Batgirl movie reportedly axed according to media reports. Despite it hefty price tag, the other nighttime crusader of Gotham will not be seeing the light of day.
Batgirl Movie Reportedly Axed According To Media Reports
Warner Bros. Discovery will no longer be releasing Batgirl in theaters or on its HBO Max streaming platform, as per several media reports. The DC live-action flick which is featuring Leslie Grace in the lead role as the superhero/Barbara Gordon, also have appearances from Michael Keaton as Batman and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon.
And according to The Hollywood Reporter, production costs alone exceeded the roughly original $80 million budget due to COVID-related reasons and measures thus sending the price tag to nearly $90 million. The film which is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, reportedly finished shooting and was then expected to debut on HBO Max this very year.
Why Was the Movie Canceled?
The movie, Batgirl has been in the works since 2017, with the casting of Grace announced in 2021. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision of Warner Bros.’ to cancel the movie is as a result of the studio wanting to instead invest big dollars in DC blockbusters versus streaming releases. Under David Zaslav’s new leadership as CEO of the company, Warner Bros is now focusing on streamlining and cutbacks across the board following the merger of both WarnerMedia and Discovery.
Fans Reaction to the News
The move has some fans of DC to the extent of wondering about the status of another upcoming DC Extended Universe adaptation: The Flash. Ezra Miller stars as the main character. And over the past couple of months, the actor’s has faced various allegations and legal issues over his conduct. The Flash already has a planned theatrical release for 2023, but it’s however unclear whether controversy surrounding the Miller character will affect a decision to move forward.
Other Movies to Face the Axe
Batgirl is not the only HBO Max movie to be axed as the studio has also decided to axe Scoob!: Holiday haunt, which is the sequel to Scoob.
And although Batgirl is out of the picture, the future film release of DC include Aquaman 2, Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
