Warner Bros executives have dramatically scrapped its $100million Batgirl film after it received poor test reviews.
The decision to axe the film — which was slated to be released on HBO Max later this year — came after a series of test screenings were panned by audiences, an unnamed source told the New York Post, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as executives seek to streamline the DC Extended Universe.
Batgirl was first given the greenlight in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort to create feature films specifically for HBO Max, Variety reports.
It would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser’s Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife.
According to those who have seen the now-scrapped film, Michael Keaton’s Batman was only featured in a few scenes — and did not serve as a mentor to Grace’s Barbara Gordon, and the costumes were subpar.
‘I’ll say I’m not that surprised Batgirl got canceled as it features a woke Latino Batgirl and Barbara Gordon in a story that sounds downright awful,’ Matt McGloin wrote for Cosmic Book News.
A source also told the Post: ‘They think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable.’
And Collider Editor-In-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted: ‘Spoke to people that saw #Batgirl, and they said it was a huge disappointment.
‘Also that the costumes looked cheap, especially Keaton’s Batman costume.’
Executives have also scrapped the upcoming Scoob! sequel Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which cost $40 million.
The Batgirl film has been ‘canned’ by Warner Bros. after spending more than $100m on the movie because studio executives want to move away from made-for-streaming projects
Collider Editor-in-Chief Steven Weintraub tweeted that he spoke to people who saw the Batgirl film and ‘they said it was a huge disappointment’
Filmmakers were told the decision came down to a ‘purchase accounting’ maneuver available to Warner Discovery because the company changed hands earlier this year.
It allows Warner Bros Discovery to not have to carry its losses forward while it tries to pare down its $3 billion in debt, according to Deadline.
And as it tries to recoup its losses, company officials are moving away from its strategy of releasing bad movies to encourage subscriptions to HBO Max, and are instead focusing on creating large scale films that could compete in theaters.
By doing so, executives at a variety of production companies have decided, the films would have cultural relevance by the time they arrive on streaming platforms.
It is a marked difference from the Netflix model, which recently spent $200 million to create The Gray Man, an action film from the directors of Avengers: Endgame, which only stayed in the top spot on the site for eight days, according to Indiewire.
But in order to make Batgirl a theater-quality movie, company executives would have to spend vast sums of money to improve the films’ graphics, as well as $80 million in global prints and advertising.
The studio has already spent more than $100 million on the Batgirl film, in which, critics say Grace’s Barbara Gordon dresses up as Batman for Halloween and proceeds to go after terrorists on her own.
The Batgirl film would have featured Latina actress Leslie Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser’s Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife
It also would have featured J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon
The project has seen some turmoil in the past.
At first, then-Warner Bros. exec Toby Emmerich had been milling over a potential release in theaters for the movie.
But Emmerich left the company this past June to begin his own production company, following the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, with David Zaslav being named CEO.
He was replaced with MGM’s Michael DeLuca, the Post reports, and the studio has been quiet about its plans for the film ever since.
Finally, executives announced the cancelation of the film on Tuesday, ahead of co-director Adil El Arbi’s Morocco wedding, which will feature stars like Will Smith.
The news comes ahead of co-director Adil El Arbi’s Morocco wedding, which will feature stars like Will Smith
Zaslav has reorganized Warner Bros. with a ‘DC-based film production’ branch, Variety reported in June.
He is now said to be looking for a head to run the failing DC Extended Universe, as executives debate canning an upcoming The Flash film amid allegations of abuse and misconduct by star Ezra Miller.
The film was expected to reboot the DC Extended Universe after a series of failing films like Batman v Superman and The Suicide Squad.
The decision on the film — which was to be released later this year — came after test screenings were panned by audiences, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they seek to rebrand the DC Extended Universe
Executives now insist Batgirl’s origin film was only scrapped because of the company’s new strategy – saying they would like to work with the producers and Grace again in the future.
‘The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC Universe and HBO Max,’ executives said in a statement.
‘Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor, and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.
‘We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts, and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.’
Still, Deadline reports, it has left producers of other made for HBO Max films on edge ahead of Thursday’s quarterly earnings report.
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