Batgirl film cancelled: No plans to release film on HBO Max or Theaters

kalindana · Aug 2, 2022

More from Variety:

View: https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1554622574658723840

[...]

In other words, the movie was nearly finished, and already building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw all that away?

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

[...]

"Batgirl" found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape. Spending the money to expand the scope of "Batgirl" for theaters — plus the $30 million to $50 million needed to market it domestically and the tens of millions more needed for a global rollout — could have nearly doubled spending on the film, and insiders say that was a non-starter at a company newly focused on belt-tightening and the bottom line. (Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for this story.)

Releasing the movie on HBO Max would seem to be the most obvious solution. Instead, the company has shelved "Batgirl" — along with the "Scoob!" sequel — and several sources say it will almost certainly take a tax write-down on both films, seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie

'Batgirl' was nearly finished and building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw it all away? Taxes.

variety.com

NinjaScooter · Aug 2, 2022

Hollywood Accounting wins again.

ezekial45 · Aug 2, 2022

WedgeX said:
I still can't get over how dumb this is. Every time I read the title.

How dumb.

For real, this is just a stupid and mad disrespectful decision. I see no logic in this to just eat the loss. Even if the movie is bad, they can still make some return off of it.

Like for real, fuck everyone who made this decision.

EDIT:
(read the above article)

"Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio."

So the only way we'll see this movie is if someone leaks a rough edit of the movie a la 1994's Fantastic Four? That's super shitty. Fuck.

mreddie · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

Yeah, this is why Final Space and other AS shows just vanished lately.

rsfour · Aug 2, 2022

Cheap fuckers.

Kelsdesu · Aug 2, 2022

Okay that makes sense. Write it off as a loss.

ZeoVGM · Aug 2, 2022

FellowTarnished said:
Yeah, it's probably for the best it was cancelled, that has to be the worst bat suit I've ever seen.

The suit looks fine. It's comic accurate.

And "it's for the best that they canceled the movie, I didn't like the suit" is kinda silly.

GameAddict411 · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
More from Variety:

View: https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1554622574658723840

[...]

In other words, the movie was nearly finished, and already building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw all that away?

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

[...]

"Batgirl" found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape. Spending the money to expand the scope of "Batgirl" for theaters — plus the $30 million to $50 million needed to market it domestically and the tens of millions more needed for a global rollout — could have nearly doubled spending on the film, and insiders say that was a non-starter at a company newly focused on belt-tightening and the bottom line. (Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for this story.)

Releasing the movie on HBO Max would seem to be the most obvious solution. Instead, the company has shelved "Batgirl" — along with the "Scoob!" sequel — and several sources say it will almost certainly take a tax write-down on both films, seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie

'Batgirl' was nearly finished and building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw it all away? Taxes.

variety.com

Makes sense. I wonder if one angry employee could leak the movie to torrent sites or something.

caliph95 · Aug 2, 2022

This is so baffling to me especially when the movie was essentially finished

VinylCassette64 · Aug 2, 2022

Starphanluke said:
For those asking, I can't corroborate the rumors about Max merging with Discovery, though I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility. I just know the new executives don't want to spend big money on streaming exclusives. It's back to the way things were: massive theatrical movies and a few massive prestige shows on HBO. I've been told to expect a lot of heads to roll (aka show/movie cancellations) in the coming weeks/months.

Edit: I HAVE to believe the HBO shows will remain on a streaming platform somewhere, whether that's on Discovery or on a scaled-back HBOMax that sticks around. But trust me, the people in the trenches don't really know where this is headed right now, either.

Between only wanting blockbusters for theatrical films and seeing films made for streaming as worthless...is there any reason for any creator not interested with blockbuster filmmaking to work with WB-Discovery? Streaming is now a go-to home for a lot of filmmakers and film genres due to the current box office landscape. If you're not on the level of any MCU entry, or more novel/non-superhero flicks like Jurassic World and Top Gun: Maverick, you're more likely than not getting financially hosed.

