States and in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2016 in 3D. In January 2014, the film was delayed from its original July 17, 2015 release date, and moved to May 6, 2016, in order to give the filmmakers "time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story". The release date was moved once again in August 2014 from May 6, 2016 to March 25, 2016, with a Warner Bros. insider saying the studio was "not flinching" regarding the film previously opening on the same day as Marvel Studios' Captain America: Civil War, but that March 2016 was a "fantastic corridor" for them.
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 28% based on 415 reviews, with an average rating of 4.94/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice smothers a potentially powerful story – and some of America's most iconic superheroes – in a grim whirlwind of effects-driven action." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average to critics' reviews, gave the film an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 51 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale. It earned "B–" from men, "B" from women, a "B" from those under 25 and a "B–" from those over 25. According to PostTrak, 73% of audiences graded the film "very good" or "excellent", with a 60% giving it a "definite recommend". BBC News reported that "the film had been widely praised by fans after its first screening in New York".
An extended cut of the film dubbed the Ultimate Edition was released on home media platforms, alongside the theatrical cut. This version received an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, for more violence than the PG-13 rated theatrical cut, and is longer by 31 minutes. With the release of the Ultimate Edition, which was the director's original version of the film before additional editing, critics noted that the film would have likely been better received with the additional footage. Ben Kendrick of Screen Rant stated that while it was more "intelligible", character portrayal was not "fundamentally changed" and "for viewers who didn't like Man of Steel or Batman v Superman for larger reasons, such as tone, approach, and the darker characterization of DC's most iconic heroes, the Ultimate Edition is only a longer... version of a film that... is likely to remain divisive, even if the final product is a better film." Phil Owens of TheWrap called it an improvement upon the original cut, writing, "Lo and behold somehow Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has become something that approaches a functional movie. In the process, it only makes the original cut even more inexplicable and terrible."
The film debuted in first place on the home video sales chart for the week ending July 24, 2016. As of January 19, 2019, it has made $22.1 million in DVD sales and $55.9 million in Blu-ray sales, totaling an estimated of $78 million.
