Batgirl Movie Axed

[Kyphael]

As reported by... well, every online news outlet, WB decided to axe the project. Reportedly, test screenings said the movie looked "cheap," despite reports refuting the decision was due to the quality of the film itself. We'll never see it since WB is writing it off, meaning they can't monetize it in any way, including an HBO Max release. I have mixed feelings. Batgirl is one of my favorite DCU characters, but I never got good vibes from the first screenshot. Costume looked cheap, like CW level cheap. I knew very little else about it because little else was ever reported. Here's the snippet from Wiki but there are tons of other articles on it.

Wikipedia: Canceled release
In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) no longer planned to release the film on HBO Max or theatrically,[1][44][45][46] despite its planned release in 2022 on HBO Max,[45] making the film "effectively dead". TheWrap reported that the company felt the film "simply did not work" and went against the new desire and mandate from CEO David Zaslav to make DC films "big theatrical event films". Despite this, the company hoped to work on other projects with El Arbi and Fallah and Grace.[1] Collider added that viewers of some of the first test screenings described the film as "a huge disappointment and looked cheap in comparison to other films", which could have been a factor in Warner Bros. Discovery's decision;[47] Variety refuted this notion that the quality of the film factored into the decision,[44] reaffirming, along with The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline Hollywood, that it was part of the studio's larger cost-cutting measures, given the budget increased from its initial $70 million to $90 million, and the desire for DC films to be theatrical blockbusters.[44][45][46] A subsequent Variety report indicated that, according to sources within WBD, the company had concluded that writing off the movie for a tax break would be the most "financially sound" way of recouping Batgirl's costs, as opposed to either moving the film to a theatrical release with additional investment, selling it to another distributor, or even releasing it as-is on HBO Max.[48]



Hopefully this doesn't discourage the studio from making a new movie soon. Babs deserves it.

[eschatological]

I haven't been keeping up with this project, but from the one still you've posted....it does look cheap.

[VMSmith]

They could have started with an actor that looks even somewhat like Barbara, and before anyone screams "racism!" I include Alicia Silverstone in that comment.

Second, they could have made a costume that doesn't look like someone raided an S&M leather shop that has a fetish for potato sack designs.

As for the story, well, we'll never know I guess. But presumably, it was pretty awful as well.

[Kaleredar]

Seems they've learned something that Sony didn't with morbius: If a movie is god-awful, you don't have to take the sunk-cost to finish it. Eating a loss earlier on might actually be cheaper than finishing production on the film, paying for post, paying for marketing, etc, etc, only to have it release and fail to make its money back.

The film market is at a state where it's both oversaturated with superhero films and still suffering from pandemic withdrawals for anything other than the mega-blockbuster hits, and even the marvel films haven't been on the most solid footing lately.

[Syegfryed]

They should just make an decent movie with Ben Affleck imo and then introduce her, i think he was one of the best batman, just the movies didn't do him justice(he).

I still think they should try to salvage the justice league, good actors, good characters, they just need decent writers

[SavoirFaire]

I won’t say I was looking forward to this as I’m more of an Oracle fan than Batgirl, but wow, how bad was it!

Half of what little interest i had in this movie was seeing Brendan Fraser as Firefly. I really wonder where they were taking that character and what he did with it.

This does make me wonder WTF is going on a WB. I hope Harley Quinn, Young Justice, Doom Patrol and Peacemaker are safe at least.

[VMSmith]

I hope Harley Quinn, Young Justice, Doom Patrol and Peacemaker are safe at least.

The Harley Quinn animated show is the absolute best superhero product being put out on TV/Film right now. I'm looking forward to watching the new season after it gets a little ways in.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

I'm curious if this is just the start of dc films getting axed. They have had a string of bad luck that's casting a shadow over the DCEU (Ezra Miller and Amber Heard, accusations of Zack Snyder personally being involved in the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut bot-brigade.)

[s_bushido]

accusations of Zack Snyder personally being involved in the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut bot-brigade

That's hilarious.

Post-Nolan DC movies have been pretty mediocre overall. Surprised to hear that one's being outright canned, though. I have no idea how often something like that happens, especially with a studio this big.

[Celement]

The batgirl tv series was awful as well.. unless they go full villain it's very hard to make batman sidekicks work. They need the big bat to play off of.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

That was Batwoman...different character than Batgirl

[Moose184]

Does it surprise anyone? If there is one thing WB knows how to do it's how to fuck up the DC franchise. They could have had a gold mine from DC but instead they axe Henry Cavill and get butt hurt over the Sydner Cut and axe his plans for movies. Still haven't got rid of abuser Amber Heard from Aquaman and still no action on Ezra Miller either.

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The batgirl tv series was awful as well.. unless they go full villain it's very hard to make batman sidekicks work. They need the big bat to play off of.

Was it as a whole awful? I was going to wait for it on Netflix to watch the first season and then the main star just quit the show so I never watched it.

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That's hilarious.

Post-Nolan DC movies have been pretty mediocre overall. Surprised to hear that one's being outright canned, though. I have no idea how often something like that happens, especially with a studio this big.

Man of steel was great. Wonder Woman was great. Wonder Women 2 was one of the worst movies of all time. Aquaman was great. BvS and Justice League was terrible but that was mostly due to studio interference.

[Celement]

Does it surprise anyone? If there is one thing WB knows how to do it's how to fuck up the DC franchise. They could have had a gold mine from DC but instead they axe Henry Cavill and get butt hurt over the Sydner Cut and axe his plans for movies. Still haven't got rid of abuser Amber Heard from Aquaman and still no action on Ezra Miller either.

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Was it as a whole awful? I was going to wait for it on Netflix to watch the first season and then the main star just quit the show so I never watched it.

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Man of steel was great. Wonder Woman was great. Wonder Women 2 was one of the worst movies of all time. Aquaman was great. BvS and Justice League was terrible but that was mostly due to studio interference.

I didn't watch it for long at all but for the little I saw in the first episode I couldn't stomach more.

[mitrooper]

WB is taking out the trash.
Good for them. Maybe they are finally wising up.

[OnlineSamantha]

Makes me sad, I wanted to see Babs on the big screen. But then again, if it's as awful as is implied here, maybe it's a good thing.

[Nosnogard]

That was Batwoman...different character than Batgirl

I had to Google them because I thought you were taking the piss, but they are actuallty different people! I never ever had any idea 0o (Seriously)

[OnlineSamantha]

I had to Google them because I thought you were taking the piss, but they are actuallty different people! I never ever had any idea 0o (Seriously)

To make matters more complicated, there are actually 3 different Batgirls.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

To make matters more complicated, there are actually 3 different Batgirls.

That part isn't that complicated really. I mean, pretty much every superhero has had a couple of different people taking that role. Batman has been Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jean Paul Valley, etc. Superman has been Clark Kent, Johnathon Kent, Connor Kent, etc. Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man...same deal.

The confusing thing is that Batgirl and Batwoman are two unique super hero identities all on their own. Whereas in Marvel... Susan Storm was the "Invisible Girl" for a long time until she finally decided that she, a grown-ass married woman with a kid, should probably start going by Invisible Woman.

[Tiwack]

Maybe they'll be able to introduce her in the next batboy movie and go from there...

[StillMcfuu]

They should just make an decent movie with Ben Affleck imo and then introduce her, i think he was one of the best batman, just the movies didn't do him justice(he).

I still think they should try to salvage the justice league, good actors, good characters, they just need decent writers

From what I understand Affleck doesn't want much to do with Batman. But I get the feeling that it might have more to do with the studio tying him down to the role for multiple years. Same complaints Craig had with Bond, it's not that he dislikes the role, but the way the studio domineers the actors time around the role/movie.

It's likely why we get Battfleck in cameo roles and reduced screen time and not a full out Batman movie.