The decision was very unusual for such an expensive and almost finished film. But the studio ultimately decided that Batgirl didn’t deserve either a streaming debut or a theatrical release, and instead opted to scrap the film altogether, starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl and co-starring Michael Keaton (returning as Batman). JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser. It was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Production was completed in April. The decision by Warner Bros., one without apparent parallel in Hollywood history, sent shockwaves through the industry. When a big-budget film doesn’t live up to a studio’s expectations, it’s usually sold or quietly dropped with little fanfare. Batgirl, greenlit before WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc., just won’t see the light of day after poor test screenings, according to reports. “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 important to show our work to the public, and while the film was a long way from completion, we wish fans around the world had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film for themselves. Maybe one day I will insha’Allah [if God wills].” The directors signed their statement, posted on Instagram, “Batgirl For Life.” Under the new CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, Warner Bros. is changing its film release strategy and cutting costs. Under previous CEO Jason Kilar and partly in response to the pandemic, the studio implemented daily releases in 2021, opening movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. Other films, such as Batgirl, are produced exclusively for HBO Max. This year, Warner Bros. 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 $150-200 million to make, it is a bigger budget movie for an HBO Max title. Zaslav has maintained that bigger budget films are better served by a theatrical release. But marketing a movie like Batgirl to that kind of release would require tens of millions more. Warner Bros. Discovery is set to 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 was released by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. also shelved Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, a near-complete sequel to 2020’s Scoob! Producer and writer Tony Cervone confirmed with an Instagram post on Tuesday that Scoob! the film was canned. “Yes, I’m afraid that’s true,” Cervone wrote. “The film is almost done and it came out beautifully. I am beyond heartbroken.” Batgirl’s cancellation comes as Warner Bros. is trying to revamp its DC Films business. While The Batman earlier this year performed well with $770.8 million in ticket sales, Warner DC’s releases have been shaky and plagued by controversy. The Flash, scheduled for release next June, stars Ezra Miller, who has been arrested twice this year in Hawaii on disorderly conduct and assault charges. Warner Bros. hopes to reorganize and retool DC’s pipeline — make it bigger, not smaller with rival Marvel. Ultimately, Batgirl didn’t fit into those plans.
