HBO Max enlisted the Scener group’s viewing platform to host an exclusive live observation party of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on the night of its debut on March 18.
The event, which is open to all HBO Max subscribers watching on a Chrome browser, is scheduled to start on the Scener website at 4 pm PT / 7 pm ET. Snyder will do a video introduction and will also be part of the conversation for the duration of the four hours. After the event, HBO Max subscribers will be able to create their own watch parties in March and April via Scener.
The “Snyder Cut”, as the film was dubbed online during a wave of fan interest in a new version of the 2017 film. Although the original has obtained mixed commercial and critical results, fans of the genre felt that the potential of the mash- up of DC comics had not yet been carried out. Unlike other Warner Bros. films on HBO Max, a theatrical release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League it is not in the short-term plans, although the director said he prepared an Imax-ready version of the longest cut.
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The Scener configuration synchronizes the view so that all viewers can share the experience and enter text in a chat window on the right side of the screen. The Seattle-based company had previously worked with HBO and HBO Max, with War of Thrones a top draw for group viewing. He also hosted watch groups for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney +. Viewers on mobile and desktop devices, whether Windows, Mac or Chromebook, can access Scener.
“I’m excited to finally share my ‘Justice League’ vision in a virtual exhibition with our incredible fan base who, through the power of the community and an inspiring grassroots campaign, played an important role in making this debut possible” , said Snyder in a press release.
Joe Braidwood, Scener’s co-founder and chief operating officer, told Deadline in an interview that the site is technologically capable of handling any level of viewing. He said that “tens of thousands” would be a likely minimum turnout, given the robust chat online and on social media about the superhero movie in recent years.
The observation party is likely to have a break, said Braidwood, with the potential for cast members attending to participate in “fun and interactive moments” to be determined. Snyder’s introduction is scheduled for about 20 minutes. Scener plans a two-level moderation system, with VIPs and members of the general public treated separately. The company has several technology tools to prevent its events from being hijacked by hackers, said Braidwood.
Disney brought the concept of the watch party in-house, adding GroupWatch last fall as a social visualization feature on Disney +. Unlike Scener or other browser extensions, GroupWatch is available on a wide variety of connected devices, but allows a very limited number of emojis to be used instead of text. Hulu and Amazon are also testing the group viewing capabilities they have created on their own interfaces.
Although theaters are gradually reopening and the summer film season appears to have potential, the 2020 streaming boom is likely to have a prolonged effect on the film industry. Braidwood said that Justice League event will be “another great leap for co-exhibition, consolidating this format far beyond the pandemic era as a movement that is driving the future of streaming entertainment”.