'Irredeemable' Batgirl movie unexpectedly cancelled despite being in final stages

[brooklynite]

The Guardian

The previously announced Batgirl film starring In the Heights actor Leslie Grace, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser will not be released at all, Warner Bros Discovery has unexpectedly announced, despite shooting already being completed and the film being in post-production.

Directed by Ms Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the film was initially greenlit in 2021 as part of a wider move at Warner Bros to create feature films specifically for the streaming service HBO Max. But the studio confirmed on Tuesday that the film would never get any release, either theatrically or on HBO Max.

It declined to provide further comment.

Batgirl was to have Keaton reprise his role as Batman, alongside Grace as the titular hero Barbara Gordon, JK Simmons as Barbara’s father, Commissioner Gordon, and Fraser as the villain Firefly.

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Wow. Expenses to the cutting room floor.

Perhaps some improprieties in the script that were way out there.

[jimfields33]

2. Must be pretty awful with those that watched some of it in post production

I’m sure they will try again.

[FBaggins]

3. Not released at all

They must have decided that taking the loss for tax purposes was worth more than what it could net if released to streaming.

And/or that it's so bad that it would damage the brand.

[TexasBushwhacker]

4. It was a project under the previous CEO

It produced to be streamed on HBO Max. The new CEO came in midway and decided he wanted ALL DCU movies to be big, splashy theatrical releases. It was already 25% over budget, and still not finished with post production. They screened it and decided that no amount of money would make it suitable for theatrical releases, so they're cutting there losses.