Disney made a point in bringing everything they own/produce towards Disney+ AND boosting the service with new exclusive films/shows; despite having a surefire stable of reliable moneymakers in the theaters. DC is supposed to be WB's direct answer to the hottest commodity in the industry and it's been in a perpetual state of critical/commercial flux; and as previously mentioned, WB's other major IPs like Wizarding World and GoT aren't on completely stable ground either.

Tobor · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
More from Variety:

View: https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1554622574658723840

[...]

In other words, the movie was nearly finished, and already building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw all that away?

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

[...]

"Batgirl" found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape. Spending the money to expand the scope of "Batgirl" for theaters — plus the $30 million to $50 million needed to market it domestically and the tens of millions more needed for a global rollout — could have nearly doubled spending on the film, and insiders say that was a non-starter at a company newly focused on belt-tightening and the bottom line. (Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for this story.)

Releasing the movie on HBO Max would seem to be the most obvious solution. Instead, the company has shelved "Batgirl" — along with the "Scoob!" sequel — and several sources say it will almost certainly take a tax write-down on both films, seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie

'Batgirl' was nearly finished and building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw it all away? Taxes.

variety.com

Aha. A tax write off. This does explain it.

IDreamOfHime · Aug 2, 2022

I don't get it. The rumour is it's canned because it's not 'blockbuster enough' to release theatrically, but they just announced it was getting a cinema release here in the UK

Edit- Ah Tax write off, can't win against that.

RedHeat said:
Are you sure? A pretty big chunk of Marvel Studio's upcoming slate is B/C-list characters.

Iron Man was B tier and they made him bigger than Superman.

Thor has a movie? *Laughter* Really? I mean, come on. And there's no Superman movie? This is, like, the world's out of balance. It's like, we've lost our minds here, people, come on.

That's an actual quote from Zack Snyderverse.
Feige is a genius.

UltimateHigh · Aug 2, 2022

sucks for the cast and crew.

Wrexis · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
More from Variety:

seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Wow.

This isn't a "it'll be on cable in a year or two" plan, this is being put into a vault forever. You're only going to see it if someone leaks it.

Warner Brothers is dead to creatives if they do it. This is spending two years of your life and seeing nothing from it.
At least the Roger Corman Fantastic Four movie got out there for fans to watch.

TheHunter · Aug 2, 2022

mreddie said:
Yeah, this is why Final Space and other AS shows just vanished lately.

Final Space not getting an ending is unjust.

Smokey_Run · Aug 2, 2022

caliph95 said:
This is so baffling to me especially when the movie was essentially finished

Marketing isn't cheap. The budget would have likely doubled. It's best to get out now.

Mekanos · Aug 2, 2022

Tax write-off for big budget blockbusters lmao, the absolute state of corporate acquisition entertainment.

BloodRayne · Aug 2, 2022

ezekial45 said:
So the only way we'll see this movie is if someone leaks a rough edit of the movie a la 1994's Fantastic Four? That's super shitty. Fuck.

Yeah. At best a workprint with no CGI nor post-processing. Maybe some placeholders here and there. The villain was Firefly, I guess his jetpack and flamethrower would've been CGI so...

This is making me so angry.

jdmc13 · Aug 2, 2022

Feel bad for Leslie Grace. If she's still down to play a superhero, I'm sure Marvel has someone she'd be a good fit for.

mrmickfran · Aug 2, 2022

Holy shit. I feel sooo bad for the actress, I mean obviously they already got paid but man all that for nothing.

boontobias · Aug 2, 2022

Fans are angry. Creative talent feels unsupported and alienated. Employees fear layoffs. Reporters are calling it an unprecedented decision in hollywood. The snyderverse flunkies think this is somehow all about them. But hey we got the tax write off

Tansut · Aug 2, 2022

BloodRayne said:
Yeah. At best a workprint with no CGI nor post-processing. Maybe some placeholders here and there. The villain was Firefly, I guess his jetpack and flamethrower would've been CGI so...

This is making me so angry.

Played by Brendan fucking Fraser, no less. Apparently he was a highlight of the movie.

CrichtonKicks · Aug 2, 2022

This is fairly unprecedented. How many major films are out there that that finished principal photography and are just stuck in a vault in perpetuity? I'm struggling to think of any. I'm not talking about movies that filmed a lot but had major reshoots (Justice League, Back to the Future, Superman 2). I'm talking just finished and never released. Utterly bizarre. Even Paul Schrader's Exorcist sequel got a release after they had Renny Harlin remake it.

Just from a standpoint of film as an art form this is honestly offensive. I don't care if the film was middling- the cast and crew don't deserve to have all their hard work stay locked up forever just so WB can take a tax writeoff.

mrmoose · Aug 2, 2022

mreddie said:
Yeah, this is why Final Space and other AS shows just vanished lately.

Wait, why would taking them off of HBO Max save them in taxes?

Zeliard · Aug 2, 2022

mrmickfran said:
Holy shit. I feel sooo bad for the actress, I mean obviously they already got paid but man all that for nothing.

A lot of people to feel bad for here.

What gets me more than anything is it's just embarrassing, especially because a lot of people are going to assume it was canned because it's terrible, when every concrete report we've had says that quality had nothing to do with it. It's just about scope and scale, and is yet another example of the relatively mid-budget movie dying off only because some of these large corporations are confused about monetizing them between the popularity of streaming and the tradition of theatrical releases.

Scuffed · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
More from Variety:

View: https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1554622574658723840

[...]

In other words, the movie was nearly finished, and already building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw all that away?

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

[...]

"Batgirl" found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape. Spending the money to expand the scope of "Batgirl" for theaters — plus the $30 million to $50 million needed to market it domestically and the tens of millions more needed for a global rollout — could have nearly doubled spending on the film, and insiders say that was a non-starter at a company newly focused on belt-tightening and the bottom line. (Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for this story.)

Releasing the movie on HBO Max would seem to be the most obvious solution. Instead, the company has shelved "Batgirl" — along with the "Scoob!" sequel — and several sources say it will almost certainly take a tax write-down on both films, seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie

'Batgirl' was nearly finished and building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw it all away? Taxes.

variety.com

Hilarious. Zazlov wants to repair damage with creatives upset at the films going straight to streaming by putting them in theaters first(let's be real this was about more money not helping creatives) and then damage relationships with creatives by dumpstering two films for a tax right off. Oh boy.

JayCB64 · Aug 2, 2022

Killed for a tax right off?

Good fucking lord, the state of it.

Pandora012 · Aug 2, 2022

So it died for a tax right off, great

FearlessLeader · Aug 2, 2022

rjinaz said:
I mean yeah, most people that are alive are 30 plus. Like people have been going to the movies along time fam, along time before batfleck came around.

You were born in 97 so it makes sense you would not care much about him. You probably didnt care about the 90s bats either.

That's statistically untrue, about 52% of the world's population are under the age of 30.

More relevant to the film though is that the olds haven't been showing up to the theater for a lot of films post-COVID. Maybe Top Gun has changed things though. It will be interesting to see how it performs.

ZeoVGM · Aug 2, 2022

kalindana said:
More from Variety:

View: https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1554622574658723840

[...]

In other words, the movie was nearly finished, and already building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw all that away?

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the most likely reason: taxes.

[...]

"Batgirl" found itself on the bad end of that decision, apparently neither big enough to feel worthy of a major theatrical release nor small enough to make economic sense in an increasingly cutthroat streaming landscape. Spending the money to expand the scope of "Batgirl" for theaters — plus the $30 million to $50 million needed to market it domestically and the tens of millions more needed for a global rollout — could have nearly doubled spending on the film, and insiders say that was a non-starter at a company newly focused on belt-tightening and the bottom line. (Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment for this story.)

