Earlier today, a report surfaced from the New York Post stating that DC and Warner Bros. Discovery had opted not to release its previously announced Batgirl film. Now, The Wrap has come out to confirm that the movie is not being released. The reasoning behind the decision is that, despite reshoots and an increased budgets, Batgirl just wasn’t able to come together well enough to please the studio. Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly said to want to make big theatrical event films, and Batgirl just didn’t feel like an event film.
Batgirl was one of the few films put into development prior to the merger and was to be an HBO Max original. Production on the title kicked off last November and wrapped back in March, when director duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah shared the first look at leading lady Leslie Gace in costume as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl. While the nearly completed $90 million film will be shelved, the studio is said to be keen to work with film’s directors and star and wants to work with them again soon.
The decision to not release Batgirl comes after the studio canceled the Wonder Twins film shortly after casting its lead roles. Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to tighten its grip on its DC properties, taking time to re-evaluate the projects that were in development before David Zaslav took over. Unlike the Wonder Twins, however, Batgirl was nearly complete and had been announced as receiving a theatrical release earlier this year. The decision to shelve a $90 million film as the studio takes a closer look at its budgets is sure to ignite a conversation among fans online. One can only hope Grace gets another chance to don the cowl sooner rather than later.
Source: The Wrap.
