The unprecedented last-minute cancellation of Warner Bros’ Batgirl has sent shockwaves around the industry. The studio has spent upwards of $90 million on the movie, which completed its shoot earlier this year and was deep into post-production. Up until yesterday, we were anticipating a trailer drop soon and confirmation of its release date on HBO Max later this year.
Now all that’s up in smoke, with Variety reporting that Warner Bros is likely to claw back some money by treating Batgirl as a tax write-off, meaning it legally cannot be released. Many Hollywood insiders are shocked that Warner Bros would throw so much hard work in the dumpster, with the initial reaction of Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson summarizing the surprise:
So if Batgirl is toast, what does that mean for other DCEU projects? Blue Beetle is also in post-production right now and was greenlit under the same strategy of smaller-scale superhero projects intended to be HBO Max exclusives. We’re betting those working on that movie are going to be incredibly nervous right now, though this is a huge blow to the job security of anyone involved in a Warner Bros project.
The best Batgirl fans can hope for now is that the movie leaks somehow, though the chances of that happening are incredibly slim as Warner Bros will now have tightly locked down all digital copies. The tides are certainly shifting over at Warner Bros and it remains to be seen how (or if) they can release The Flash next summer.
More on the Batgirl situation as we hear it.