The DC movie Batgirl won’t release on HBO Max despite having completed filming. Warner Bros has decided to do away with the project expected to release later this year, after a change in leadership, with the new management focusing on cost-cutting and a refocusing on feature films rather than streamable content, in keeping with their original vision. 

A WarnerBros spokesperson said “The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max”, as per The Hollywood Reporter. 

The movie, starring Leslie Grace in the titular role had a budget of $80 million which went up to $90 million with COVID protocols but still falls short of the usual big budgeted releases fans have come to expect from DC movies. Scoob!: Holiday Haunt has also been shelved by Warner Bros. 

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The spokesperson continued, “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”. 

After WarnerMedia and Discovery merged, management has been looking to save $3 billion, which means there have been some cancellations including JJ Abrams’ expensive HBO original Demimonde with a budget of $200 million and more. CNN+, the streaming service costing $300 million, was pulled a month after launch. 

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HBO Max is also shifting away from family and kids programming and The Gordita Chronicles getting the axe after one season is a sign of the changing times. 

Batgirl, which has now been scrapped, had a long road to being made. Joss Whedon was initially attached to the project but dropped out and was replaced by Adil & Bilall, who came onboard in 2021, fresh off the success of Bad Boys for Life.