Imagine a situation where a gargantuan sum of Rs 800 crore is lavished upon a movie production, a figure that would command a mammoth promotional blitz and a release strategy bent on recouping every paisa in profits. Yet, defying all expectations, a certain superhero extravaganza with such a colossal budget was confined not just from theatrical showings but was also barred from gracing the screens of the digital streaming world. The tale of this film stands as a sobering account of a project mired in limbo, it’s existence purged from existence entirely.
Batgirl, the iconic DC superhero, was poised to soar in her own solo feature set within the once-burgeoning DC Extended Universe. The journey began in 2017, with Joss Whedon at the helm before he withdrew, prompting a rewrite in 2018. Visionaries Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were summoned to direct the motion picture, with Leslie Grace adorning the cape as the titular heroine. Adding to the splendour, Michael Keaton was coaxed back into the cowl of Batman after a hiatus nearing three decades. A stellar assembly of talent featured JK Simmons, Jacob Scipio, and Brendan Fraser, exemplifying the film’s ambition.
Roll cameras between 2021 and 2022, and financial figures show a production bill flirting with the region between $70 to 90 million, dialled further up by post-production expenses to just shy of the $100 million mark at Warner Bros Discovery’s behest. An HBO Max (formerly known as Max) moment was scripted for Batgirl, as the streaming platform owned by Warner Bros was set to be her stage. However, come August 2022, the studio’s higher echelons decided Batgirl did not fit the cut for even this venue.
Cancelled, yet not without collateral damage. Warner Bros Discovery echoed that neither the regal cinema halls nor the digital streaming realm would bear witness to Batgirl’s tale. Initial reasoning cited the studio’s recalibration toward ‘big theatrical event films,’ hinting at a discerning strategic pivot. Testing the waters with early viewings yielded lukewarm responses at best, with sources vocalizing their disillusionment, indicting the film’s aesthetic indigence in comparison to its kinfolk. Warner Bros Discovery stood firm on not funneling further funds into an underwhelming spectacle’s promotion.
Refutations from the film’s directors regarding the positive nature of test screenings did little to sway the outcome, but murmurs in the industry surfaced a different strategy: a tax write-off. Allegedly, the studio would profit from tax benefits, contingent on Batgirl evaporating before a public exhibition.
The aftermath of Batgirl’s cancellation cast a pall of despondency over El Arbi and Fallah, who found themselves barred from Warner Bros’ digital repositories; any attempt to salvage even fragments of their work was thwarted. By September 2022, the dire proclamation that not a shred of the film survived echoed throughout Tinseltown. The directors, joined by star Leslie Grace, lamented this turn, with the film figuratively and literally achieving ghost status.
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