Batgirl Movie Cancelled While In Post Production

[RAMROD 105,789]

Even though Batgirl is in the final stages of post-production, Deadline has confirmed that Warner Bros. and DC Films will not be releasing the movie on any platform, including theatrically.

This falls in line with the mandate put down by the new WB regime to cut back on the feature films premiering on the streamer and deciding which films will be released theatrically and which will be shelved, and sources close to the project say word came down this week that Batgirl did not make the cut.

The decision follows several recent changes across company including major changes to HBO Max, with more expected with the upcoming earnings call later this week. The New York Post first reported the Batgirl news.

 

https://deadline.com/2022/08/warner-bros-batgirl-1235083809/

 

The new owner really don't play around. Nobody would cancel something on post production aka close to being finish. Which is about  $90M loss at that. But he did, cos rumoredly he don't like how it looks. Looking at how it is, Ezra's The Flash movie may be next. Hopefully for the better, the new era of DC live actions should be better. This might affct Joker 2 too since no DC stuffs from old WB before Discovery purchase are likely to return.

[HardlyaSaint 727]

I’m so sick of WBs handling DC.

 

Just sell the rights to Disney at this point.

[ThisGuyTony 29,377]

Wasn’t The Batman a hit? I’m sure people would have checked it out of interest.  

[BUtterfield 8 41,050]

They better leave Euphoria alone 

[vinster13 3,545]

Literally what the ****. Why would anyone with any business knowledge take a 90 mil loss when nerds would eat that **** up like hot cakes. Poor hbo max

[Taylucifer 5,078]

bonk but ok

[Ivy 11,757]

I hope doesn't affect Joker 2 

(If Gaga's involved, otherwise I don't really care )

[RichAssPiss 4,753]

Honestly, Joker 2 could very well be affected and this could play a role in why we have yet to hear more (not even Joaquin signing a deal)

An explanation from a media nerd: HBO Max was AT&T's pet project. They bought Warner Media to create a streaming app that would be a digital ad for their products and that they could use to leverage sales of their phone related tech in the way Apple uses AppleTV+ as a marketing tool co-branded with Apple tech products like iPhones and iPads. Essentially, hot properties like The Morning Show are just digital billboards for Apple and add to perceived value/brand prestige. They don't make money on their own, they help sell products. AT&T thought they could do the same, and failed miserably. Now that Discovery bought Warner Media from AT&T, they are not at all interested in HBO Max because they have their own streaming service, Discovery+. Their interest in Warner Bros. Pictures is as a theatrical business separate from digital. So, a big spend like Batgirl to goose HBO Max subscriptions is not a play they want to invest in, and it appears they ruled out taking it to theaters because it's a smaller-budgeted film. KEEP THAT IN MIND. There is no word yet on what is happening to the DCEU after Aquaman 2. Nothing else is dated. If the new head of WB (who runs all of Warner Bros. Discovery) has a vision for only tentpole blockbusters from DC and perhaps wants to integrate the stories to compete with Marvel...both of those things make Joker 2 a question mark. It would be a smaller, art-minded piece (not a four quadrant tentpole) and it will not intersect with the rest of the DCEU (or whatever the next cinematic DC phase is called). And streamers are not a factor for Discovery+ as far as the movie business goes. So, there is no home for mid-size titles under the DC theatrical brand. It's possibly going to be a total overhaul of Warner Bros. Pictures. I imagine nothing is safe. And, yes, Joker won Oscars but there is no prestige play with Discovery like there was with Warner Bros. before. These people gave Kesha a reality show where she fights ghosts. They are not cinephiles. 

[HIM820 1,770]

So they’re most likely going to use this movie and the nearly finished Scooby Doo sequel as tax write downs to try and recoup costs. Interestingly I think I remember Discovery having tax issues during the merger… Either way this isn’t a great look for Zaslav but it’s become increasingly apparent these types don’t care. Him and Chapek are alike when it comes to creatives. I also find it quite odd those “leaks” about test screenings being poor came out at a convient time, when now people who saw screenings are saying it wasn’t bad at all. I cannot imagine another studio pulling the plug this late in production for TWO projects unless something went really wrong, and we’ve heard nothing about that behind the scenes here.

[ItWasntLaauv 6,392]

Woof, that sucks for everyone that worked on it.

[Wolf Boy 3,174]

3 hours ago, ThisGuyTony said:

Wasn’t The Batman a hit? I’m sure people would have checked it out of interest.  

Why would The Batman being a hit mean Batgirl was good or made people interested?

[SevenWonder 3,975]

1 hour ago, RichAssPiss said:

Honestly, Joker 2 could very well be affected and this could play a role in why we have yet to hear more (not even Joaquin signing a deal)

An explanation from a media nerd: HBO Max was AT&T's pet project. They bought Warner Media to create a streaming app that would be a digital ad for their products and that they could use to leverage sales of their phone related tech in the way Apple uses AppleTV+ as a marketing tool co-branded with Apple tech products like iPhones and iPads. Essentially, hot properties like The Morning Show are just digital billboards for Apple and add to perceived value/brand prestige. They don't make money on their own, they help sell products. AT&T thought they could do the same, and failed miserably. Now that Discovery bought Warner Media from AT&T, they are not at all interested in HBO Max because they have their own streaming service, Discovery+. Their interest in Warner Bros. Pictures is as a theatrical business separate from digital. So, a big spend like Batgirl to goose HBO Max subscriptions is not a play they want to invest in, and it appears they ruled out taking it to theaters because it's a smaller-budgeted film. KEEP THAT IN MIND. There is no word yet on what is happening to the DCEU after Aquaman 2. Nothing else is dated. If the new head of WB (who runs all of Warner Bros. Discovery) has a vision for only tentpole blockbusters from DC and perhaps wants to integrate the stories to compete with Marvel...both of those things make Joker 2 a question mark. It would be a smaller, art-minded piece (not a four quadrant tentpole) and it will not intersect with the rest of the DCEU (or whatever the next cinematic DC phase is called). And streamers are not a factor for Discovery+ as far as the movie business goes. So, there is no home for mid-size titles under the DC theatrical brand. It's possibly going to be a total overhaul of Warner Bros. Pictures. I imagine nothing is safe. And, yes, Joker won Oscars but there is no prestige play with Discovery like there was with Warner Bros. before. These people gave Kesha a reality show where she fights ghosts. They are not cinephiles. 

Dayum. Great post. Thanks for sharing. 

OT: The Kesha shade was brilliant. 

[Amidana 4,239]

they BETTER not touch the Harley Quinn series on HBO max

[SadBoi808 1,120]

Blue Beetle director Rn: 

 

[Guest]

4 hours ago, HardlyaSaint said:

I’m so sick of WBs handling DC.

 

Just sell the rights to Disney at this point.

Ikr they r so bad at it