If a new report is to be believed, then Batgirl may never see the light of day.
The New York Post claims an inside source told the paper that Warner Bros. plans to scrap Batgirl, which was expected to debut on HBO Max. "They think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable," the source said, pointing to the film's alleged reception at test screenings. The news was quickly corroborated by The Wrap and The Hollywood Reporter, though neither outlet claimed it was due to the film's quality. Variety, meanwhile, seemed to put the entire matter to rest: "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." The film is estimated to have cost between $70 and $100 million at the time of its cancellation.
Batgirl wrapped production in March 2022, and since that time, directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have regularly talked about the upcoming movie. "I think that we're still going to try to have the same visual vibrancy that is our trademark, you could say, and homages to the comic book, homages also to the animated series of Batman, and the Tim Burton movies," El Arbi said in July. "So that's what we're trying to do with that, but obviously, it's going to be a bit darker than Ms. Marvel's world."
The duo also helped bring Ms. Marvel to Disney+ -- and much acclaim -- and all signs pointed towards Batgirl being another hit. But it's possible something else is at play given the shakeup at Warner Bros. since the company merged with Discovery.
Is The Batgirl Movie Dead?
Batgirl does not yet have a release date and Warner Bros. has not responded to the story. In April, word emerged that like Blue Beetle before it, Batgirl may shift to a theatrical release. And interestingly, the DC film was confirmed to be getting a theatrical debut in the UK. It's possible that the project was deemed too expensive for a streaming release, especially as reports have swirled that new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is looking to cut costs wherever possible. It wouldn't be the first victim of the new regime either, as the Wonder Twins movie was also scrapped in May, though that film had only recently been announced and had yet to start production.
While the news seemingly came out of nowhere, Batgirl had no presence at San Diego Comic-Con this year despite many assuming it was due out later in the year. Instead, Warner Bros. and DC highlighted upcoming films Black Adam and Shazam! Fury of the Gods, making no mention of the Leslie Grace-starring film. Warner Bros. has yet to respond to the reports, so Batgirl fans will have to wait to see what's really going on.
Source: The New York Post, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety