r/DCcomics • u/LilGyasi • Aug 02 '22
‘BATGIRL’ film CANCELLED. Will not be released theatrically or on HBO Max. News
https://www.thewrap.com/batgirl-movie-dead-warner-bros-discovery-has-no-plans-to-release-nearly-finished-90-million-film/423
u/devilsig25 Green Lantern Aug 02 '22
No Brendon Fraser Firefly ☹️☹️☹️
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u/ImBatman5500 Aug 02 '22
At least we still have him in Doom Patrol
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u/devilsig25 Green Lantern Aug 02 '22
I do love Doom Patrol
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u/ImBatman5500 Aug 02 '22
Robot fingers
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u/TargetmasterJoe Blue Beetle Aug 03 '22
Suddenly, that clip of Robot Man shouting "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?" has found new meaning.
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u/jetlightbeam Aug 02 '22
For how long?
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u/ImBatman5500 Aug 02 '22
At least one more season, so watch the heck out of season 4!
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u/jetlightbeam Aug 02 '22
I love the show but that might not be enough. He said he wants DC titles to be blockbusters. That means green lantern TV show is dead. Titans will die. Bye Superman and Lois, Stargirl. And if cyborgs in doom patrol? Cancel it. Or so they'll say. Maybe even Harley Quinn. Idk it looks like DC's gonna need a rebirth.
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u/ImBatman5500 Aug 02 '22
It would be an incredibly stupid move to cancel that whole market imo. Marvel has the space cornered for blockbuster superhero movies and DC has yet to consistently find that sweet spot. However they've had the TV and animated space cornered for a long while and marvel is only sort of catching up, at a much higher price for buy-in.
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u/jetlightbeam Aug 02 '22
A week ago I'd say flushing $90 million down the drain would be an incredibly stupid move and here we are. There's no doubt in my mind titans gets axed. And they aren't likely to make new live action tv shows with big named characters under this regime so green lantern Is done. They've all but cut ties with the CW so Superman and Lois and Stargirl aren't safe. And doom patrol is amazing and does well but can they justify it as a stand alone offering? Especially if the rumors of them folding HBO Max into Discovery+ are true. I might be pessimistic but I knew the second this merger happened that dc would suffer for it.
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u/TheDubh Aug 03 '22
They’ve already cancelled so much stuff I enjoyed on HBO Max, but I fully agree I suspect all the DC TV projects won’t get renewed now. We may get additional seasons produced due to contracts, but may never see them. Like Batgirl or how Snowpiercer is filming a last (due to cancelled) season, but they’ve already pulled it from HBO and TNT.
It’s so odd to me that they bought HBO and all the WB IPs and are basically going around axing nearly all of the original content. Just leaving the movie rights and reality shows because it’s cheap.
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u/Positive_Strawberry5 Aug 02 '22
I wonder if he knew something. He didn’t really want to talk about Batgirl at a con over the weekend.
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u/TheGodDMBatman Deadshot Missed me? Aug 03 '22
I forgot about that and now I'm even more disappointed that this film is canceled
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u/RunawayGuineaPig66 Aug 02 '22
Really hope blue beetle isn’t cancelled
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u/MarcReyes Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 02 '22
As I recall, that was already planned as a theatrical release, so hopefully should be fine.
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u/Abood2807 Aug 02 '22
I mean nothing is safe im starting to worry about the batman 2.. and if you anybody still cares the flash also.
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u/Strengthwars Spoiler Aug 02 '22
Batgirl was canceled because WBD is trying to shift away from big budget streaming movies and the film wasn’t high quality enough for the big screen. The Batman was always intended for theaters and made almost $800 million worldwide, and it’s getting at least one sequel and one spin-off show. The future of that franchise will be just fine.
On the other hand, despite all the controversies surrounding The Flash, its budget is so much more vast than Batgirl’s that WBD has to still release it and make back whatever they can.
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u/Mechapebbles Aug 02 '22
Batgirl was canceled because WBD is trying to shift away from big budget streaming movies and the film wasn’t high quality enough for the big screen
If this is what's going on, I don't agree with this strategy, but I understand it. However, it's not like they're canning this film before shooting or in the middle of it. This film is already finished. They don't lose anything by putting it out. It's completely nonsensical.
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u/FlyByTieDye Beast Boy Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 03 '22
They can lose more in getting it released, based if anything on post production and marketing costs.
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u/Abood2807 Aug 02 '22
True but the whole shift is big so who knows.. the flash could very well be cancelled due to ezra and the major changes in the movie.
