This week, the DC movie franchise was dealt a blow.
"Batgirl," directed by "Bad Boys for Life" filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah and starring "In the Heights" actressLeslie Grace, has been scrapped. It will not be released in theaters as originally planned.
It's unusual given that the movie had wrapped filming and was in the test-screening phase, with just finishing touches needed, and had cost $90 million to make.
"I've never seen anything like the cancellation of a completed film," said a source in the comics industry who also works in the film industry.
The person told Insider that it was shocking that it was done with the word "Bat" at the front. Every sector of their business has a bat character. In any context, it's mind- incomprehensible.
After the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger, Warner Bros. Discovery has made a lot of cost-saving changes. The movie was scrapped to take a tax write down, according to Variety.
The company said the decision was not a reflection of Grace's performance, but a reflection of their leadership's strategic shift.
After years of behind-the-scenes chaos, the company has made getting DC movies on the right track a priority.
Variety reported in April that Warner Bros. Discovery wants to "overhaul" DC, including revitalizing underused characters like Superman.
DC has had some recent hits, such as "Aquaman" and "Joker," which both grossed over $1 billion worldwide, and some critical favorites, like "TheSuicide Squad" and "Shazam!" that didn't wow at the box office. DC movies have struggled to reach the same critical and financial heights as their counterparts from the other side of the world.
The company is going to have to deal with something. The actor was arrested twice this year in Hawaii, first on disorderly conduct and harassment charges, and then again on a second degree assault charge, prompting Warner Bros. and DC execs to call an emergency meeting about the actor's future in DC movies.
After getting pushed from this year, the film will be released in June of 2023.
It's easy to wonder why Warner Bros. Discovery took so long to stop "Batgirl" than the other. David Zaslav is committed to repairing the relationship between Warner Bros. and movie theaters after every WB movie was released simultaneously in theaters and on DVD.
It was made with a theatrical release in mind and has a production budget of $200 million. Michael Keaton was set to reprise his role as Batman in both films, but Warner Bros. wants characters who appear in "Batgirl" to first make their appearance in "TheFlash"
The "Batgirl" decision is a bad look, but shows that Warner Bros. is trying to establish a distinctive strategy with the DC Universe.
You can reach out to the author if you worked on the movie or have seen the film.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
