Hollywood and Batgirl directors ‘stunned’ by decision to bury already-made movie
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The $90 million film, starring Leslie Grace, will not be shown in theaters or via streaming. In full merger, Warner continues to cut in its projects.
The decision shook all of Hollywood. From the specialized press to the bosses of rival studios. The new CEO of Warner Bros Discovery David Zaslav has chosen to shelve the feature film Batgirl, which will not be released online, which was its original destination, or even in cinemas. Already filmed, in the process of post-production, this project developed specifically for the streaming platform of the HBO Max group had nevertheless been able to count on a budget of 90 million dollars.
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Batgirl suffered from the recent merger between Discovery and Warner and from a sudden change in strategy. The choice to produce original films for the platform related to the DC Comics universe, born of the need to bypass cinemas in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, was not unanimous. Batgirl would have been deemed too expensive considering the number of new HBO Max subscriptions it could have generated.
Under the aegis of David Zaslav, the conglomerate wants to tighten its belt. Batgirl nor was it deemed spectacular enough to warrant a big-screen release and the substantial promotional budget it would have required. According variety and The Hollywood Reporter, the test screenings would have been disappointing. By putting it back on a shelf, by giving up a theatrical release, online or on DVD, Warner Bros can benefit from an advantageous tax advantage and absorb part of its losses.
The directors warned in full marriage
Adapted from the adventures of the DC Comics character and daughter of Commissioner Gordon, the film featured Leslie Grace in the title role, alongside Michael Keatonwho once again donned the mythical Batman costume three decades after his exploits at Tim Burton. “We are saddened and amazed by the news. We still can’t believe it“said its directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah on Instagram.
“As directors, it is essential that our work be shown to the public, and even if the film was far from finished, we would have liked for fans around the world to be able to see and understand it.added the two Belgians. The duo behind Disney+’s superhero series Miss Marvel, was in Morocco in full wedding festivities when the news reached them. A large part of the post-production work – stage where, for example, the special effects are added – was however already completed.
In their statement, the directors, who notably signed Bad Boys for Lifepaid a strong tribute to the “fantastic actorson the poster of the film. “Either way, as big Batman fans since our childhood, it was a privilege and an honor to be a part of the DC Cinematic Universe, even for a short while. Batgirl for all time“, they concluded.
In a post on her Instagram account on Wednesday evening, Leslie Grace (Where we come from), took over and declared to be “proud of the love, hard work and determination that all of our amazing actors and tireless crew put into this film over seven months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among great absolutes and at the same time forged lifelong relationships.“, adds the actress.
Batgirl is not the only film to have been nipped in the bud by David Zaslav. The CEO applied the same sanction to an animated film inspired by the Scoobydoo universe, SCOOB! Holiday Haunt. He too was almost finished. A few weeks ago, another DC project Wonder Twins was put on hold as it had just entered pre-production and the cast had just been released to the public. Side series, no pity either. David Zaslav has unplugged all of the original Scandinavian, Dutch, Turkish and Eastern European creations from HBO Max in germ. Only France and Spain have escaped its cuts.
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