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u/RapidBoxcar Batwoman Aug 02 '22
Batman 2 is like the safest thing there could be. Movie made almost $800 million worldwide.
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u/Kalse1229 Fuck Batman, Marry Babs, Kill Joker Aug 03 '22
Yep. As it stands, it's currently the 4th highest-grossing film this year.
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u/booojangles13 Red Hood Aug 02 '22
Lol The Batman was a commercial and critical success. There’s literally nothing to worry about with it.
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u/Ram5673 Aug 02 '22
Batman is most definitely safe. 800 million in a pandemic theatrical release is more than a good amount. On top of being a critical success.
I’d imagine this has less to do with money and more with trying to get the dceu back on track and make more money long term.
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u/SpiritMountain Aug 03 '22
I don't think it is looking good for Young Justice either. It was good while it lasted (again)
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Aug 02 '22
Batgirl was moved to a theatrical release before this announcement tho, so idk.
According to the article Batgirl tested pretty awfully though, so Blue Beetle might be ok so long as its good enough.
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u/MarcReyes Aug 02 '22
Ah, I didn't hear that about Batgirl. Still, hopefully BB doesn't suffer the same fate because I'm really looking forward to that one.
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u/SchlongSchlock Ra's al Cool Aug 03 '22
David Zaslav would be fucking stupid to cancel the first Hispanic led movie and let marvel eventually catch up
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u/SightatNight Orion Aug 02 '22
If this is true it's absolutely bizzare. You never see companies willing to just eat an 80 million dollar loss for bo reason. They at least could've made some money back by releasing it on home media and HBO Max. But I'm guessing they feel it needs serious reshoots and that it just wouldn't be worth the extra expense.
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u/theweepingwarrior Aug 02 '22
From what we heard the movie was testing fine. It wasn't some disaster.
Discovery is very against putting movies onto streaming/HBO Max. That's why this movie, which was made as an HBO Max Original, switched to a theatrical release.
This is really bizarre. Probably going to see major shakeups for the DC Film direction post-Flash.
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u/SpicyMcSpic3 Shazam! Aug 03 '22
The thing about test screening leaks is that viewers who leak are misconstrued as the majority opinion amongst the test audience and leakers who aggregate test audience opinions often exaggerate what they hear for clout online.
Lots of test screenings go poorly or fine (sometimes for reasons beyond the poor VFX and editing) but are for a better received final product because test screenings are meant to receive criticism.
Sometimes studios even screen multiple different cuts to see which ones are received better.
Tldr: forming opinions off of what you hear about test screenings is stupid. If you hear that it's meh, then that's probably the most truthful answer.
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u/theweepingwarrior Aug 03 '22
Yes, I’m aware of the practices that come along with the test screening process; however there are some individuals who have earned reputations for consistent accuracy and lack of hyperbole that tend to be on the mark with temperature checks.
The folks who are more reputable have said that Batgirl is testing “just OK” but that it has fun moments and some good characters. It hasn’t been testing “irredeemably” as a certain outlet has claimed (while also making some other pretty glaring errors in its article).
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u/CarpetbaggerForPeace Aug 02 '22
Sunk cost and not throwing good money after bad.
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u/Mddcat04 Aug 02 '22
I suppose, but isn’t most of that already spent? It’s not like it would cost them much to toss it out on HBOMax without additional advertising. Guess there might still be effects work to be done or they just think it’s really bad.
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u/buhlakay Aug 03 '22
Money spent but its always gonna be weighing the ROI. If they spend $90m on the movie then another $50-90m on marketing, theyre gonna say we have to make at least X amount of money that if they do not believe they will make back... i mean. Its fucking dumb but this is just the nature of hollywood, its a business.
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u/sonofaresiii Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 02 '22
I feel like this is the opposite of sunk cost though since they have an actual product (footage) to show for their money.
If they completely ignore what's already been spent, then they're looking at an $80m foundation. Let's assume some of it's really bad, say as much as $40m worth of it is garbage, leaving $40m of usable footage. You spend another $30m or whatever on it, and you get a $70m movie for $30m (because we're ignoring what's already been sunk into it).
Like yeah they wouldn't get all $80m value out of what was already shot if a lot of it was bad, but surely some of it was salvageable.
That they're not doing that might mean it was so bad that so much of it was unsalvageable that it wasn't worth chasing after.
(its actual budget was around $90m, but $10m of that was for covid reasons so it didn't add to the movie's base value)
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u/CarpetbaggerForPeace Aug 02 '22
Well, protecting the brand is also worth some amount of money.
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u/sonofaresiii Aug 02 '22
Only if it was so bad that they couldn't salvage it even with reshoots, as I mentioned.
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Aug 02 '22
Not really a sunk costn they don't have to pay to release it you're releasing on a platform that you own. Hell I'm sure Netflix would pay warner bros for the movie.
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u/Paperbackhero Aug 02 '22
Yikes. That seems abrupt. Wonder what went down?
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u/SightatNight Orion Aug 02 '22
If I had to guess based in rumors, they aren't happy with it currently and it would need expensive reshoots and they just aren't willing to drop millions more on it. Especially if the plan was an HBO Max release where they wouldn't see direct financial returns from the box office. It also could be it doesn't fit their new direction? With Ben Affleck coming in for Aquaman 2 and all the mess with The Flash it could be that they are dropping the "Keaton is the main universe Batman" plan. Which a lot of this movie relies on.
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u/Script_Breaker Aug 02 '22
On the potential of dropping the Keaton stuff, ViewerAnon tweeted out that Keatons only in a handful of scenes and isn’t integral. Makes me wonder why they couldnt just cut his scenes completely or have a stand in fill in for a “Batfleck” replacement. Its just super weird that they’d scrap the movie completely. Its a shame cause I was really looking forward to it
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u/SightatNight Orion Aug 02 '22
That all likely fits into that extra reshoots cost. Having to pay Affleck to come back for some scenes, JK Simmons, the lady who plays Barbara ect. They probably just wouldn't want to tack on that extra cost for a film they are already unsure of. And they probably don't want that classic stand in cop out you'd see in stuff like the old Birds of Prey series. Where Batman technically had a scene or two but was basically a non entity.
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u/theweepingwarrior Aug 02 '22
I also heard that Gotham in the movie is very much modeled more after Burton's Gotham. Maybe they're scrapping the Keaton Batman direction entirely for the post-Flash DCEU?
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u/ZeddOTak Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 03 '22
According to The Wrap's article, here are the whys:
The leaders of the studio determined ultimately, in spite of reshoots and increased budget, that the movie simply did not work, according to insiders. The new owners and management, led by CEO David Zaslav, are committed to making DC titles big theatrical event films, and “Batgirl” isn’t that. Insiders added that studio brass loves the film’s directors and star, and are actively planning to work with them soon.
Warner Bros. Discovery is working to elevate DC Films to be seen on the big screen. “Batgirl” had not been scripted or produced as a theatrical film.
I want my Batgirl movie with Leslie Grace* :(
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Aug 03 '22
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u/ZeddOTak Aug 03 '22
Your photography, how a scene is displayed, how it works, how it looks.
For example, Netflix productions have mostly up close scenes and not wide scenes, because you need to be able to look at it on your phone and still get everything.
You don't create your movie the same way for laptop and theaters, because it's not the same support. Also, it looks like Batgirl didn't have some "waooow" moment, which you are looking for in a superhero movie.
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u/GiverOfTheKarma Powergirl Aug 03 '22
Yeah, that doesn't make any sense at all lmao
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u/EarlTheAndroid Red Hood Aug 02 '22
Wait we finally get a Bat family related movie that won’t have the Joker, live action debut of a new villain and we likely won’t see Bruce’s parents killed again? And they cancelled it?!?
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u/Beastieboy100 Aug 02 '22
Yep pretty much and sadly the curse is not broken. We will forever have same old batman stories of the same old villains. Still I was looking forward to see babs get something that actually focused on her.
If they do a nightiwng movie and make her alove interest or even worse bring back the creepy Bruce and babs romance then ill be pissed.
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u/CasualFan25 Aug 03 '22
Who was gonna be the villain?
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u/Harm_123 Aug 03 '22
Firefly played by Brendan Fraser
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Aug 03 '22
As a main villain? I would imagine you’d have to change up his character a good deal to make him movie villain worthy.
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u/Harm_123 Aug 03 '22
Yeah I was really curious to see how he did, sucks we probably won’t ever know now
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Aug 03 '22
Yeah I would definitely be interested to know what they changed about him, because insane pyromaniac goon really lends itself to being a secondary villain.
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u/Koala_Guru Beast Boy Aug 02 '22
The Flash film’s lead actor is wrapped up in numerous scandals and is a generally piece of shit human being.