Releasing the movie on HBO Max would seem to be the most obvious solution. Instead, the company has shelved "Batgirl" — along with the "Scoob!" sequel — and several sources say it will almost certainly take a tax write-down on both films, seen internally as the most financially sound way to recoup the costs (at least, on an accountant's ledger). It could justify that by chalking it up to a post-merger change of strategy.

Doing so, however, would mean that Warner Bros. cannot monetize either movie — no HBO Max debut, no sale to another studio.

Why Warner Bros. Killed ‘Batgirl’: Inside the Decision Not to Release the DC Movie

'Batgirl' was nearly finished and building awareness among fans. Why would Warner Bros. Discovery throw it all away? Taxes.

variety.com

This is insane.

mrmoose · Aug 2, 2022

CrichtonKicks said:
This is fairly unprecedented. How many major films are out there that that finished principal photography and are just stuck in a vault in perpetuity? I'm struggling to think of any. I'm not talking about movies that filmed a lot but had major reshoots (Justice League, Back to the Future, Superman 2). I'm talking just finished and never released. Utterly bizarre. Even Paul Schrader's Exorcist sequel got a release after they had Renny Harlin remake it.

Just from a standpoint of film as an art form this is honestly offensive. I don't care if the film was middling- the cast and crew don't deserve to have all their hard work stay locked up forever just so WB can take a tax writeoff.

And if I'm reading that correctly, because it's a tax write off they can never release it. Like no Snyder cut, no direct to video/streaming way down the line, nothing.

Stupid corporate mergers.

Lionel Mandrake · Aug 2, 2022

Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

rjinaz · Aug 2, 2022

After this news who is excited about the state and future of dc, raise your hand. Killing movies for tax ride offs good god.

rjinaz · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

I hope some leakers that are angry workers ruined their plans for a narrative they had all laid out and right now the dude is fuming.

Mancha · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

Fuck them. Let them sink. Apple or Disney will buy them eventually.

NinjaScooter · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

I really doubt any of this will happen. I really wonder if most of the masses even knew a Batgirl movie was in the works, and there isn't an online cult behind Batgirl like there was with Snyder. Sadlly this will probably all be forgotten by the time the next DC movie releases.

mugurumakensei · Aug 2, 2022

Scuffed said:
Hilarious. Zazlov wants to repair damage with creatives upset at the films going straight to streaming by putting them in theaters first(let's be real this was about more money not helping creatives) and then damage relationships with creatives by dumpstering two films for a tax right off. Oh boy.

He didn't want to repair damage with creatives. By and large aside from Nolan, others had made peace with WB prior. This is just damaging creative relationships by saying either make blockbusters guaranteed to make money or make budget reality and sitcoms.

EroticSushi · Aug 2, 2022

rjinaz said:
After this news who is excited about the state and future of dc, raise your hand. Killing movies for tax ride offs good god.

Who isn't excited for DCs current state? We have The Rock playing in The Rock and Ezra Miller in a Flash movie that still isn't somehow cancelled.

kmfdmpig · Aug 2, 2022

Scuffed said:
Hilarious. Zazlov wants to repair damage with creatives upset at the films going straight to streaming by putting them in theaters first(let's be real this was about more money not helping creatives) and then damage relationships with creatives by dumpstering two films for a tax right off. Oh boy.

Yeah, I can't imagine that anyone linked to either film would come away from this with good feelings about WB. Putting a year of your life into something only to have it buried never to be seen must be a horrible feeling.

Scuffed · Aug 2, 2022

mugurumakensei said:
He didn't want to repair damage with creatives. By and large aside from Nolan, others had made peace with WB prior. This is just damaging creative relationships by saying either make blockbusters guaranteed to make money or make budget reality and sitcoms.

I know it's just in the article. The entire thing is comical.

