The film would have included an all-star cast, including Leslie Grace as Batgirl, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Michael Keaton as Batman, with production costs estimated between $70 million and $90 million.
According to US media, Warner Bros. has canceled the DC Comics picture “Batgirl” after receiving bad ratings in test screenings.
The picture, which reportedly cost up to $100 million (£82 million), is among the most expensive projects to be canceled during post-production.
Leslie Grace was to play Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, and J.K. Simmons was to play her father, Commissioner Jim Gordon.
Michael Keaton was scheduled to resume his role as Batman, and Brendan Fraser planned to portray the antagonist Firefly.
The film was scheduled to debut on the HBO Max streaming service, with April sources indicating that Warner Bros. was also mulling a theatrical release.
According to the New York Post, the film has been completely shelved after receiving bad feedback at a test showing held in expectation of a late 2022 release.
“They believe that an abominable ‘Batgirl’ will be irredeemable,” a source told the publication.
Warner Bros officials believe that the decision to cancel the film was not based on its quality, but rather on the studio’s ambition for its slate of DC films to be blockbuster-sized, as reported by the US entertainment news website Variety.
Variety reports that the studio has taken a corporate decision to shift its focus back to cinematic movies.
It comes after the picture, which was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, was not mentioned at DC’s Comic-Con presentation in July in San Diego, California.
The highly publicized event is intended to increase attention for such works.
Grace disclosed to Variety in April that she had preliminary negotiations with El Arbi and Fallah over a potential Batgirl sequel.
Grace remarked of the film, “There are insane feats and drops.” “She’s a biker chick, so expect her to display a lot of badassery… There were many long days, but they were well worth it.”
The decision to shelve Batgirl comes as Warner Bros. decides what to do with the 2023 release of The Flash, another DC adaptation.
Ezra Miller, the film’s actor, has been repeatedly accused of abuse and wrongdoing.