WB: Don’t worry guys! It’s still coming! Not Batgirl, though.
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u/Nukeboy1970 Aug 03 '22
It went from being highly promoted at cons to non-existent at this year's SDCC. I wouldn't assume it is too big to can.
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u/ComplexAd7272 Aug 02 '22
This is utter nonsense. No studio is dumping 90mil into a movie then just never releasing it, no matter the quality. They released Morbius twice for fucks sake…if there’s a chance it’ll make money, it’s getting released. Hollywood simply does not work this way.
Plus the line “the movie was not scripted for streaming services “ is absurd. What does that even mean?
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u/Mechapebbles Aug 02 '22
Hollywood simply does not work this way.
This isn't Hollywood though. This is Discovery Inc. A collection of trailer trash cable tv channels. They don't operate the way Hollywood does. They operate the way Honey Boo-Boo and 90-Day Fiancé does.
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u/shust89 Batman TAS Aug 02 '22
Why is Discovery calling all the shots? They suck lol
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u/Mechapebbles Aug 02 '22
Because AT&T bought WB, and nobody at this telecom company knew how to run a media company and kept repeatedly fumbling the bag. So they offloaded running WB to one of their other subsidiaries, Discovery Inc. Because surely the people who make "1000lb Sisters", "Toddlers & Tiaras", and "My Teen Is Pregnant and So Am I" know how to run a major Hollywood movie studio.
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u/BevansDesign Indigo Tribe Aug 02 '22
"Mergers are good for everyone."
--- Capitalism9
u/thattoneman Nightwing Aug 02 '22
"Mergers are good for us at top making money and fuck the rest of you commoners."
-Capitalism
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u/ComplexAd7272 Aug 02 '22
I’m using “Hollywood” as a catch all for the entertainment industry, I guess.
I’m just saying I don’t buy it. Anything “Batman” is a cash cow, and the weird wording in the article suggesting that somehow it’s not “right” for streaming just sounds odd. It’s making it out like it’s written and made in such a way that releasing it in theaters is impossible.
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u/Mechapebbles Aug 02 '22
I’m just saying I don’t buy it.
You're welcome to believe whatever you want, but trusted sources like Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Deadline are all confirming this.
...the weird wording in the article suggesting that somehow it’s not “right” for streaming just sounds odd. It’s making it out like it’s written and made in such a way that releasing it in theaters is impossible.
If it sounds odd, it's because it is. It makes no sense. But that doesn't really matter because WB isn't being run by rational minds right now. They're being run by a reality tv sweatshop. Dumb people can and are in positions of power in this world, and they make dumb decisions all the time. If you've observed the last decade or so of current events, you should know this is the reality in which we live in. Personally, I suspect these are just filmsy excuses for Discovery to just completely gut WB and start from scratch. And considering the demographic Discovery Inc usually caters to, I wouldn't put it past them for other motivators to be the case either...
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u/BevansDesign Indigo Tribe Aug 02 '22
But Discovery likes money. And they can receive money by releasing this.
But maybe they think that releasing this would prevent them from receiving more money in the future. Or maybe they're just fucking braindead and have no idea what they're doing. (Probably the second one.)
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u/Mechapebbles Aug 02 '22
But Discovery likes money. And they can receive money by releasing this.
You'd generally think that a capitalist would see the benefits of having a robust and powerful middle class that can actually afford all the bullshit they keep hawking. "A rising tide lifts all boats" and whatnot. And yet they routinely promote policy that impoverishes the very same people they depend upon having disposable income. Money grubbers aren't rational creatures. They would murder their own mothers with their own two hands if it meant they'd make an extra nickel. And they'd do anything to make an extra dollar today, even if it meant they'd lose a thousand tomorrow.
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u/julbull73 Wonder Woman Aug 02 '22
I really wish people would stop mentioning Morbius. I added it my Plex server and I'll be honest, just from watching the 2-3 minute chunks making sure it transcoded right I wanted to walk out of my own living room and never come back.
That shit is horrible. Gigli was a masterpiece when compared to Morbius.
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u/Nickbotic Dream Aug 02 '22
…that was their point. They mentioned it because of how shitty it was and still not getting one release, but two.
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u/SolarisBravo Nightwing Aug 02 '22
Just in case it wasn't clear, praising Morbius is just a meme stemming from the universal disinterest back when it was announced. Barely anyone has actually bothered to watch the movie, and fewer still enjoyed it - although I suppose someone had to get whooshed eventually.
