Warner Bros. Will Not Release DC Superhero Movie 'Batgirl'

Los Angeles, August 3 - In a major development, Warner Bros. Studio has decided to scrap the release of its upcoming film Batgirl, budgeted $80 million -$90 million. The DC superhero film, which has already completed filming, was supposed to arrive on the studio's streaming platform HBO Max later this year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is looking to boost its big event theatrical titles and "Batgirl" doesn't fall in that category. The studio has also canceled the release of the animated feature Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, which had a budget in the $40 million range.



The decision of scrapping the release of the two aforementioned films comes after a change in leadership at Warners, with newly appointed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav prioritizing cost-cutting measures and refocusing Warners on creating theatrical films rather than projects for streaming, as had been a priority for former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, per THR.

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, "Batgirl" stars Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl — the first Latina to play the role, along with Michael Keaton, back as Batman, J.K. Simmons as Barbara's father, Commissioner James Gordon, and Brendan Fraser as the villain Firefly.

During the covid-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. was the first to send its movies day-and-date on HBO Max and in theaters in a one-year experiment, a decision, which was largely criticized by some of the biggest Hollywood filmmakers. Under the new leadership at the company, will be looking to emphasize the importance of theatrical over streaming in terms of original movies.

Stay tuned...