Warner bros. and DC comics have now officially shelved ‘Batgirl’. The move comes the after the film reached its post-production stage. The flick will not release in theatres or on any other digital platforms.
According to American Media company Variety, helmed by the ‘Ms Marvel’ and ‘Bad Boys for Life’ directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film starred Leslie Grace in the lead role. The film was greenlit in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort at Warner Bros. to create feature films specifically for HBO Max. But the new corporate regime at Warner Bros. Discovery has pivoted the company’s priorities back to theatrical features, leaving ‘Batgirl’ without a proper home.
It’s not just ‘Batgirl’, Warner bros. has also cancelled ‘Scoob!: Holiday Haunt,’ a sequel to the 2020 film ‘Scoob!.’ There has been no word or official statement from senior management executives at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros Discovery decided to cancel the release of ‘BATGIRL’ as they are “committed to making DC titles big theatrical event films, and ‘BATGIRL’ isn’t that.”
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Variety reported that studio insiders insist the decision to shelve ‘Batgirl’ was not driven by the quality of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers, but by the desire for the studio’s slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale.
‘Batgirl’ was created for screen in homes on HBO Max. It was not made for a major global blockbuster release in theatres. Along with Leslie Grace, the ‘Batgirl’ also stars J.K Simmons, Jim Gordon, Brendan Fraser and, Michael Keaton in meaty roles.
The decision is perplexing as production houses never cancel films outright. They would rather prefer to get some returns on their investment.
This decision comes as Warner Bros decide what to do with ‘The Flash’ The film is stuck in a quagmire as it leading star – Ezra Miller, is embroiled in a spate of allegations of abuse and misconduct.