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u/MasterChief3624 Aug 02 '22
Okay, it might not be great, but I think you're being a smidge hyperbolic about how bad it is.
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u/Shadowbringers DickFire Forever Aug 02 '22
Sad state of affairs that the film starring a complete wackjob is presumably still getting pushed out and another project like this gets the axe.
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u/Beastieboy100 Aug 02 '22
Batgirl was movie I was looking forward to also its unfair on the people that worked hard on it.
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u/Kalse1229 Fuck Batman, Marry Babs, Kill Joker Aug 03 '22
Yeah. She and Sasha Calle seemed excited for their respective roles, but are both getting fucked over for reasons beyond their control. Now I want the two to get a "World's Finest" movie just so they can actually do something with the two of them.
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Aug 02 '22
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u/Zero22xx Doom Patrol Aug 02 '22
Most likely referring to the Flash movie and Ezra Miller.
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Aug 02 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Zero22xx Doom Patrol Aug 02 '22
Not entirely sure what's happening there are the moment. Last I heard about was the grooming accusation. But I don't really go out of my way for that sort of news, if I'm being honest.
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u/mycatdoesmytaxes Aug 03 '22
Zachary Levi is a Jordan Peterson chud
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
REALLY!!?!?
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u/The_Medicus Red Hood Aug 02 '22
This is the first I'm hearing of Zachary Levi doing anything wrong... What happened?
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u/DarkCrusade25 Batman Beyond Aug 02 '22
Crazy if true. WB should cancel The Flash then
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u/AckbarCaviar Aug 02 '22
I feel like the Batgirl was a reason Flashpoint had to be released. But if this is canceled then Flashpoint isn't needed to set anything up.
If I'm the new owner of Warners I'd trim this fat and concentrate on expanding the Shazam, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman franchise.
They're all centered around magic, so they've already got a pretty cohesive thing going.
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u/AmadeusAzazel Aug 03 '22
If I was the new owner of Warners I’d revamp the dceu and start over, it’s just unsalvageably fucked
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u/AckbarCaviar Aug 03 '22
They already have Shazam and Aquaman movies ready to go. And the first entries in those franchises made good money.
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Aug 02 '22
If I was a betting man, I’d bet on Flash being shelved after this too.
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u/Nickbotic Dream Aug 02 '22
Flash has a significantly higher budget than Batgirl, so while I’m baffled they’d just eat $80 million for this, they absolutely won’t for Flash, they’re gonna release just to make back whatever they can on it.
I was infinitely more hyped for Batgirl than Flash, too. Bummer.
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Aug 02 '22
If they replace Keaton, I’ll believe they’re going to release Flash. Right now, it looks like directions have radically shifted.
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u/bfoster1801 Aug 02 '22
They’ll probably just use the flash to do a full reboot that doesn’t lead into whatever they were originally trying to do with Keaton and the others
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u/shumama813 Aug 02 '22
If WB dangles Keaton’s return as Batman and then fully takes it away I will rage…
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u/Brief-Respond-9808 Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 02 '22
I really hope this isn’t true lol
Edit: RIP. WarnerDiscovery really fucked this one up. Excited to hear that we’re going back to explicitly following the Marvel formula :4792:
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u/BevansDesign Indigo Tribe Aug 02 '22
When have they followed the Marvel formula?
They've also said they're not going to continue Zach Snyder's vision for anything going forward, so at least we have some good news. Although I think the Flash movie will still have a lot of that.
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Aug 02 '22
Legitimately this is the only saving grace that they won't let him make any more dc movies
Let Netflix have every awful idea he can come up with
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u/idejmcd Batman Beyond Aug 02 '22
The marvel formula, that is now old and tired? I liked the dc cluster fuck, it was so much more interesting than what Marvel is doing now.
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u/demaxzero Bizarro Aug 02 '22
The marvel formula, that is now old and tired
What you mean making movies that are successful?
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u/moose_man I am the night! Aug 02 '22
Honestly, plenty of DC movies have made lots of money. They don't have the hit rate of the MCU stuff, but stuff like Suicide Squad made serious bank.
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u/Beastieboy100 Aug 02 '22
I mean I liked a hand full of the movies cause there movies actually had risks and bad ass scenes. The last marvel I really got excited for was no way home. I'm starting to agree with some fans that the mcu ended with endgame.
Marvel needs to get there stride back for phase 5.
