No one can quite believe it, so no one but Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav: The $90 million DC movie Batgirl is going into the poison closet, which means it will not be published at all. Even though it’s already in post-production. The internet is outraged, but nobody is hit harder by the news than the people who put months and years of their lives into the film. The latest reactions from leading actress Leslie Grace and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah bear witness to this.
Batgirl for Life: Leslie Grace recalls the hard work on the DC film
Taking to Instagram, Batgirl actress and In the Heights star Leslie Grace shared impressions of her work on the DC film, recalling the hard work and passion that went into the project in her post:
Following the recent news about our film Batgirl I’m proud of love, hard work and goalswhich our incredible cast and tireless crew have put into the film over the past seven months in Scotland. […]
She closes with a combative “Batgirl for Life!”
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The two directors still can’t believe it
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have a wealth of experience in the film industry, having directed the blockbuster Bad Boys For Life and episodes of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel. You can read from her statement on Instagram that how unexpected Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision wasto lock away your film:
We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is essential that our work is shown to an audience, and while the film is far from finished, we wish fans around the world would have the opportunity to see the final film for themselves […].
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The internet is devastated by Batgirl’s fate
Numerous fans and observers reacted similarly surprised and concerned about Batgirl’s fate online. Comics writer Gail Simone took to the hashtag #ReleaseBatgirl and wrote: “It’s really puzzling and sad.”
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The Black Phone and Doctor Strange author C. Robert Cargill explains:
The idea that you put a year or more of your life into a project, actually film it, get close to the finish line, and then watch it dissipate into the ether of a corporate tax write-off, is a nightmare.
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Star Wars screenwriter Gary Whitta summarizes:
Batgirl is one particularly grim memory Remember that film studios are not patrons of the arts. They are companies whose raison d’être is to increase their market value. If that can be achieved by throwing away a film for a tax write-off that creative people have sweated for years to make, then they’ll do it.
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For more information on the reasons for writing Batgirl down, including taxes, see the linked article on the subject.
Since the film can only be written off as a loss for tax purposes if Warner Bros. Discovery does not earn anything from it, there is currently no glimmer of hope for a Batgirl release.
Podcast: August’s 20 Best Series Starts: Marvel Doubles, Sandman, and House of the Dragon
Need more fresh streaming tips? The most exciting series that you can stream in August on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and more can be found here in the monthly preview:
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We have checked the long starting lists of the streaming services and present you the 20 big highlights of the month in the Moviepilot podcast stream trawl. Also included are the fiery Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, the Netflix fantasy epic Sandman and the offbeat MCU lawyer comedy She-Hulk.