Discovery as CEO this spring, the exec went on a well-publicized listening tour designed to repair the company's relationship with the creative community. As part of that effort, Zaslav has made no secret of reversing Kilar's strategy and committing to releasing first-run feature films in theaters before putting them on HBO Max.

rjinaz · Aug 2, 2022

EroticSushi said:
Who isn't excited for DCs current state? We have The Rock playing in The Rock and Ezra Miller in a Flash movie that still isn't somehow cancelled.

I didnt think of it that way. Plus I am really excited to see Amber Heard in Aquaman 2. Love the work of domestic abusers!

Tavernade · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

It's not going to be a good look for the merger when literally every story is negative. Like, Chapek sucks over at Disney, but early on he mostly kept his toes out of SW/MCU/WDAS so even while he was destroying the parks there was at least something to hang your hat on. Not only does it feel like nothing is safe at WB, but they're not even trying to distract with anything.

MadLaughter · Aug 2, 2022

So according to Variety they think that the amount they would save on taxes is greater than the amount of money they would make on HBO Max subscribers due to Batgirl and also greater than any profit they would make in a theater, especially given the ~100 million it would cost to expand the movie, market the movie, and distribute the movie.

mrmoose · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

I mean maybe if there's an AMA and the bots come out in force, otherwise I don't see this becoming a huge thing that's going to eclipse, say, the Black Adam premiere. Plus this is just Tuesday August 2, Zaslav will surely have some other baffling decisions that trump this before Black Adam nears.

I guess nobody had residuals for this? I'm surprised they can just shelve this with no penalty, though I guess this is in house so that makes a difference? I remember when the other guy made the announcement that their theatrical slate was going to HBO Max there was a great deal of commotion and people threatening to sue, right? This seems much much worse when it comes to making money.

mugurumakensei · Aug 2, 2022

Scuffed said:
I know it's just in the article. The entire thing is comical.

Right. It was more of a give me ammo to justify forced resignations tour rather than mending relationships. It's been almost entirely nothing but cancellations from Zaslav even for popular established shows.

Disco · Aug 2, 2022

I don't really care about Batgirl but this bodes pretty poorly for HBO Max/WB's future under Zaslov. I thought WB was the last remaining major studio making some interesting content (and HBO has been great for tv) but it may be veering towards crap soon enough.

Smokey_Run · Aug 2, 2022

Admiral Neon Elk said:
Like how is this supposed to work?

Every WB-centered Q&A at every convention and publicity tour is going to be filled with questions and angry reactions about this decision. There's going to be #ReleaseBatgirl stuff all over Twitter. This shit isn't going to just disappear. It's going to poison the well for all WB marketing for years.

It's Batgirl. As much as this sucks for the people involved, this isn't going to poison the well for years. Black Adam is up next. The person who will be fielding most of these questions at the press junket? The Rock. Warner Bros will be OK because if there was someone I'd trust to provide good PR, it's the Rock.

As for creatives, creatives need money and Warner Bros will still have money to hand out. You saw how quick the HBO Max day and date releases debacle went away when they offered talent money for their troubles. It's a business.

Uzumaki Goku · Aug 2, 2022

A tax loss?

That's what happened to Megas XLR

rjinaz · Aug 2, 2022

mrmoose said:
I mean maybe if there's an AMA and the bots come out in force, otherwise I don't see this becoming a huge thing that's going to eclipse, say, the Black Adam premiere. Plus this is just Tuesday August 2, Zaslav will surely have some other baffling decisions that trump this before Black Adam nears.

Maybe this week if rumors are true about merging hbo max with discovery. The shipwreck just started

CrocodileGrin · Aug 2, 2022

I'm not sure which I'm more annoyed with:
1. We could have had a suit similar to a Burnside Batgirl design in a live action presentation.
Or
2. This gets canned, but The Flash is still surviving in some kind of limbo.
Or
3. Taxes.

Batgirl film cancelled: No plans to release film on HBO Max or Theaters

Bold Bur3n Wrangler

▲ Legend ▲

One Winged Slayer

Prophetic Lionel Mandrake

alt account

Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you!

Tavernade

Elizabeth, I’m coming to join you!

One Winged Slayer