Jason Blum, the CEO of Blumbouse Productions, recently shared his thoughts about Warner Bros. canceling the nearly completed Batgirl film.
Speaking with Variety, Blum stated, "I was surprised by it, but I understood why they chose to do it. You have a new management, so they want a new start and to brand DC in a certain way." He went on to draw a comparison between how directors at Blumhouse Productions "trade big budgets for controls" and the situation at Warner Bros. "We borrowed the French auteur system and applied it to very commercial filmmaking," Blum explained. "We give them more control than they typically get in Hollywood, but they have to give us something as well: a commitment to make movies inexpensively."
"The way studio filmmaking works is correlated to budget, the more expensive the movie, the more time the director is strategizing on how they are going to get their way," Blum continued. "On a $200 million movie, the director is spending 80% of their time on politics and 20% actually making the movie. On our $4 million movie, 100% of time is spent on making a good movie."
Mixed Reactions to Batgirl's Cancellation
Many other prominent individuals in the entertainment industry have shared their thoughts about Batgirl's abrupt and unprecedented cancellation. Marvel Studios President and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige sent his condolences via email to co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, writing, "My friends I had to reach out and let you know we are all thinking about you both." The mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe also thanked the pair for their "amazing work" on Ms. Marvel.
In contrast, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu threw shade at Warner Bros by parodying the scenario with a fake Disney movie. In a tweet, the actor wrote, 'I'm sorry to inform you guys that Disney has decided to scrap the Shang-Chi Holiday Special due to quality control concerns. I had already filmed the entire thing. I even designed an all-gingerbread Ta Lo. RIP Shang Chi and the Legend of the TEEEN GOLDEN RIIIIINGS."
Warner Bros. has attempted to explain its reasoning behind the cancellations since the announcement. A common thread amongst the various reports and statements is assertions that the almost-finished movie is of poor quality. For example, one test audience compared Batgirl to "a bad episode of TV."
Batgirl was originally slated to debut on HBO Max later this year.
Source: Variety