(Los Angeles) The directors of Batgirl said Wednesday they were “stunned” by their studio’s decision not to release the nearly completed superhero film, with a budget of $90 million.
Posted at 7:36 p.m.
Warner Bros. Discovery has chosen to shelve the feature film, already shot, which will not be released in theaters or on the HBO Max digital distribution platform, where it was to be available in the United States.
Adaptation of the adventures of the DC Comics character, the film starred Leslie Grace in the leading role, alongside Michael Keaton, who once again donned the mythical Batman costume.
“We are saddened and amazed by the news. We still can’t believe it,” Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah posted 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 the fans around the world can see and understand it,” added the two Belgians.
Much of the post-production work — the stage where, for example, special effects are added — had already been completed.
In their message, the directors, who notably signed Bad Boys for Lifepaid tribute to the “fantastic actors” starring in the film.
“Anyway, as big fans of Batman since our childhood, it was a privilege and an honor to be a part of (the DC Cinematic Universe), even for a short time. Batgirl forever,” they concluded.
The studio’s decision stunned Hollywood, where movie industry insiders assured that such a cancellation was unprecedented for a work almost finished – and having cost so much money.
Batgirl seems to have been the collateral victim of a change in strategy after the merger between Warner Bros and Discovery.
Warner Bros had planned to produce films intended to be released directly on the HBO Max platform.
But this choice, justified in part by the need to bypass cinemas in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, was not unanimous, and the studios seem to have backtracked after their merger with Discovery.
Batgirl would have been considered too expensive for the digital broadcasting sector which is tightening its belt, but not spectacular enough for the big screen, condemning it to be stored, according to specialists in the field quoted by the magazine variety.