The Batgirl film was cancelled late into its production as a result of restructuring and tax-related reasons after the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger.
The unreleased Batgirl film offered a chance for fans to finally see Batgirl star in her own live-action film and featured an impressive cast.
However, the film was cancelled as a result of new strategic directions, tax-related reasons and a bad reception with test-audiences after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger took effect.
About the unreleased Batgirl film
Although Batman has had many different appearances as the lead in film franchises, animated series, and off course, comic books, fans have seldom had the chance to see Batgirl in the spotlight.
This is why some fans were so excited to hear about the news of a new live action film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) based on the iconic Barbara Gordon or Batgirl character.
The Batgirl film would be directed by the same directors that took the lead in Ms. Marvel miniseries, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
To add to this excitement, the Batgirl film would also feature that breakout star from Into the Heights, Leslie Grace in the lead role and other big names like J.K. Simmons, Michael Keaton and Brendan Fraser.
Why did Batgirl get cancelled?
However, even with the building excitement for the film and production being well under way, Warner Bros. decided to cancel the release of the film, which should have happened in late 2022.
This announcement followed closely after WarnerMedia merged with Discovery and David Zaslav became the CEO of the newly formed entity, Warner Bros. Discovery.
The announcement that a film which had such a massive budget to begin with and was already in the late stages of production, would be cancelled so suddenly, sparked outrage in the industry and with fans.
Executives first justified the film’s cancellation by saying that they found it was ‘irredeemable’ after the first screenings with test-audiences. However, with time a few other reasons have emerged about why Batgirl ended up being cancelled.
Zaslav is a notoriously budget-driven CEO and he has mentioned that the studio is not interested in releasing films that are not going to make money and that the studio does not believe in.
Leading to some experts opining that the film being pulled from theatrical and streaming releases reflects the fact the studio is still planning to restructure itself moving forward.
Company executives also later explained that the cancellation of the Batgirl film reflected the new strategic shift of the company and was not a reflection on the cast or crew.
It was also confirmed that the studio believed that it was a better financial decision to use the film as a tax write-off instead of releasing it commercially.
How far along was the Batgirl film before it was cancelled?
Although it is not totally unheard of for films to be cancelled, what shocked most people about the Batgirl film being cancelled was that the film was basically already finished and ready for release.
Multiple insiders working on the film confirmed that Batgirl was already in the post-production stages and was all-but ready to release before it was cancelled. This is what makes it so surprising that Warner Bros.
Discovery would stop a film in its tracks when it was already basically finished and that they would not try to get some sort of return on the $90 million that had already been invested in the project, instead of relying on the tax write-off.
How did the industry react to the news of the Batgirl film being cancelled?
Many people in the industry as well as those who worked on Batgirl released official and anonymous statements detailing how they felt about the film’s late-stage cancellation.
They pointed out that it was a shame to see the great work of the cast and crew go to such waste and disappear into the same sort of limbo that the #SnyderCut once found itself in, only due to poor financial planning on the studio’s part.
What are the plans for the DCEU under Warner Bros. Discovery in the future?
Although the Warner Bros. Discovery executives have denied that Batgirl being cancelled is a reflection on the studio’s larger plan to cut down on the DCEU entirely, it is still clear that the studio is planning some major restructuring.
It is likely that the DCEU will be moved to be its own separate entity under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, and may even need its own head to reorganise and recoup the franchise.