Batgirl

Michael Keaton reprised his role as Batman in the film, whose budget ballooned amid expensive reshoots.

Production was delayed because of Covid-19 and expensive reshoots were carried out, causing the film’s budget to skyrocket, according to The Wrap. Leslie Grace is best known for her role as Nina in In The Heights. Batgirl also starred Michael Keaton, who was set to reprise his role as Batman in the film, as well as J.K. Simmons and Brendan Frasier. It was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who are known for Mrs. Marvel. It’s unusual for studios to completely scrap projects. Starring Leslie Grace in the iconic comic book role, the movie had performed poorly in test screenings, according to the New York Post, which first broke the news of the cancellation.

Following a regime change in Warner Bros, plans to release the forthcoming DC movie Batgirl have been axed, causing the completed film — which starred In ...

First announced in 2017, the film initially had Avengers director Joss Whedon attached to direct before exiting in 2018. This, the reports indicate, is where the film was doomed, testing poorly during a time where new Warner Bros. leadership is looking to rebuild DC’s theatrical brand. However, new Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav has major plans to overhaul the entire company’s film output, and regime changes often mean many once-sure bets get discarded in sometimes surprising ways.

Warner Bros confirms film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, Michael Keaton, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser won't ever be released.

Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who recently oversaw swingeing cuts at CNN including shutting down its $300m streaming service CNN+ one month after it launched, is reportedly prioritising cost-cutting and refocusing the studio on theatrical films over streaming projects. The Hollywood Reporter said Batgirl’s budget was a factor in the decision, having risen to nearly $90m (£74.1m, A$130m) due to costs relating to it being shot during the Covid-19 pandemic. Several shows including Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, The Last OG and Chad have been cancelled since the Warner Bros Discovery merger, while a DC Comics film of The Wonder Twins that was in development has also been canned.

Industry insiders debunked reports about Batgirl being canceled by Warner Bros.

Whether any version of Batgirl is released to the public remains a mystery, as does the direction for Warner Bros.' shared DC universe as a whole. The outlet attributed this to Batgirl not being written or produced as a film that would be released theatrically. This seems to indicate that there will be no live-action movies from the DC Universe that are set for an HBO Max release from now on. The report noted that the studio does want to work with starring actress Leslie Grace again, along with directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Originally set for a release exclusively on HBO Max, Batgirl was later moved to a big-screen debut long after filming for the bat-centric solo movie came to an end. But for all the excitement that's built up around this release, it's dealt with its fair share of problems as well.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. halted work on its new “Batgirl” superhero movie despite having already filmed the picture, according to multiple reports from ...

The movie, based on DC Comics characters, was in the final stages of editing. Warner Bros. didn’t respond to requests for comment. It won’t be released in theaters or on the company’s HBO Max streaming service, Variety and Deadline reported Tuesday. Variety said the film cost $90 million to make.

The Dish: What's Behind The 'Batgirl' & 'Scoob!' Discard? David Zaslav's Abject Rejection Of Jason Kilar's HBO Max Strategy.

Warner Bros Discovery just released this statement: “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. But as all Warner Bros Discovery braces for Thursday’s quarterly earnings report and the layoffs that are sure to come, no one with a project made specifically for HBO Max or execs there can feel confident at this moment. Rather than spend vast sums pumping up the budgets of each film to compete in theatrical marketplace, and then spend $80 million in global P&A, the studio felt that scrapping both of the movies was a better choice, when coupled with the purchase accounting maneuver. This opportunity expires in mid-August, said sources, and it allows Warner Bros Discovery to not have to carry the losses on its books at a time when the studio is trying to pare down $3 billion in debt across its divisions. The makers of the live action Batgirl and the animated Scoob! learned today that those films were being stopped in their tracks. There are several threads here, but the move amounts to an emphatic rejection of past WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar’s strategy to make original $70 million live action and animated films directly for streaming site HBO Max.

The $70 million film was in middle of post-production when decision was made.

As for the exact reason behind the shelving, sources say the film did not fall in line with the new strategy being implemented by DC Films as well as HBO Max. The studio is looking to make theatrical tentpoles with budgets at $90 million-plus, and from early footage seen this did not fall into place with that model. The New York Post first reported the Batgirl news. This falls in line with the mandate put down by the new WB regime to cut back on the feature films premiering on the streamer and deciding which films will be released theatrically and which will be shelved, and sources close to the project say word came down this week that Batgirl did not make the cut.

Warner Brothers' upcoming Batgirl film will never be seen by fans, with the studio shelving the project citing a "strategic shift".

"The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," a Warner Brothers statement said. The New York Post, which broke the news, cited a source who said the film's budget had exceeded $US100 million and the film had tanked during audience tests. - The New York Post reported the film tanked during audience tests

After a string of shifts at Warner Bros., Michael Keaton's DC future is seemingly in question.

