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MANILA, Philippines – DC’s upcoming Batgirl film adaptation has been entirely axed by Warner Bros. at its final stages of production and will no longer be released on any platform, movie theater, or HBO Max.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the change in leadership at the studio and its priority to cut costs led to the DC Comics feature’s flop. The new Batgirl had an $80-million budget, which rose to $90 million due to COVID-19 delays and protocols.
Despite finishing shooting and reaching post-production, the incumbent Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav decided to focus on theatrical films rather than projects for streaming, which was the priority of former CEO Jason Kilar.
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement.
Batgirl, greenlit in 2021, stars In the Heights’ Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) and is helmed by Ms. Marvel’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Michael Keaton reprises his role as Batman alongside J.K. Simmons and Brendan Fraser playing Commissioner James Gordon and the villain Firefly, respectively.
“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,” the statement continued.
The film would’ve also featured DC’s first ever transgender character in a movie, with Filipino-American actress Ivory Aquino cast as Barbara’s best friend Alysia.
Batgirl, which will not be yielding a return on investment, was also snubbed at DC’s San Diego Comic-Con panel in July.
The female-led superhero film was originally slated to premiere on HBO Max in 2022.
The Scooby-Doo! animated series Scoob: Holiday Haunt, costing the company $40 million has also been shelved by the studio alongside Batgirl. – with reports from Sydney Cañamo/Rappler.com
Sydney Cañamo is a Rappler intern.
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