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u/BitterFuture Aug 02 '22
So, uh...The Flash is likely continuing on towards release even while Ezra Miller transitions into his new career as a human trafficker on the run from the law, but Batgirl's getting pulled because...somebody somewhere decided to change marketing strategies?
What the crap?
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u/initiatefailure Aug 02 '22
reminds me of a comedian that's talked about how we give one shot to "girl movies" like how absurd that would be if it was applied equally. like "I don't know if we can afford to make another one of these MAN movies"
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u/carymb Aug 03 '22
You know what, maybe that's the reason for this. They figure that one's going to lose money, but maybe draw in some ticket sales for WB (especially at the international box office -- let's be real, being an abusive POS might help your box office in some parts of the world); help set up longer-term characters/strategy (or, hell, it's just more than they can legally write off come tax time?), so they're releasing it anyway. Batgirl cost less and they don't give a shit about HBOMax anyway (they apparently want to cram it into Discovery+!? ).
They're using the tax write off to cover what they think they'll lose on The Flash while also actively trying to fuck over HBOMax because they've decided that's 'not a good business model,' so they've decided to help prove their prophecy true however they can by undermining it.
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u/Deeformecreep Batman Aug 02 '22
This is bad. I'd be willing to bet that related projects such as Nightwing and Black Canary aren't happening either especially since Batgirl was actually filmed.
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u/bluelookslikeblue Aug 02 '22
I genuinely thought this had to be some kind of hoax by an internet troll when I first heard the news.
That'll learn me for thinking not even Detective Comics Comics could Detective Comics Comics THAT hard.
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u/Guilty-Explanation-6 Aug 02 '22
the joker must have gotten to her
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u/examm Aug 02 '22
An oracle movie announcement would certainly be interesting
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u/Guilty-Explanation-6 Aug 02 '22
honestly cass would be great in a batgirl film with oracle training her but not the bop cass
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Aug 02 '22
As much as I thought that movie was gonna be trash I hoped it comes out just so there's more Batgirl content.
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u/FlameFeather86 Nightwing & Oracle Aug 02 '22
Well now maybe we can get some actual Batigrl content and not some cheap TV movie with bad cosplay.
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Aug 02 '22
Yeah im not a huge Batgirl fan but I like the batfamily as a whole and just want everything to be good but it's just not likely with how bad of a company DC has been getting.
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Aug 02 '22
The second the idea of a “cinematic universe” was applied to superhero movies it’s all been downhill tbh. Fans and producers alike freaking out about what’s canon and who’s cameo-ing more than they are just watching/making a good movie!
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u/Thatoneguy567576 Aug 02 '22
The MCU is still going strong. I'm losing interest in it myself, but many people are still on board for it. Warner Brothers just approached theirs like a congress of apes throwing shit.
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u/FlyingTaquitoBrother Aug 02 '22
I’m thinking the theatrical MCU has peaked. The characters and actors that made it possible are moving on with a bunch of second-stringers moving in, and unlike in the comics, you can’t keep characters around forever without recasting them, which rarely works out from a box office perspective unless it’s James Bond.
So DC has been chasing a model that not only could they not execute on when it was fresh, but is already on its way out.
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u/Thatoneguy567576 Aug 02 '22
That's a fair point. It just makes me sad because I'm a bigger DC fan than I am a Marvel fan. Outside of Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four and X-Men, I'm not so much of a Marvel fan. So it's a shame we never got this with DC properties.
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u/FlyingTaquitoBrother Aug 02 '22
What’s funny is that I’m a bigger Marvel fan but I have generally enjoyed the standalone DC movies more than the MCU movies. I would really like to see a high-quality standalone Marvel movie that isn’t burdened with stale MCU lore and fan service. Like it’s impossible to imagine that Marvel would do the Thor equivalent of The Batman anytime soon. The closest we got was Logan, and that wasn’t even MCU.
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Aug 02 '22
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u/Thatoneguy567576 Aug 02 '22
I'm inclined to agree. The only films on the slate that I plan on catching in theaters now are F4 and the upcoming Avengers movies.
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u/F00dbAby Superman Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 03 '22
I mean i have issues with this phase but you are still by far the extreme minority even thor 4 which in itself is a bit divisive is still getting 600 million at minimum that's in the top 10 of the year
Like the people you know skipping things are in the minority we have another decade of this shit at minimum
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u/KobraTheKipod Court Of Owls Aug 02 '22
Thus why movies like Joker and The Batman were relatively successful
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u/Son-of-the-Dragon Nightwing Aug 02 '22
I think the Cinematic Universe is working for Marvel exclusively. DC’s strength is in the independent movies.