Fans have yet to see Shazam! Fury of the Gods and Black Adam, and while there has been no reporting about the actor showing up in either, it still could be possible. If, in fact, he is the glue that will hold everything together for DC going forward, then one would think the studio would want him in as many projects as possible. Keaton coming back has been touted as a big deal for the franchise as it looks to expand into more Multiversal stories. Sure, some of it may be self-inflicted, but no one could have bet that this much misfortune would befall one name in Hollywood. After years of turmoil for the DCEU at Warner Bros., things were finally looking up, as the franchise was seemingly headed in the right direction. It is a rough time to be a DC fan.

In a move that has sent shockwaves in the industry, Warner Bros. Pictures has abruptly scrapped any planned release of its “Batgirl” movie which cost $90 ...

Thus “Batgirl” was in a bind. Warner Bros Discovery has also released a statement: “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. However a quick follow-up report in Variety has several sources suggesting a more basic reason to the outlet – a tax write-off.

Warner Bros is not the first studio to bury a film six feet deep. Here are a few more of the worst movies you'll never see.

In 2018 it was announced that Michael Flatley – yes, that Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley – had written, directed, financed and starred in a globetrotting spy thriller called Blackbird. Not much was known about the film, other than that most of it seemed to feature Flatley wearing a fedora and gazing into the middle distance. The film was shot in two weeks in 2014, and starred Michael Madsen. A trailer was released, and yet the film itself never made it to television. By all reports a terrible film, Empires of the Deep failed to find distribution in 2014, and a 2016 crowdfunding campaign failed to help get it on to screens. But if this really is it – if Batgirl really is destined to be locked in a vault unseen until the end of time – then at least it finds itself in decent company. A $130m underwater 3D fantasy starring Olga Kurylenko as the queen of the mermaids sounds like the best film of 2011. Until this week, it was hard to look upon the imminent Batgirl movie with anything but a wearied sigh.

Los Angeles: 'Batgirl' won't be taking a flight. The feature film adaptation of the DC Comics character, has been cancelled at Warner Bros., reports Variety ...

‘Batgirl’ was budgeted to screen in homes on HBO Max, and not for a major global release in theatres. Footage for the animated adaptation of the ‘Scooby-Doo’ series was showcased in a sizzle reel for HBO Max back in December 2021. Also on the chopping block, ‘Scoob!: Holiday Haunt’, a follow-up to the 2020 film ‘Scoob!’ has been shelved by the studio.

"Batgirl," the feature film adaptation of the DC Comics character, has been killed at Warner Bros. and won't be released on any platform.

And it’s not like “Batgirl” was a small movie, either. Studio insiders insist the decision to axe “Batgirl” was not driven by the quality of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers, but by the desire for the studio’s slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale. “She’s a biker chick, so you’re going to see her do a bunch of badassery… Footage for the animated adaptation of the “Scooby-Doo” series was showcased in a sizzle reel for HBO Max back in December 2021. Also on the chopping block, “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt,” a followup to the 2020 film “Scoob!,” has been shelved by the studio. It will not premiere on any platform at the studio — neither theatrically nor on HBO Max.

The DC Comics film, which was set to feature Hollywood stars Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, JK Simmons and Leslie Grace, was scrapped after receiving poor ...

A new TV studio is being developed at the city’s Kelvin Hall thanks to almost £7.9 million of funding from the Scottish Government and £4 million from GCC. Some of the big-name productions shot in the city last year included: The Flash; the fifth Indiana Jones film; Batgirl, the first major film production to be entirely based in the city; Tetris; Annika; Shetland; The Control Room; and Screw, the latter being filmed in the Kelvin Hall. The figure is the highest sum generated for the city’s economy from the film and broadcast sector to date, according to the Glasgow City Council’s (GCC) film commission, the Glasgow Film Office (GFO).

A truly bizarre situation unfolded in Hollywood yesterday as an avalanche of sites began to report that Warner Bros. would not be releasing its upcoming ...

But that can only happen if you do not monetize the movie at all, no release in theaters, nor on HBO Max, and it cannot be sold do a different studio either. All of this seems like a part of WB’s grand plan to rework the DC universe under new management, given how fractured its become and how troubled many of its projects are, whether that’s actor issues or production quality. A truly bizarre situation unfolded in Hollywood yesterday as an avalanche of sites began to report that Warner Bros. would not be releasing its upcoming Batgirl movie.

The movie Batgirl, which had completed shooting and was in post-production, was cancelled on Tuesday to cut costs and focus more on theater-based releases.

The project was approved in 2021 with a focus on the David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, recently oversaw the shutting down of CNN’s $300 million streaming service, CNN+, just a month after it was launched. The film, which was to see Fans might want a repeat of what happened with Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League with Batgirl, too. Batgirl will instead become one of the American movies that haven't been released. Despite being surprising, the move is hardly shocking because business experts had already noticed that Comic-Con 2022 passed by without any mention of the film.

Sorry, DC universe fans: the movie, which starred 'In The Heights' actress Leslie Grace in the title role, will not be released theatrically or on HBO Max.

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

"Batgirl" was slated for release on HBO Max and would have starred “In the Heights” actress Leslie Grace, plus Michael Keaton as Batman.

