<P> Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures . It is the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Zack Snyder, with a screenplay by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, from a story by Terrio and Snyder, and features an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J.K. Simmons . In Justice League, the superhero team, consisting of Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg forms to honor the memory of Superman and to save Earth from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons . </P> <P> The film was announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script . Initially titled Justice League Part One, with a second part to follow in 2019, the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate a standalone Batman film with Affleck . Principal photography commenced in April 2016 and ended in October 2016 . Snyder then hired Joss Whedon to write scenes that would be filmed during reshoots; however, Snyder left the project in May 2017 following the death of his daughter . Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including directing additional scenes written by himself . Snyder received sole director credit for the film, while Whedon received a screenwriting credit . </P> <P> With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made . It premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017 . The film underperformed at the box office, grossing just $657 million worldwide against its massive budget, making it the lowest of the DCEU . Up against an estimated break - even point of as much as $750 million, the film lost the studio an estimated $60 million . It received mixed reviews from critics; the action sequences, visual effects, and performances (particularly Gadot and Miller) were praised, while the plot, writing, pacing, villain, and overuse of CGI were criticized . The film's tone was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to previous DC films, while others found it inconsistent . </P> <P> Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf and his legions of Parademons attempted to take over Earth with the combined energies of three Mother Boxes . They were foiled by a unified army that includes the Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, mankind, and the Green Lantern Corps . After repelling Steppenwolf's army, the Mother Boxes were separated and hidden in locations on the planet . In the present, mankind is in mourning over Superman, whose death triggers the Mother Boxes to reactivate and Steppenwolf's return to Earth in an effort to regain favor with his master, Darkseid . Steppenwolf aims to gather the artifacts to form "The Unity", which will destroy Earth's ecology and terraform it in the image of Steppenwolf's homeworld . </P>

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