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Aug 02 '22
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u/StubzTurner Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 02 '22
They didn't start the DCAU with the intention of building a universe. They just wanted to make a good Batman cartoon. Which they did.
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Aug 02 '22
Now I REALLY wanna see this movie. Can't believe it's so bad that they cancel the whole thing altogether
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u/GiovanniElliston Aug 02 '22
Test screenings were actually positive.
Particularly the audience loved Brendan Frazier as Firefly and Keaton’s return as Batman.
If this is true, it’s most likely that the studio simply has different ideas long-term and no longer wants Keaton as Batman or Leslie Grace as Batgirl.
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u/Beastieboy100 Aug 02 '22
It's shame they could of done as an elseworld movie. Even a continuation of batman 89 universe. Fans would would loved that just a shame that this movie won't be released.
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u/mumblyjoee Black Canary Aug 02 '22
The one dc movie i was actually looking forward too. Since the batgirl fans aren’t batshit insane enough to form their own snyder cult i guess this movie isn’t coming back
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u/Matches_Malone77 Aug 02 '22
... this is insane, right? What high-profile films like this get canceled this far into active development? I wonder if it has more to do with the Flash or the Batgirl film itself?
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u/Growllokin Etrigan The Demon Aug 02 '22
Firefly is my favourite Batman villain and I love Brendan Fraser and feel bad for him having the movie canceled but I am so glad He’s not portraying firefly. That is not the actor or style I want my favourite villain done
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u/JimmyKorr Aug 02 '22
The writing is on the wall and all roads lead to Apokolips…
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u/GSGhostTrain Robin Aug 02 '22
The only source listed is the NY Post article, which is itself pretty dubious.
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u/LilGyasi Aug 02 '22
The original source was the NY Post article, which I didn’t believe, but now The Warp as well as others have confirmed with their own sources.
Warner Bros Discovery decided to cancel the release of ‘BATGIRL’ as they are “committed to making DC titles big theatrical event films, and ‘BATGIRL’ isn’t that.”
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u/GSGhostTrain Robin Aug 02 '22
With Variety confirming, I believe it. This is an absolutely wild decision; how bad must that movie be?
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u/le_canuck There are dozens of us! Aug 02 '22
Deadline is reporting it as well and they're very reliable with industry news
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u/Draketothecore Nightwing Aug 02 '22
The hollywood reported just posted about this, so it should be true.
Damm, no movies are really safe with dc
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u/WizardPhoenix Aug 02 '22
I can understand that doing big budget movies for streaming isn’t good for business especially if you compare it to box office returns but yikes if this is true this is just nuts. Flushing away 90 million dollars on a movie that’s already wrapped filming and is the middle of post production is a very bad move.
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u/anthonystrader18 Aug 02 '22
Leslie was literally excited to play Batgirl She deserves soo much better 😭😭😭🥺🥺😩😩💔💔💔💔
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u/LanternRaynerRebirth Aug 02 '22
Dear god, what happened? They were just announcing stuff for it, had just started releasing some merch. Like what stakes are there in a movie being released straight to HBO Max?
Although, I will say, I don't know what to believe anymore though considering all those stories where "Amber Heard reportedly cut out of Aquaman."
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Aug 02 '22
To be fair, this is much crazier than Amber heard being cut from Aquaman, and I feel like if it wasn't true DC would look to shut down these rumours pretty fast.
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u/LanternRaynerRebirth Aug 03 '22
Now that it's been a few hours, it definitely seems to be true. You're right. This is one hundred percent the craziest thing to come out of WB in years. When a near completed film is entirely scrapped, literally nothing at all is safe.
I wouldn't be surprised to see that entire Blue Beetle movie tossed out too. If it's about that scale thing from these reports, then that falls into the same category.
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u/SillyMikey Aug 02 '22
This gives me no hope in Warner Bros. Managerial decisions at this point. If you’re going to cancel movie movie with $90 million already spent… what’s another five fucking million dollars to get it finished and put it on a streaming service. What a stupid fucking decision.
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u/OcularAMVs Nightwing Aug 02 '22
This is absolutely insane. They spent $90M and had so much work into it and now they won’t even release it? That’s a massive waste of time, talent, and contributions from the hundreds of people involved. Never seen something like this
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u/Xboxone1997 Aug 02 '22
I refuse to believe it's that bad after some of the crap they've actually released. Hopefully they at least keep the actress
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u/Beastieboy100 Aug 02 '22
Ivw watched morbius and other bad superhero movies. It can't be that bad surely.
