Warner Bros Discovery halted work on its new Batgirl superhero movie despite having already filmed the picture, according to multiple reports from industry publications.
The movie, based on DC Comics characters, was in the final stages of editing. It will not be released in theatres or on the company’s HBO Max streaming service.
Batgirl was filmed with a cast that included American singer Leslie Grace, the breakout star of musical film In The Heights (2021), as the title character also known as Barbara Gordon.
American actor Michael Keaton starred as Batman/Bruce Wayne and actor J.K. Simmons portrayed Commissioner James Gordon, Barbara’s father and a close ally of Batman. Actor Brendan Fraser played the villain Firefly.
Keaton, 70, had previously played the character in the movie Batman (1989) and its sequel Batman Returns (1992), while Simmons, 67, played Commissioner Gordon in Justice League (2017).
Batgirl’s casting had drawn plaudits for its diversity, with a person of color in the lead role; still a rarity in a superhero movie. Grace, 27, is of Dominican heritage.
It was also set to feature transgender character Alysia Yeoh, played by Filipina-American actress Ivory Aquino.
The film cost US$90 million (S$124 million) to make. Warners had also shelved the animated feature Scoob!: Holiday Haunt, the sequel to Scoob! (2020).
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” a Warner Bros spokesman said in a statement.
“Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
A top Hollywood source said that test screenings for Batgirl were so poorly received that the studio decided to cut its losses and drop the film.
The cancellation is part of a wider pullback by Warner Bros. The company, which combined with Discovery in April, has been looking to wring US$3 billion in costs out of its merger.
In recent months, Warner Bros has halted work on the J.J. Abrams-led series Demimonde and canceled shows such as Gordita Chronicles and Close Enough.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES