Warner Bros. has scrapped the $90 million US Batgirl movie planned for HBO Max, according to a person connected to the film who was not authorized to speak publicly.
The decision was very 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 has instead opted to completely cancel the film starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl and Michael Keaton (who returns as in Batman), starring Leslie Grace. JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser. It was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Production ended in April.
Warner Bros.’s decision, without any obvious parallel in Hollywood history, sent shock waves through the industry. When a big-budget movie doesn’t meet a studio’s expectations, it’s usually quietly sold or dumped with little fanfare. Batgirl, which was greenlit before WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc., simply won’t see the light of day after allegedly poor test runs.
“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 directors, it is essential that our work is shown to the public, and although the film was far from finished, we wish that fans around the world had had the opportunity to see and embrace themselves the final film itself. Maybe one day it will be insha’Allah [if God wills].”
The directors signed their statement, posted on Instagram, “Batgirl For Life.”
Under the new chief executive of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, Warner Bros. is changing its strategy on film releases and cutting costs. Under previous CEO Jason Kilar and partly in response to a pandemic, the studio implemented day-and-date releases in 2021, releasing films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Other films, such as Batgirl, were produced exclusively for HBO Max.
This year, Warner Bros. has returned to exclusive theaters for at least 45 days before sending movies to HBO Max. While Batgirl isn’t as expensive as many superhero movies, which typically cost between US$150-200 million, it is a bigger budget film for an HBO Max title.
Zaslav has maintained that bigger budget films do better with a theatrical release. But marketing a movie like Batgirl for that kind of release would require tens of millions more. Warner Bros. Discovery will report second-quarter earnings on Thursday.
The representatives of Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment. Batgirl’s plans were first reported by the New York Post.
The new Scooby Doo movie saved by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. also left out Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a 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,” Cervone wrote. “The movie is pretty much done and it’s coming out really well. I’m beyond heartbroken.”
Batgirl’s cancellation comes as Warner Bros. is trying to revamp its DC Films operations. While The Batman earlier this year performed well with $770.8 million in ticket sales, Warner’s DC releases have been spotty and plagued by controversy. The Flash, scheduled for next June, stars Ezra Miller, who has been arrested twice this year in Hawaii, in a case of disorderly conduct and on suspicion of assault.
Warner Bros. hopes to reorganize and reset its DC pipeline, going bigger, not smaller with rival Marvel. In the end, Batgirl didn’t fit into those plans.