Why Did Warner Bros. Cancel ‘Batgirl’ Film?

Rumors swirled and then later confirmed that the Batgirl movie has been cancelled by Warner Bros.

To  put it into perspective, Batgirl was fully shot and cut together with most of its special effects in place. This means the studio decided to shelve a nearly completed product with no intent on ever releasing it. This will cost Warner Bros around $70 to 90 million. Simply put, it is unprecedented to cancel a project so late in its production.

It was initially reported by The New York Post that the movie was axed due to poor test audience reception and “the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future.” However Deadline reported that the dramatic axing is is due to some leadership restructuring from Warner Bros’ recent merger with Discovery. Furthermore, it seems that the movie’s cancellation maybe a strategy to get a tax write-off.

Warner Bros. Official Statement on ‘Batgirl’

Warner Bros. released an official statement about Batgirl and the other axed project Scoob! Holiday Haunt. However, it does not shed too much light on the matter.

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.

 

We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.

Leslie Grace’s Response

Regardless of the exact reason why the studio decided to drop the movie, it is a hard time for all the film’s actors and production team that their hard work will not be screened.

Barbara Gordon actress Leslie Grace took to Instagram to express her disappointment.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace)

Additionally, the film’s directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah posted their reactions to the cancellation on Instagram.

 

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A post shared by Adil El Arbi (@adilelarbi)

It is also a huge blow to the fans who wanted to see Batgirl on-screen. We have not seen a Batgirl in a film since the over-the-top Batman and Robin back in 1997. Will we ever seen Barbara Gordon again? Hopefully one day.

Source: Deadline.com, Superherohype.com

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