Why Did Warner Bros. Decide Not To Release The DC Movie Batgirl?

The DC movie Batgirl had a $75 million budget, that rose to $90 million due to COVID-related problems. Filming had been completed some months ago and was undergoing test screenings. Meanwhile, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were working through the post-production process. On top of this, Batgirl’s star, Leslie Grace (In the Heights) had given many interviews. She had expressed her enthusiasm for landing the title role while working with co-stars Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons and Brendan Fraser. According to the Daily Mail, the movie was almost finished and fans were getting excited. What led Warner Bros. Discovery to scrap the whole thing?

Warner Bros. scraps Batgirl

According to informed sources, it was likely taxes that caused the project to be scrapped. Apparently, Batgirl was made under a different regime at Warner Bros., headed by Jason Kilar and Ann Sarnoff. In fact, the regime was focused only on building its streaming service, HBO Max.

Meanwhile, this effort also included Kilar’s decision to release the entire 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously on the streamer. While this did boost the subscriber base, it also threatened the studio’s reputation with top-tier talent.

Before David Zaslak became CEO of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery, he went on a listening tour in an effort to repair the company’s relationship with the stars. It was no secret that Zaslav reversed Kilar’s strategy while being committed to releasing first-run feature films in theaters prior to streaming on HBO Max.

Not big enough or small enough to survive

This is where Batgirl got hit, as apparently, it wasn’t big enough for a major theatrical release. However, it was also not small enough to make economic sense in the cutthroat streaming landscape. In fact, it wasn’t worth spending money to expand Batgirl’s scope for theaters, along with the $30 to $50 million needed to market it, plus millions more for a global rollout. This would have almost doubled the spending on the movie. Meanwhile, insiders said it was a non-starter for a company worrying about the bottom line.

While releasing Batgirl on HBO Max might seem the best option, the company shelved it, along with the “Scoob!” sequel. Meanwhile, sources say it will likely take a tax write-down on both movies.

Obviously, the decision will hit its star, Leslie Grace, hard. However, she has made a post on Instagram about the movie’s cancellation. Grace wrote:

Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!”

#Batgirl for life!

Let’s hope the cancelation ends up with more opportunities for Lesley in future movies.