$90m Batgirl cancelled because its so shit test audiences were walking out

[Petcha]

So, it had already wrapped, was in post-production and yet was deemed so terrible by all the test audiences that the studio sucked up the nearly $100m loss, not even releasing to streaming. I really want to see this now. And I hate superhero movies.

The cynic in me suggests they'll cover some of their losses by making this some kind of mysterious cult classic.

‘Irredeemable’ Batgirl movie unexpectedly cancelled despite being in final stages

Warner Bros confirms film starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon, Michael Keaton, JK Simmons and Brendan Fraser won’t ever be released

www.theguardian.com

 

[cupid_stunt]

My first thought was I bet this has a lot to do with the new management, they had already cancelled CNN+ just a month after launch, and there it is at the end of that report.

The move comes amid a change in leadership since Warner Bros merged with Discovery in May 2021. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who recently oversaw swingeing cuts at CNN including shutting down its $300m streaming service CNN+ one month after it launched, is reportedly prioritising cost-cutting and refocusing the studio on theatrical films over streaming projects.

Several shows including Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, The Last OG and Chad have been cancelled since the Warner Bros Discovery merger, while a DC Comics film of The Wonder Twins that was in development has also been canned.

 

[muscovyduck]

Didn't Shrek get thrown out twice in super late stages before they actually made the version of the film we know and love today?

 

[Petcha]

My first thought was I bet this has a lot to do with the new management, they had already cancelled CNN+ just a month after launch, and there it is at the end of that report.

Yeh. I can understand that to a degree. But if they're in the final stages of post, I mean presumably even the advertising campaign was already in full development. It must be really really shit. $100m aint an amount to be sniffed at. I wonder if the test audiences were the utterly nuts people who turn up to comic-con dressed as Gandalf the Grey complaining about plot irregularities and were so disgusted that batgirl's logo was too small or something they walked out. Or it was really just the worst movie ever made. Can't recall a studio taking a hit like this.

 

[platinumsage]

Perhaps by cancelling they retained the option to create future batgirl content that is actually good, rather then forever besmirching the name.

 

[Gromit]

They cancelled it so the loss doesn't go on the books.
There may be some insurance they can claim some of the expense back on.
I've heard of films that were binned solely because the insurance payout was larger than the revenue forecast. To the absolute disgust of the directors.

It probably doesn't help that there is some DC history here.
Justice League was so shit they gave Jack Snyder permission to pretty much do a complete do-over.
Not just a re-edit but reshoot the whole thing...

... and it was still shit.

 

[Ax^]

it has Michael Keaton as batman so just release that footage fffs

as someone who once sat thru Hailey Berry as Cat women

just how bad can this movie be

 

[8ball]

I've heard of films that were binned solely because the insurance payout was larger than the revenue forecast. To the absolute disgust of the directors.

I’ve seen a cancer treatment scrapped because despite actually working better than any other drug, they couldn’t see it capturing the competitor’s share of the market due to imminent patent expiry on the competitor drug (which would suddenly make it a lot cheaper).

Massively off-topic, but properly pissed me off for several reasons.

 

[Elpenor]

How capitalism fails part 978

 

[spanglechick]

I mean, they released Cats ffs.

 

[8ball]

How capitalism fails part 978

We’re still only at 978?

 

[Elpenor]

We’re still only at 978?

Sorry it’s part 978 of the ongoing superhero film series

 

[Gromit]

I’ve seen a cancer treatment scrapped because despite actually working better than any other drug, they couldn’t see it capturing the competitor’s share of the market due to imminent patent expiry on the competitor drug (which would suddenly make it a lot cheaper).

Massively off-topic, but properly pissed me off for several reasons.

Yh. It even goes as far as cancer charities not sharing research data with other cancer charities because... they're the competition.
We want an end to cancer... But only if we get the credit.

 

[8ball]

Yh. It even goes as far as cancer charities not sharing research data with other cancer charities because... they're the competition.
We want an end to cancer... But only if we get the credit.

I’ve been shocked at the tactics of some charities that I’ve heard about from people working in them.

They should do a series of documentaries on it called “Everyone Hates The NSPCC”

 

[Ax^]

I mean, they released Cats ffs.

they gave Elektra from dare devil a snip off after this scene



Round one... Fight!!

 

[Reno]

Didn't Shrek get thrown out twice in super late stages before they actually made the version of the film we know and love today?

No, never. It suffered production setbacks when Chris Farley, the original voice actor for Shrek died before production started and later, when halfway through production Mike Myers decided to re-record his performance with a Scottish accent, resulting in endless overtime for animators like myself (yup, I worked on the thing for two years) but nearly thrown out, it was not.

 

[8ball]

No, never. It suffered production setbacks when Chris Farley, the original voice actor for Shrek died before production started and later, when halfway through production Mike Myers decided to re-record his performance with a Scottish accent, resulting in endless overtime for animators like myself (yup, I worked on the thing for two years) but nearly thrown out, it was not.

Hey Reno, not seen you about in a bit.

Hope things are good with you.

 

[Ax^]

Good to see ya back Reno

 

[danny la rouge]

My wife is in Batgirl. Never to be seen. (She worked as an extra on it).

 

[Lord Camomile]

I was going to say "she joins many great names of cinema on the cutting room floor", but these days it's probably just a Recycle Bin on someone's desktop, until such point that they need the storage for something else

 

[8ball]

My wife is in Batgirl. Never to be seen. (She worked as an extra on it).

Did she have a sneaky go with the costume?

 

[danny la rouge]

Did she have a sneaky go with the costume?

Well, she was within feet of the two main leads in a lot of shots (Leslie Grace and Jacob Scipio - both of whom were very nice people. She says she chatted particularly with Jacob, as she calls him, and he once apologised for getting in her way in a scene!). We strong suspect in the family that the film was cancelled because of an especially distracting extra overacting her way through every scene.