Batgirl

"Batgirl" was slated for release on HBO Max and would have starred “In the Heights” actress Leslie Grace, plus Michael Keaton as Batman.

And even the star power of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the upcoming “Black Adam” isn’t enough to offset the flood of continual bad news. But the biggest holy cow moment of all from “Batgirl” was going to be the return of Keaton as Batman. There are few bigger deals in comic book culture than his answering a Bat-signal’s call in the 21st century. “Batgirl” making it this far only to never be seen is a new black eye for WB/DC, which continues to stumble over its own good intentions by not having a true Kevin Feige figure to come up with a master plan for its superheroes. Simmons is best known for giving one of the all-time great superhero movie performances in Sam Raimi’s original “Spider-Man” trilogy as Daily Bugle editor in chief J. Jonah Jameson. If Simmons is in your superhero movie, it’s a big deal. If Zachary Levi’s Shazam was standing heroically over Henry Cavill’s Superman with lightning striking behind him in an ode to “ Kingdom Come,” you think people wouldn’t pay money to see that? Now that the Warner Bros./Discovery merger is complete, it seems the expectations for live-action adaptations featuring DC characters has changed drastically.

InIn 1989, Alan Moore wanted to write a comic about what a man does when driven to the point of insanity. In the comic book, The Killing Joke, the Joker ...

But the fan campaign to make that film happen also turned out to mainly be made up of bots and fake accounts. But the rest of us are going to suffer. More likely, Batgirl is just a victim, again, of a corporation out to make a buck. When you’re a giant unwieldy mess of a merger, you have to be ruthless. According to Variety, the film was tucked away, never to be seen, not because it was a bad movie but because the massive entity now known as Warner Bros. Discovery wanted a tax write-off. When Disney acquired Fox in 2019, it promptly killed a live-action Lumberjanes show, threatened to get rid of Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit for fear of offending brand loyalists with a happy-go-lucky Adolf Hitler, and shoved the perfectly lovely The New Mutants in the vault. In the comic book, The Killing Joke, the Joker kidnaps and tortures Jim Gordon to see if he can drive him to the point of insanity that both the Joker and Batman have already reached in their own respective ways. Despite the fact that most of us have seen Batman Forever, Catwoman, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman 1984, Joker, Suicide Squad, Superman Returns, Jonah Hex, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and know just how tolerant Warner Bros. typically is of dog-shit superhero movies. Maybe this is all an elaborate plan by Warner Bros. Discovery to drum up support for the film and foster a big movement by fans who will demand the company release it. I can only hope Warner Bros. Discovery wasn’t as cruel when it canceled the already completed Batgirl film this week. At the time, much was said about how awful The New Mutants was. In 1989, Alan Moore wanted to write a comic about what a man does when driven to the point of insanity.

The "Batgirl" film that was set to bring the DC Comics character to the big screen will no longer be released by Warner Bros., according to the studio.

"Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance," the statement added. "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." The movie was set to star "In the Heights" star Leslie Grace in the title role.

“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 ...

He also had a cameo in the upcoming Aquaman sequel, but due to The Flash’s release date change, that also had to be adjusted. The outlet pointed out how several of their sources say that Warner Bros. “will almost certainly take a tax write-down” on the project, but in doing so, the studio would “[not be able to] monetize [the] movie:” Even worse is that with this potentially being used as a tax write-down, the world will never release it. "The makers of the live action Batgirl and the animated Scoob! learned today that those films were being stopped in their tracks. “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. "Batgirl found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape.

"Batgirl" directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah can't believe their movie won't be released.

Instead, the new regime at Warner Bros. Discovery wants its DC superhero features to be at a blockbuster scale, which “Batgirl” was not because it was originally conceived specifically for streaming on HBO Max. “As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. The statement continues, “Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. “Batgirl For Life.” “We are saddened and shocked by the news. Warner Bros. announced Aug. 3 that it would not be releasing the $90 million “Batgirl” in theaters or on its HBO Max streamer despite the movie being fully shot and in post-production.

Warner Bros. recently abandoned plans to release 'Batgirl' — starring Leslie Grace and directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah — on HBO Max.

The high-profile project was originally greenlit as a straight-to-streaming title in an effort to boost subscriptions for HBO Max. Batgirl For Life.” The DC Comics adaptation cost an estimated $90 million to make.

The DC film about the superhero sidekick fell short of what the company wanted for its key comic book franchise and no longer fit with the studio's film ...

The company has also shelved a “Scoob!” sequel that was planned for HBO Max. Zaslav has promised Wall Street $3 billion in cost savings from the merger, but one of the people close to the company said that scrapping “Batgirl” was not a money-saving measure. Choosing to not release a film of that size means the company will have to eat the costs. The film, which cast “In the Heights” star Leslie Grace in the title role, was conceived with the small screen in mind. But the movie, as scripted and produced, also wasn’t a big enough of a spectacle to merit a full-blown theatrical release. Kilar left the company ahead of its combination with Discovery Inc. in a $43-billion deal that closed this year.

The DC Extended Universe film that stars In the Heights' Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl, was poised to stream on HBO Max or receive a theatrical ...

In the run-up to the March 2021 release of Zack Snyder’s Justice League on HBO Max, a number of executives and producers were targeted viciously by the Snyder Cut fandom, whose ranks were later found to contain a significant amount of fake accounts. The studio declined comment for this story but did offer a statement on Tuesday about Grace, calling her “an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.” Grace offered her own response to the news in a social media post early Wednesday morning. The consensus, according to the latter source, was that no amount of reshoots, editing, or effects could elevate Batgirl to that level, and the decision was made “to not throw good money after bad.” Insiders say Supergirl, which is in development, is not likely to move forward. One source familiar with audience testing for the film likened it to “a bad episode of TV,” while another said “it’s definitely not theatrical.” The new regime at WBD, headed up by David Zaslav, has handed down a mandate that DC films should be released theatrically or not at all. In a shocking turn of events, it will get neither and is being shelved altogether.

NEW YORK (AP) - Warner Bros. has axed the $90 million “Batgirl” film planned for HBO Max, according to a person connected with the film who was not ...

“The Flash,” scheduled for release next June, stars Ezra Miller who has been arrested twice this year in Hawaii, in a disorderly conduct case and on suspicion of assault. Yet marketing a movie like “Batgirl” for that kind of release would require tens of millions more. Under new Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav, Warner Bros. is shifting its strategy on film releases and trimming costs. I am beyond heartbroken.” The decision was highly unusual for such a high-priced and high-profile movie. While “The Batman” earlier this year performed well with $770.8 million in ticket sales, Warners' DC releases have been erratic and plagued by controversy.

Just as the film was in post-production, management at Warner Bros Discovery decided to pull the plug on the DC Comics film BatGirl, despite it having a ...

It would not be surprising to see the company shut down several cable networks whose outlook is bleak. One area which is likely to be hit is cable networks. At the same time, they also gave thumbs down to airing the animated film “Scoobi! Holiday Haunt” which was estimated to have a $40 million budget.

Warner Bros. Discovery allegedly will no longer be releasing its live-action 'Batgirl' movie, starring Leslie Grace, on HBO Max … or anywhere else.

News of Batgirl’s costly shelving comes days after a Bloomberg report about how Warner Bros. Discovery’s new president and CEO David Zaslav has mostly been appointing white men to top positions at the congloma-studio. The movie was meant to star In the Heights breakout Leslie Grace, and DC even released first-look images of her in the Batsuit back in October 2021, complete with a throwback utility belt and Barbara Gordon’s signature red hair. Ankler reports the decisions stem from the new strategy under David Zaslav, who took over from Jason Kilar and Ann Sarnoff in the spring, while Variety suggests the company could be looking to take advantage of a tax write-down. “We are saddened and shocked by the news,” said the directors. Although the movie was announced with a $70 million budget, reports say that COVID shutdowns caused the budget to inflate to over $90 million, which we guess counts as a “smaller” story in this era of superhero entertainment. The DC Comics adaptation was originally originally conceived and produced as an HBO Max release, was later being considered for a theatrical rollout, and will now have neither.

Leslie Grace would've been the rare Latina lead of a superhero movie had Warner Bros. released "Batgirl" in theaters or on HBO Max.

“As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. “She’s a biker chick, so you’re going to see her do a bunch of badassery… “Batgirl” directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah issued their own statement a day after the film got shelved, saying they were “saddened and shocked” by the news. “Batgirl For Life.” 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!” Warner Bros. announced Aug. 2 that it would not be releasing the $90 million “Batgirl” in theaters or on its HBO Max streamer, despite the movie being fully shot and in post-production.

“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 ...

Let them all underestimate me…And when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts.” That will be their weakness. 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.” That opportunity expires in mid-August, and allows WBD to not have to carry the losses on its books at a time when the studio is trying to find $3 billion in cost-saving synergies; this particular film costing around $70M. 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! Grace won the part of Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl after a final round that included Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch and Haley Lu Richardson as Deadline’s Justin Kroll first reported.

" I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film," Grace wrote on social media.

It’s all very positive, and very light on the “fuck you, Warner Bros. Discovery president David Zaslav.” Grace’s post comes not long after the film’s directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Falla, made their own social media statements about the cancellation, describing themselves as “saddened and shocked by the news.” 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!”

Warner Bros axed the Batgirl film planned for HBO Max, opting to shelve the $US90 million ($A130 million)...

Maybe one day they will insha'Allah (if God wills)." Batgirl, approved before WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery Inc, will instead simply not see the light of day. Movie that don't meet studio expectations are typically sold off or dumped with little fanfare.

"Batgirl" star Leslie Grace has responded to the news of the movie's cancellation with an Instagram post.

"I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! Grace isn't the only Batgirl star to have posted following the news, either. Ivory Aquino, who was set to play Alysia Yeoh in the movie, shared some behind-the-scenes clips of her and Grace doing karaoke with the caption "my #batgirl and karaoke fam for life."

Warner Bros. wants to reach the heights of Marvel Studios, but it lacks the patience and understanding of its characters to ever get there, writes The Hollywood ...

The universe is never given the chance to outrun the shadow of doubt or the narrative of failure that Warners created by doing the same billion-dollar-or-bust betting it’s still doing. Yes, there’s been plenty of good, even great, DC films to come from the studio over the past decade, but Warners has never stuck with anything long enough for it to gain real traction or a sense of escalation. If the studio would rather write down $90 million on a nearly completed Batgirl film, then it’s certainly not going to shell out for a $200 million movie not guaranteed to be a financial windfall. Of course, the argument is that the risk of Batgirl wasn’t worth the possible reward. Warner Bros. wants so badly to be where Marvel Studios is, but it lacks the patience and understanding of its characters to ever get there. It wants the easy money, which, should that thinking continue, will prove to be the death of the DCEU. What seems to be a more accurate assessment is that Warner Bros. isn’t in the business of making movies that aren’t guaranteed to line company coffers. The cancellation of Batgirl is just another mark on the Hollywood myth that films led by women and people of color don’t make money. An Afro-Latina-led Batgirl movie, directed by filmmakers of Moroccan descent, and starring a transgender Asian woman (Ivory Aquino), would have generated some positive buzz for the studio that wants to assure its audience that it’s committed to diversity. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the $90 million Batgirl had one test screening with unfinished effects that received a middling but passable grade. The cancellations of Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which until Tuesday were both in postproduction, have sent shock waves through Hollywood. In the case of Batgirl, social media pundits claimed the film was shelved because it was so bad it couldn’t be released. Warner Bros. isn’t in the business of making bad movies.

Batgirl star Leslie Grace has responded to the shock cancelation of the DC Comics movie, which has been shelved by HBO Max.

The company is scheduled to release its financial report later today (Thursday, August 4), which is expected to include further layoffs and plans for the direction of the business moving forward. “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” Batgirl‘s cancellation comes as WBD looks to slash $3 billion from its budget.

Actor speaks after the film, shot entirely in Glasgow on a $90m budget, was dropped from all platforms.

Any decision on the release of the production is very much a matter for Warner Bros. The £150,000 grant support has not been paid, and discussions continue with the producers.” Wider economic benefits to local supply chain and other businesses such as hospitality aren’t fully quantified yet, but they were very significant.” Speculation that the film’s quality was the determining factor behind the call not to let anyone see it has been questioned by some. “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! It is not yet clear whether Warner Bros will now send those invoices. “There’s crazy stunts, crazy drops,” Grace added.

Hollywood is still reeling from the unprecedented situation of WB opting to take a giant tax writedown on a $90 million Batgirl movie rather than release it ...

Again, it seems possible that Batgirl may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the scrapping of future DC projects as WB does a hard reset. "I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!" As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves.”

Leslie Grace, the star of "Batgirl" -- the $90 million DC film which was cut by Warner Bros. -- has spoken out about the unexpected twist of fate for the ...

Batgirl For Life,” El Arbi and Fallah added. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team,” they added. “We still can’t believe it.

The film's directors and star Leslie Grace have now reacted to news that their $90 million project will go unreleased.

“Say what you will about Marvel, but if we’re talking in purely strategic terms, there’s the vague suggestion of an overall plan.” In comparison, Warner Bros. and DC “just looks like absolute chaos. Warner Bros. Discovery also dumped an animated Scooby-Doo sequel set to premiere on the streamer, and is stripping the service of some original content. Rumors abound about the fate of the DC universe and HBO Max. Zaslav is expected to address business concerns later Thursday during a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call. 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!” Multiple HBO Max original movies have disappeared recently, including Seth Rogen comedy An American Pickle, Robert Zemeckis’s remake of The Witches starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer, and the Cole Sprouse and Lana Condor rom-com Moonshot as a way of cutting costs. A studio doesn’t get to drop a nearly completed reportedly $90 million film without raising some questions.

Images taken during the production of the Warner Bros. movie in February in Glasgow, Scotland, feature its star, Leslie Grace, as well as Oscar winner J.K. ...

He is also supposed to star as Batman alongside troubled actor Ezra Miller — who uses they/them pronouns — in “The Flash,” a movie that has been shelved until June 2023 due to their bizarre behavior and allegations of grooming allegations against them. In another shot, the stuntwoman clutches crew members as she climbs the stairs of a building. In one, an extra wearing a City of Gotham Police Department uniform flashed a peace sign at nearby paparazzi. The much publicized event, after all, is designed to boost exposure for forthcoming projects just like this one. He replaced Emmerich with MGM’s Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. However, photographers caught Keaton arriving in Glasgow during filming.

“We're not going to launch a movie until it's ready.” That was pretty much Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav's answer when asked about the recent ...

“Expensive films going to streaming … can’t find an economic value for it.” “There’s no comparison when you launch a film in motion picture theaters,” he said. “Our ambition to is bring Warners back and produce great, high-quality films,” the CEO said.

HBO Max's drastic decision to not release a completed movie is a reminder of the murky—and merciless—economics of streaming.

And just as the economics of streaming have started to look wobblier, the theatrical box office has gotten more robust, with hits such as Top Gun: Maverick displaying a real surge in enthusiasm from ticket buyers of all generations after a long pandemic lull. This one features a big brand-name heroine played by an actress of color (In the Heights’ Leslie Grace); the return of Michael Keaton as the Batman he played in Tim Burton’s hit movies; and a villain played by Brendan Fraser, a beloved actor in the middle of a feel-good comeback moment. That meant epics such as Dune and The Matrix Resurrections debuted partly on the small screen; the move angered filmmakers such as Denis Villeneuve and broke Warner Bros.’ long collaboration with Christopher Nolan, who is now making his next movie for rival Universal. According to Deadline, Zaslav has no interest in Kilar’s notion of making several films a year as HBO Max exclusives. After all, they can cost tens of millions of dollars to produce, and (pardon me for getting overly technical here) selling tickets for the general public to view them can help recoup that cost. In the world of moviemaking, it’s generally considered good business to release the movies you make.

The short-term financial circumstances of a merger make it an easy call to kill any project that isn't a sure thing.

But in this case, the financial incentives made that a much easier call than it might appear. Kill it now while the killing is easy and cheap, rather than wait until it becomes a literal liability. This window provides a “get out of jail free” card for the company to get any project that carries any risk of not being profitable off the books, at a unique moment when its termination becomes just another cost of the merger rather than a specific operational failure.