It’s an unusual move: Warner Bros announced it had scrapped the $90 million film project starring Leslie Grace as Batgirl and Micheal Keaton as Batman. The comic book adaptation of the superheroine had already been shot and was in post-production. The film will not be shown in cinemas or on the HBO Max streaming platform.
Now the directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have spoken on Instagram. They are shocked at the cancellation of the superheroine film by entertainment giant Warner Bros. “We are saddened and shocked by the news,” the directors wrote. “We still can’t believe it.”
“As directors, it is of the utmost importance to us that our work is shown to audiences,” the filmmakers added. The comic adaptation was “far from finished”; however, they wished that “fans around the world would have had the opportunity to see and record the final film for themselves”.
“Batgirl” actress Leslie Grace has now also commented on the end of the film. Taking to Instagram, the actress wrote: “After the recent news about our film Batgirl, I am proud of the love, hard work and intention that all of our incredible cast and tireless crew have put into this film, which has spanned seven months filmed in Scotland.” Grace also thanks her fans for believing in her to wear the cape and become her “own fucking hero”.
Observers considered it highly unusual for a film project to be dropped so close to completion. The “New York Post” reported, citing Hollywood insiders, that test screenings with viewers had turned out poorly. According to “Deadline.com”, the step is to be related to other priorities, strategies and austerity measures of the new media group Warner Bros. Discovery. The Warner Bros. studio has not yet commented on the “Batgirl” plans.
Another theory is that “Batgirl” may be the victim of strategic decisions in the merger of media and entertainment giant WarnerMedia, which owns Hollywood studio Warner Bros. and HBO Max, and media company Discovery to form Warner Bros. Discovery earlier this year .
Warner actually wanted to produce films directly for HBO Max to make the streaming platform more attractive to new customers. However, this strategy was controversial. The industry magazine “Variety” reported, citing insiders, that “Batgirl” may not have been big and dazzling enough for a theatrical release, but at the same time too big to make economic sense for a streaming platform alone.
In their statement, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are sure that the cast and crew not only worked hard behind the scenes, but also did a fabulous job. “It was a dream to work with such amazing actors as Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the amazing Leslie Grace who portrayed Batgirl with such passion, dedication and humanity.” , the directors explained.
