One of the key pillars of Brendan Fraser's big cinematic comeback — the Brenaissance, as the internet is so inclined — has fallen after sudden news that the $90-million Batgirl movie has been scrapped.
The film, which had finished filming and was in post-production ahead of an expected release later this year, will now never see the light of day. According to a statement by Warner Bros., it won't be appearing in cinemas or even released on streaming service HBO Max.
Fans were excited to see Fraser's rendition of comic book villain Firefly, an arsonist who terrorizes Gotham City with a flamethrower. The film would've also seen the return of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Michael Keaton as Batman, 30 years after his last classic portrayal of the superhero in Batman Returns.
The reason? According to Variety, the production company didn't see the film being big enough to warrant a theatrical release (which would have cost them tens of millions of dollars more in marketing), but they thought it was too big to head straight to the streaming service. It's been suggested instead that Warner Bros. will be writing off the movie for tax purposes, meaning the company isn't allowed to make any money off the film or sell its rights. The studio also scrapped Scoob! Holiday Haunt, the sequel to the 2020 animated film.
In light of the decision, a Warner Bros. statement read: "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. 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."
Thankfully, the Brenaissance has only begun, as the actor's involvement in several upcoming big-name film projects was recently revealed — including Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Otherwise, we'll still get to see Keaton (bat)suit up again alongside Ben Affleck in The Flash, though he likely won't see it himself.
The film, which had finished filming and was in post-production ahead of an expected release later this year, will now never see the light of day. According to a statement by Warner Bros., it won't be appearing in cinemas or even released on streaming service HBO Max.
Fans were excited to see Fraser's rendition of comic book villain Firefly, an arsonist who terrorizes Gotham City with a flamethrower. The film would've also seen the return of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Michael Keaton as Batman, 30 years after his last classic portrayal of the superhero in Batman Returns.
The reason? According to Variety, the production company didn't see the film being big enough to warrant a theatrical release (which would have cost them tens of millions of dollars more in marketing), but they thought it was too big to head straight to the streaming service. It's been suggested instead that Warner Bros. will be writing off the movie for tax purposes, meaning the company isn't allowed to make any money off the film or sell its rights. The studio also scrapped Scoob! Holiday Haunt, the sequel to the 2020 animated film.
In light of the decision, a Warner Bros. statement read: "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. 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."
Thankfully, the Brenaissance has only begun, as the actor's involvement in several upcoming big-name film projects was recently revealed — including Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Otherwise, we'll still get to see Keaton (bat)suit up again alongside Ben Affleck in The Flash, though he likely won't see it himself.
