The movie “Batgirl” is no longer released by Warner Bros.





CNN

The “Batgirl” movie that was supposed to bring the DC Comics character to the big screen will no longer be released by Warner Bros., according to the studio.

“The decision not to release ‘Batgirl’ reflects the strategic shift in our direction with respect to the DC Universe and HBO Max,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said Tuesday. in a press release. (CNN is part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)

The film was to star “In the Heights” star Leslie Grace in the title role.

The studio also announced that its film “Scoob!: Holiday Haunt” will also be retired.

“Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actress and this decision does not reflect her performance,” the statement added. “We are extremely grateful to the makers of ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Scoob! Holiday Haunt’ and their respective actors and hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.

The film, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, was due out later this year on the HBO Max streaming service.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the directors said they were “saddened and shocked by the news”.

“We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is essential that our work is shown to the public, and although the film is far from finished, we wish that fans around the world had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film. themselves,” they wrote, adding, “Maybe one day they will.”

Besides Grace, the film starred Michael Keaton as Batman, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser.

Grace, the directors added, “portrayed Batgirl with such passion, dedication and humanity”. They also thanked the cast and crew for doing a “tremendous job” and working “so hard to bring Batgirl to life.”

“We are forever grateful to have been part of this team,” they wrote.

The announcement of plans to drop both films comes as Warner Bros. Discovery is trying to cut costs, a whopping $3 billion, following WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc. in April.

JJ Abrams’ “Demimonde” for HBO was pulled last month. The networks within Warner Bros. Discovery — like TNT and TBS — also saw cuts, including Samantha Bee’s “Full Frontal” after seven seasons.