The maxim for the only recently announced R-rated cut of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice seems to be a simple, yet probably quite loud, “MORE.” It is with this cut, which will be seen not in theaters on March 25 but instead on the film’s eventual DVD release, that director Zack Snyder is indulging his apparently insatiable appetite for the super-powered material at hand. Both in terms of the nature—the R rating comes as a result of more violence, and beyond that, more violent violence—and of the volume of the content onscreen. Apparently, the Batman v Superman director’s cut will clock in at more than three hours long.
Snyder revealed this tidbit in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, admitting “[the DVD version] is a half-hour longer” than the theatrical version, which is reported to be an already whopping 153 minutes. Snyder explains that the home video release will be bulked up by material snipped from the forthcoming theatrical feature: “Some of that additional material is some of the stuff we took out for the rating. I was like, ‘Cool, I can put it back in for the director’s cut.'”
While on the subject, Snyder does touch on the nature of the DVD cut’s R rating, perhaps disappointing those who’d hoped the “for mature audiences only” stamp might have suggested a more intimate look at the private lives of Bruce and Clark. No such luck. “It’s not a hard R,” he says. “There’s no nudity. There’s a little bit of violence.” Sorry, everybody. I guess we’ll have to wait for the inevitable R-rated Aquaman.
Are you up for the undertaking of a three-hour Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice? Let us know!
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IMAGE: Warner Bros.