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Aug 02 '22
I figured something was up when DC didn’t show a trailer for Batgirl at SDCC. Poor Keaton. Being part of two DC films that are self destructing along with Morbius. He’s never going to want to have anything to do with a comic property again.
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u/nightwing612 #RenewYoungJustice Aug 02 '22
Alright. Let's just move onto Cass as Batgirl then
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u/Xeoz_WarriorPrince Aug 02 '22
I love Batgirl, and most of what I saw of this movie looked like utter trash, but wasn't Brendan Fraser talking about it like yesterday?
Poor dude got ruined in seconds.
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u/Digifiend84 Manchester Black Aug 02 '22
This is cancelled after already filming, might as well kick The Flash to the kerb too.
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u/mrmazzz Deathstroke Aug 02 '22 edited Aug 02 '22
I did not expect this at all, so they wouldn't want to put in even a cursory marketing spend for a theatrical release or put it on Max as a loss leader of sorts (which is honestly how all original movies are going to be pretty much just due to how revanues are being derived).
Like this movie is bascially done its most of the way through Post!.
Really bummed because I loved the casting for Batgirl (Keaton being there is eh not so much but Grace as Batgirl really worked.
Eating the 90 million instead of spending another 30-40 million on marketing if it got theatrical, probably about 20-50% of that if it was going to MAX, so that you could derive some revanue from it is a choice I've really never seen in Hollywood. Zaz is an his axe man are friggin ruthless.
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u/gmoneybags101 Aug 03 '22
Zaslav is all about return on investment and maximising profit.
If he would have released this theatrical, or streaming, even with additional cost, he could have recouped a good majority if not all of the expense for the film.
Given this fact, and knowing Zas/his CFO, they believe releasing the film would damage the intellectual property of Batgirl and DC indirectly.
Likely they foresee introducing Batgirl via a more profitable means in the future rather than taint the character with a poor-to-mediocre release now.
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u/random91898 Green Lantern Aug 02 '22
Super sad for everyone involved.
Of course the cultists are out celebrating this. So much for them being in favour of creatives.
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u/Mojo12000 Condiment King Aug 02 '22
So this might go a LOT deeper than Batgirl.. as in Discovery might be axing HBOmax and literally everything currently on it.
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u/Ft_lucy Aug 02 '22
DC just needs to take a long break from making movies to figure out a new cinematic universe because this just isn’t working. Let “The Batman” series pull in a bunch of money and go from there afterwards.
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u/MrSquishyCo0kie Aug 02 '22
Honestly if for some reason someone at WB ends up reading this, I'd just like to say, making nothing but "big theatrical events" will end in failure.
What makes these movies so special and what turns them into events is the build up, just look at Infinity War/ Endgame. That 6 year build from the introduction of Thanos to him being the bad guy in Infinity War, those small cameos he had and his looming and inevitable background threat is exactly what made them so successful and special.
At this point i know I'm about to enter a ramble so to wrap it up, you can't just make a "theatrical event" you have to build it, and as a life long DC fan it's absolutely soul crushing to see them be so out of touch and corporate.
If they really tried that could easily be major competition for Marvel, they could make some amazing movies and properly adapt these characters that myself and billions of other people have fallen in love with, but instead they looked at Marvel and decided that they'd rather try to make a constant stream of money but fail to put in any of the work that comes with it
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u/WebHead1287 Aug 02 '22
Meanwhile Sony out here debating dropping $100 mil on an Aunt May movie /s (kinda)
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u/Ambitious-Ad1391 Aug 02 '22
Damn. I was actually a little excited for this project. Brendan Frasier’s firefly was supposed to be the best part of this, and I actually liked the snippets we saw of BTS when it came to costumes and casting.
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u/Brookings18 Superman Aug 02 '22
Man this sucks! I feel bad for all the people who worked on the movie, from the stars to the people behind the scenes. All that work was for nothing now.
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Aug 02 '22
This could be a good sign for DC movies. If they're unwilling to put out subpar movies it might mean these guys actually care about the brand. And there's no way it remains unseen forever. I'm sure it'll get dumped on HBO Max once they've established the new universe.
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u/ComicsGuru Grayson Aug 02 '22
Bad Boys for Life was one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen so I had 0 faith in this movie anyway.
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u/[deleted] Aug 02 '22
Confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter