'Batgirl' Movie Canceled: Why Did Warner Bros. Scrap Nearly-Finished Film?
The upcoming "Batgirl" movie officially left the spotlight as Warner Bros. decided to cancel it.
DC fans were hyped after "Batgirl" confirmed its debut on HBO Max this year. "Bad Boys for Life" filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah started working on it with Leslie Grace as the lead star.
Although "Batgirl" wrapped production earlier this year, the nearly-finished flick would not be able to show its storyline anymore.
The Wrap reported that the $90 million film was already scrapped after going through COVID-19 issues and shutdowns.
After it was first announced in 2017, Avengers director Joss Whedon committed himself to it but exited the next year.
Due to these setbacks, its budget ballooned to that amount already. It added that Warner Bros.' new management wants DC movies to be as big as possible.
Unfortunately, the "Batgirl" film was only made as a streaming movie and not a big theatrical release.
Meanwhile, The New York Post disclosed that the test screenings of "Batgirl" were so bad that the studio thought that its release could damage the brand instead.
"Studio insiders insist the decision was not driven by the quality of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers, but by the desire for the studio's slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale," another explanation shared by Variety disclosed.
After the cancelation reports emerged, a new source told Variety that the cancelation actually had something to do with taxes.
Warner Bros. also chopped "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt" from its plans. The follow-up to the 2020 film cost the company $40 million.
DC To Offer Other Flicks Instead
Following the "Batgirl" cancelation, the company pledged to offer them DC flicks soon.
For this year, "Black Adam" and "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" are expected to arrive on October 21 and December 21, respectively.
Meanwhile, "The Flash" will reach its ninth and final season in 2023 with a 13-episode run. The number made it the shortest season length in the history of the show.
It was no longer surprising to some as there were talks about its ending since star Grant Gustin had only committed to a one-year deal back in January.
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"So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show's incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world," "The Flash" executive producer/showrunner Eric Wallace said.
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