Warner Bros. has pulled out of the US$90 million Batgirl movie planned for HBO Max, according to a person connected to the film who was not authorized to speak publicly about it.
The decision was extremely unusual for such an expensive and almost finished film. But the studio ultimately decided that Batgirl deserved neither a streaming debut nor a theatrical release, and instead opted to write off the film entirely, starring In the Heights star Leslie Grace as Batgirl and starring Michael Keaton (returning as Batman), Jay Kay Simmons and Brendan Fraser. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah. Production ended in April.
Warner Bros.’s decision, one without apparent parallel in Hollywood history, sent shockwaves through the industry. When a big-budget film doesn’t live up to the studio’s expectations, it’s usually sold out or quietly dumped with little fanfare. Batgirl, greenlit before WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc., instead simply won’t see the light of day after reportedly poor test screenings.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it,” El Arbi and Fallah said in a statement on Wednesday.
“As filmmakers, it’s extremely important that our work is shown to the public, and although the film is far from finished, we wish fans around the world had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film for themselves.” Maybe one day you will insha Allah [if God wills].”
The filmmakers signed their statement posted on Instagram, “Batgirl For Life.”
Under the leadership of the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav, Warner Bros. is changing its film release strategy and cutting costs. Under previous CEO Jason Killar and partly as a response to the pandemic, the studio implemented daily releases in 2021, launching movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Other films, such as Batgirl, were produced exclusively for HBO Max.
This year Warner Bros. reverted to exclusive theater windows for at least 45 days before sending movies to HBO Max. While Batgirl isn’t as expensive as many superhero movies, which typically cost $150-200 million to make, it’s a bigger-budget movie for an HBO Max title.
Zaslav argues that films with bigger budgets are best served by cinemas. But marketing a movie like Batgirl for that kind of release would require tens of millions more. Warner Bros. Discovery is scheduled to report second-quarter earnings on Thursday.
Representatives of Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment. Batgirl’s plans were first reported by the New York Post.
New Scooby Doo movie delayed by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. also postponed Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, the nearly finished sequel to 2020’s Scoob! Producer and writer Tony Cervone confirmed in an Instagram post on Tuesday that Scoob! the film was canned.
“Yes, I’m afraid that’s true,” Chervone wrote. “The film is almost complete and it turned out beautifully. My heart is beyond broken.’
Batgirl’s cancellation comes as Warner Bros. is trying to revamp its DC Films operations. While The Batman earlier this year did well with $770.8 million in ticket sales, Warner’s DC releases have been inconsistent and plagued by controversy. The Flash, due out next June, stars Ezra Miller, who was arrested twice this year in Hawaii on disorderly conduct charges and on suspicion of assault.
Warner Bros. is hoping to reorganize and reset its DC pipeline — to go bigger, not smaller, with rival Marvel. In the end, Batgirl didn’t fit those plans.
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