Fans couldn’t believe it when they found out that the Batgirl cancelled rumors were true. On her Instagram post, Leslie Grace wrote, “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!”
What happened? Why spend 70-90 million dollars on a film in the first place if it was going to be canned in the end? Who were to blame for this? Is the Batgirl star Leslie Grace partly to blame for any of this?
Answers to all these questions and more are coming right up as we dig deep to find out why is Batgirl not being released.
The Backstory
Did Batgirl movie get cancelled? This question was not put to rest until Warner Bros. themselves released an official statement. It said:
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
Nobody in the fandom or the entertainment industry believed it at first. New York Post was the first one that came out with a report on it but since Warner Bros. hasn’t yet made any official statements, no one took it seriously. But then news started trickling in and sadly, that’s what happened.
But why is Batgirl being cancelled?
Let’s back up a bit and take a look at the Batgirl situation in the eyes of the New York Post. It said that the screen tests that were done were so poorly received by its moviegoers. So much so that the studio eventually decided to cut its losses and run to save the brand’s future. It was said to be a disaster. The New York Post source was also quoted as saying, “They think the unspeakable ‘Batgirl’ is going to be irredeemable.”
The test screening it was referring to is the preview screening of a movie or TV show before it is released to the general public. This is done to gauge what the audience’s reaction is going to be. Such preview audiences are chosen from a cross-section of the population. These individuals are then asked to give feedback or answer a questionnaire afterward.
It Was The Most Sound Financial Decision The Studio Could Make
According to Variety, the studio needed to shell out more money to expand Batgirl’s scope for theaters. Not to mention the additional %20-%50 million necessary to market it domestically, plus even tens of millions more for the movie’s global rollout. This would almost double the film’s spending. Internally, they saw it as the most financially sound way to do it if they wanted to recoup the cost.
What exactly does this mean? It means that the movie was seen as so bad it’s not possible to put it in theaters because it will not make anything at the box office. And it won’t even make enough money that will cost them to finish, market, and roll out the film internationally.
How about HBO Max? The studio thought that it is not a good idea either because no one is going to sign up for HBO Max just to watch this movie. In short, the only possible way they can recover from this financially is just to finish the film and get a tax write-down from it.
Why Didn’t They Just Kill It Halfway Through Production?
Simple, because it was the previous studio owners who made these deals. But this only proved Warner Brother’s new regime how bold and decisive its leadership is. They are totally committed to changing the direction of DC.
The studio’s new head David Zazlab wants to change the DC content so people could see it the way it deserves to be seen, and not as second-class citizens to Marvel. He knew that releasing a subpar Batgirl film will not change this image. A hard choice needed to be made and that’s exactly what he did.
But Isn’t Batgirl Cancelled Disrespectful to Everyone Involved in Making the Film?
Everyone got paid. The actors, directors, producers, the staff and crew, along with everybody else who worked on the film. So, they had to choose between putting out another not so good movie or just killing it. They want to put only high-quality films for the audience, which is amazing.
Could The Flash Movie Also be in Danger?
While the frustration over Warner Brother’s handling of The Flash had been well documented, there are two major differences between Batgirl cancelled and The Flash’s situation. Everything that’s been heard about The Flash movie is really good, as in the movie is really good. Second of all, while Batgirl has a $70-90 million hit, Flash is more than double this amount. That’s over $200 million at stake we are talking about.
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