While the Batgirl movie was in its post-production phase, Warner Bros. has just made a surprising and irreversible decision in connection with the studio’s new approach to DC projects.
Hold back the tears if you’ve been waiting for the Batgirl movie, maybe with some anticipation, because it will never come out. But really never. The HBO Max feature has been canceled entirely after an assessment of new management. And there would be several reasons for that.
Warner Bros. definitely cancel the movie Batgirl
No turning back possible, the film Batgirl has indeed been buried by Warner Bros. Discovery. A surprising decision given the progress of the project. Its filming was completed at the beginning of the year, and the duo of Belgian directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys 3, Miss Marvel) were in full post-production phase.
What prompted such a turnaround? The test screenings would have been disastrous. It can be understood but then why the studio did not let the filmmakers review their copy? A spokesperson explains that “the decision not to release Batgirl reflects the strategic shift in our direction with respect to the DC Universe and HBO Max”. New CEO David Zaslav is now aiming to only have “big show” DC movies and therefore in theaters, Variety says.
Despite its budget of 90 million – which was 70 million initially before an increase due to COVID – the feature film did not play in the same court as cine blockbusters. Due to the new strategy put in place, the film was also too expensive and would not have been profitable, at a time when Warner Bros. is rather in search of cost reductions.
Michael Keaton’s return will wait for The Flash
Even though there were criticisms of Batgirl’s costume after just a photo, the project had a case for it. Michael Keaton, one of the most beloved Batmans, was to make his big comeback 30 years after the release of Batman: The Challenge directed by Tim Burton. JK Simmons was to be Commissioner Gordon again, a role he took on in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Brendan Fraser (The Mummy trilogy) was to dress him as Firefly.
Otherwise, you can still approach Batgirl in Gotham Knights from October 25, 2022.