This is a bit odd. According to the New York Post, Warner Bros. will be scrapping the Batgirl movie, with no plans to release it… either theatrically or on HBO Max.
With a budget rumoured to come close to $90 million, this would be an expensive loss for the studio if it turns out to be true. The report states that a test screening of Batgirl was “so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future.” One source said that Warner Bros. thinks that “an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable.” Umberto Gonzalez of The Wrap also confirmed the report, adding that in spite of reshoots and an increased budget, Batgirl just didn’t work when compared to the other DC movies.
The Batgirl movie was originally developed for HBO Max when Toby Emmerich was in charge of the studio. The recent merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery found David Zazlav taking over, who is notorious for being a cost-cutter. He shut down CNN+ less than a month after the $300 million streaming service launched, so scrapping Batgirl wouldn’t necessarily be out of character. Although there had been discussions about giving Batgirl a theatrical release at one point, the project hadn’t been scripted or produced with that in mind. David Zazlav has also committed to making sure that future DC movies are big theatrical events, and it seems that Batgirl didn’t fit the bill of a DC blockbuster.
Batgirl stars Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Brendan Fraser as Firefly, and Michael Keaton as Batman. Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah helmed the movie, which Christina Hodson scripted. Given the talent involved, it’s a shame that the Batgirl movie has been scrapped and won’t be released in any fashion, and all in the name of cutting costs.
