Home Q News Entertainment Zack Snyder departs “Justice League” after family tragedy; Joss Whedon takes over

Zack Snyder departs “Justice League” after family tragedy; Joss Whedon takes over

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© 2016 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC. AND RATPAC-DUNE ENTERTAINMENT LLC(NEW YORK) — Zack Snyder is stepping down as director of Justice League in the wake of his daughter’s recent suicide, ABC News has confirmed.  Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon will step in to finish the film.

Snyder’s 20-year-old daughter, Autumn, took her life in March but it was only recently publicly revealed.  Snyder tells The Hollywood Reporter after he and his wife, Justice League co-producer Deborah Snyder, took two weeks off to deal with the family tragedy, they returned to the film. 

“In my mind, I thought it was a cathartic thing to go back to work, to just bury myself and see if that was the way through it,” Snyder said.  “And in the last two months, I’ve come to the realization…I’ve decided to take a step back from the movie to be with my family, be with my kids, who really need me. They are all having a hard time. I’m having a hard time.”

Snyder said Whedon was brought into the project to write some additional scenes following early screenings of Justice League.  He’ll now also guide the film through post-production, The Hollywood Reporter says. 

Snyder directed both Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Justice League — starring Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa and Ezra Miller, is still scheduled for a November 17 release.

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