According to a new report, Warner Bros. is holding secret screenings of the shelved film Batgirl on the Warner Bros. lot. Warner Bros. shocked fans when it shelved the nearly $90 million film, Batgirl. The project had been in development hell for years and it had finally finished filming this year. Despite the work they had already completed, Warner Bros. decided to scrap the entire project and never release it on any platform. The film was originally supposed to be released on HBO Max, but now all the footage will be locked away in some forgotten studio basement.
The story of Batgirl is a sad one for fans. After years, there was finally light at the end of the tunnel only to have Warner Bros. snuff it out. Ever since Warner Bros. announced they were canceling Batgirl, fans have been dying to see any footage they can. Leaked set clips have made their way around the internet and more information regarding the project seems to roll out daily. The amount of press Batgirl is getting is insane and fans seemingly can’t get enough. In a way, canceling the film was the greatest thing Warner Bros. could have done from a PR perspective. Because what happens when you tell people they can’t see something? They immediately want to see it. And it looks like some lucky few are getting that chance.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. is holding secret screenings of Batgirl on their very own lot. These “funeral screenings” are the last chance for people to see the project before it is thrown away in a vault somewhere to be forgotten. The people attending the screenings are described as a “select few insiders,” which means the general public probably doesn’t have a chance of attending. But the fact that the film is being shown at all seems like a tease to fans who are clamoring to see it.
To me, these screenings seem like a precursor to something more. I don’t know if Warner Bros. is paying close to the media coverage, but if they are, they have to know that they could make a lot of money if they reverse their decision and release the film. Batgirl was the number one talked about film in the world when it got canceled. And no one cared about it before it got shelved. If Warner Bros. is smart, they would cash in on their good fortune rather than just take the tax write-off.
I for one would love to see the film. The footage we’ve seen online looks interesting and who doesn’t want to see Michael Keaton don the bat suit again? Seems like a no-brainer to me, but Warner Bros. has become unpredictable when it comes to DC Films. Projects are getting delayed or canceled and it just seems like pure chaos over at the studio. Maybe Warner Bros. rethinks their decision and releases the film on some platform, maybe they don’t. Either way, Batgirl will live on in infamy.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter