BY LEE PFEIFFER
If you follow current movie industry news then you know that the big bombshell this week was the decision by Warner Bros. to pull the plug on the much-anticipated "Batgirl" feature film. Even more shocking was the announcement that the studio would never show the film in any format. The film was mostly completed but directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi were still putting finishing touches on the production. Making matters worse, WB allegedly never informed anyone associated with the movie that it was being shelved until the New York Post broke the story. The movie is chockablock with talent: Leslie Grace, who plays the title role was prepping for a major career boost. The supporting cast includes Oscar winners J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon and Michael Keaton, returning in the role of Batman for the first time in decades. Brendan Fraser, who plays the villain Firefly, was promoting the movie at a fan convention on stage when the news broke. Everyone associated with the movie is understandably stunned and outraged despite the fact that WB issued a statement saying that the decision in no way reflects on the creative team.
"Holy Ouch, Batman!" What caused this to happen?
Apparently, WB is on a cost-cutting mission and a rough cut of "Batgirl" had been test screened with poor results. (It allegedly averaged in the "30s" in terms of audience satisfaction.) WB says the film will cost $90 million but press reports say the cost could be $100 million. That's still a relatively modest sum for a modern superhero flick but WB obviously feels it should cut its losses, as today's major films cost tens of millions to publicize and market. Fans have pondered why the studio doesn't directly release it to streaming and home video. It's because there is a clause that says if a studio wants the benefit of a tax break covering the total production costs, it can't show the film anywhere or profit from it under any circumstances.
If history is any guide, "Batgirl" will eventually surface in some version on bootleg videos. However, that's a poor way to experience whatever vision the creators had in mind. A film isn't complete until its director (or directors) proclaim it as such. The studio is grappling with the public relations disaster and there will obviously be plenty of breaking news to come. In the meantime, we'll have to satiate ourselves with Yvonne Craig's charming portrayal of Batgirl in the classic TV series from the 1960s.
(The New York Post has run some behind the scenes photos from the production. Click here to view. For additional coverage, click here.)