And even the star power of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the upcoming “Black Adam” isn’t enough to offset the flood of continual bad news. But the biggest holy cow moment of all from “Batgirl” was going to be the return of Keaton as Batman. There are few bigger deals in comic book culture than his answering a Bat-signal’s call in the 21st century. “Batgirl” making it this far only to never be seen is a new black eye for WB/DC, which continues to stumble over its own good intentions by not having a true Kevin Feige figure to come up with a master plan for its superheroes. Simmons is best known for giving one of the all-time great superhero movie performances in Sam Raimi’s original “Spider-Man” trilogy as Daily Bugle editor in chief J. Jonah Jameson. If Simmons is in your superhero movie, it’s a big deal. If Zachary Levi’s Shazam was standing heroically over Henry Cavill’s Superman with lightning striking behind him in an ode to “ Kingdom Come,” you think people wouldn’t pay money to see that? Now that the Warner Bros./Discovery merger is complete, it seems the expectations for live-action adaptations featuring DC characters has changed drastically.

InIn 1989, Alan Moore wanted to write a comic about what a man does when driven to the point of insanity. In the comic book, The Killing Joke, the Joker ...

But the fan campaign to make that film happen also turned out to mainly be made up of bots and fake accounts. But the rest of us are going to suffer. More likely, Batgirl is just a victim, again, of a corporation out to make a buck. When you’re a giant unwieldy mess of a merger, you have to be ruthless. According to Variety, the film was tucked away, never to be seen, not because it was a bad movie but because the massive entity now known as Warner Bros. Discovery wanted a tax write-off. When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, it promptly killed a live-action Lumberjanes show, threatened to get rid of Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit for fear of offending brand loyalists with a happy-go-lucky Adolf Hitler, and shoved the perfectly lovely The New Mutants in the vault. In the comic book, The Killing Joke, the Joker kidnaps and tortures Jim Gordon to see if he can drive him to the point of insanity that both the Joker and Batman have already reached in their own respective ways. Despite the fact that most of us have seen Batman Forever, Catwoman, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman 1984, Joker, Suicide Squad, Superman Returns, Jonah Hex, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and know just how tolerant Warner Bros. typically is of dog-shit superhero movies. Maybe this is all an elaborate plan by Warner Bros. Discovery to drum up support for the film and foster a big movement by fans who will demand the company release it. I can only hope Warner Bros. Discovery wasn’t as cruel when it canceled the already completed Batgirl film this week. At the time, much was said about how awful The New Mutants was. In 1989, Alan Moore wanted to write a comic about what a man does when driven to the point of insanity.

With Batgirl being shelved just before completion, the status of Ezra Miller's Flash has further come into question.

For now, The Flash is still on track to be released on June 23, 2023; but that could change at any moment. As Keaton had reprised his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batgirl, and Affleck is supposed to reappear in Aquaman 2, one would assume that The Flash is an important cog in the DC machinery going forward. The short-short answer is that the studio is still thinking about what to do, with no decision in sight.

“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 ...

He also had a cameo in the upcoming Aquaman sequel, but due to The Flash’s release date change, that also had to be adjusted. The outlet pointed out how several of their sources say that Warner Bros. “will almost certainly take a tax write-down” on the project, but in doing so, the studio would “[not be able to] monetize [the] movie:” Even worse is that with this potentially being used as a tax write-down, the world will never release it. "The makers of the live action Batgirl and the animated Scoob! learned today that those films were being stopped in their tracks. “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. "Batgirl found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have released a statement to express shock and sadness over the decision for their already shot film to be killed.

“We’ll talk about how we’re going to do it, and when, soon,” he said. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. The $90m-budget film, which was intended to premiere on US streaming service HBO Max, had finished shooting and was being test screened. It’s reported that Discovery took on about $43bn of debt during the merger. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. “Batgirl For Life.”

The directors of "Batgirl" said Wednesday they were "shocked" that the $90 million dollar superhero film had been axed by the studio and will now not be ...

The decision, which was driven partially by a need to bypass Covid-hit theaters in 2021, was not popular among creatives and appears to have been rolled back after the tie-up with Discovery. Star Grace ("In the Heights") had told interviewers how excited she was to have landed the roll, and how thrilled she was to be working with Keaton and other luminaries. The directors of "Batgirl" said Wednesday they were "shocked" that the $90 million dollar superhero film had been axed by the studio and will now not be released in any format.

Just as the film was in post-production, management at Warner Bros Discovery decided to pull the plug on the DC Comics film BatGirl, despite it having a ...

It would not be surprising to see the company shut down several cable networks whose outlook is bleak. One area which is likely to be hit is cable networks. At the same time, they also gave thumbs down to airing the animated film “Scoobi! Holiday Haunt” which was estimated to have a $40 million budget.

The film boasted A-list stars and a much-loved DC Comics character - but it will never be seen.

They also thanked the cast and crew for doing a “tremendous job” and working “so hard to bring Batgirl to life”. “We still can’t believe it. In a statement posted to Instagram, the directors said they were “saddened and shocked by the news”.