Following Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcementto scrap their DC Extended Universe featureBatgirl, starringLeslie Grace, the internet flew into a frenzy trying to rationalize this unprecedented decision. The film was put through a familiar wringer spurred by the pandemic after its initial $75 million budget expanded by $15 million. Despite reaching its post-production phase at $90 million, makingBatgirla relatively big-budget affair (but not quite DC big-budget), on August 2 the studio rocked fans and media when they vaguely declared the feature a bust. According toVariety, several sources cite that the most likely culprit forBatgirl’s untimely and unheard-of demise can be boiled down to…taxes?
Sources attempting to justify the axing of the project say that directorsAdil El ArbiandBilall Fallah’sBatgirlbecame an ill-fated victim of bad timing, and is ultimately a sacrifice to profit. While Warner Bros. was wholly committed to bolstering their streaming service, HBO Max, underJason KilarandAnn SarnoffduringBatgirl’s production, the DC Extended Universe feature got caught in the maw of new Warner Bros. Discovery CEODavid Zaslav’s strategic shift.
A Warner Bros. spokesperson gaveThe Hollywood Reporteran official statement on the decision not to move forward withBatgirl:
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers ofBatgirlandScoob! Holiday Hauntand their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
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Deemed neither big-budget enough for the return to theatrical releases, nor economically small enough to pass the streaming-only gauntlet, El Arbi and Fallah’s anticipated DCEU bridge received the ax. In spite of the full cast, includingJ.K. Simmons' reprisal of Commissioner James Gordon andMichael Keatonas Batman,Brendan Fraserasthe film’s villain Firefly, andIvory Aquinoas one of comics’first mainstream transgender vigilantes Alysia Yeoh, Zaslav reportedly deemed the money necessary to expandBatgirlto theaters not worth the cost. This on top of rumors that the finished product wasn’t quite up to viewers' standards assuresBatgirlwon’t be emerging from the shadows any time soon.
Rather than releasing straight to HBO Max as intended, or dishing out the $30 to $50 million it would take to market the film and release it theatrically, Warner Bros. Discovery will eat the $90 million and prospective “creative capital” in likely favor of tax write-downs. What this will mean for the DCEU is currently up in the air,after issues withThe Flash, wishy-washy reviews for previous films, and past cowl-donning actorBen Affleck’s will-he-won’t-he involvement with the universe. While Zaslav is apparently dedicated to whipping DC into shape, this remarkably unusual decision to shelve a post-production film is admittedly an odd way to go about it.
DC’s next film,Black Adamstarring Dwayne Johnson, is set to hit theaters on October 21. you’re able to watch the full trailer below:
