Actor Leslie Grace on the set of the new Batgirl movie on January 13, 2022. Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
Two upcoming movies "Batgirl" and "Scoob!: Holiday Haunt" have been shelved despite being near-ready for release, Warners Bros. said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
Driving the news: Warner Bros. spent $90 million to produce "Batgirl," an adaptation of the DC Comics character that was in the final stages of production before it was canned.
- It's rare for a movie to be shelved this close to the end of production since studios will often seek some form of return on investment for a movie that's already been filmed.
- “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. spokesperson in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
- "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," the spokesperson said.
- "Batgirl" featured "In the Heights" breakout star Leslie Grace and Michael Keaton, who was set to reprise his role as Bruce Wayne as previously seen in "Batman" (1989) and "Batman Returns" (1992).
- Representatives from Warner Bros. did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
The big picture: The decision to not release "Batgirl" and the "Scoob!" sequel comes as new leadership Warner Bros. decided to cut back on feature films premiering on HBO Max, a move that was originally made during the COVID-19 pandemic, Deadline reports.
- The company's strategy has moved away from releasing new films on HBO Max toward supporting theatrical releases, Variety reports.
- Warner Bros. is still considering which of its upcoming movies to release and which to cut entirely, per Deadline.