The Batgirl film starring Leslie Grace has been shelved forever despite being in the post-production stage. According to New York Post, which broke the story, rumours say the film performed poorly during test screenings and Warner Bros decided to cut its losses.
The studio confirmed that the film will never get any release on either theatres of HBO Max. The calls for more information were declined, reported The Guardian.
The unexpected move comes as a surprise to many as the film had completed shooting. The project was helmed by Ms Marvel directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
The Hollywood Reporter wrote the budget of the superhero film played a role in flooring the film. Having filmed amid the pandemic, it rose to nearly $90 million. While the budget is lower than a typical DC superhero movie, the studio concluded that the losses will not be recovered from being released.
The New York Post reported that the budget exceeded $100 million. A source familiar with the events told the publication that "they think an unspeakable Batgirl is going to be irredeemable." Batgirl is now among the most expensive cancelled movie projects ever.
The film would have had Michael Keaton as Batman and Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl. JK Simmons was reprising his role as Commissioner Gordon and the titular character's father. Brendan Fraser was playing Firefly, a veteran who lost benefits and now wants to burn Gotham City as an act of revenge.
This is not the first drastic change Warner Bros has made in recent times. The studio went through a leadership change after merging with Discovery in May 2021. CEO David Zaslav shut down the streaming service CNN+ merely a month after its launch. The management is prioritising cost-cutting.
Cancelling Batgirl will allow Warner Bros to "take a tax write-down," reported Variety.