It looks like the Batgirl movie might have a shot at big-screen glory. While Warner Bros. initially wanted to release mid-sized superhero films on HBO Max to boost subscriber numbers, it looks like the recent Netflix subscriber erosion is making them reconsider.
According to a report from Puck News, DC Films and Warner Bros. are now considering releasing Batgirl in theaters and scrapping the HBO Max release strategy. As it turns out, the HBO Max release plan was thought up by executive Jason Kilar but he is now out following the Discovery merger. Here is what Puck News has to say about the matter:
“But maybe, Toby Emmerich and his Warners team are thinking, now is the time to invest a bit more money into Batgirl, perhaps up the visual effects and the music budget and the planned marketing spend, and give the movie a theatrical run first? After all, it’s a new day under Warner Bros. Discovery C.E.O. David Zaslav. The Batman,’ admittedly the company’s marquee superhero property, is putting up huge numbers on Max, I’m told, even after generating $750 million in theaters over 45 days (or, perhaps, because it generated those numbers). And, more importantly, the Great Netflix Correction of ‘22 is causing Warners and all of Hollywood to rethink the “all-in” strategy for streaming.”
This wouldn’t be the first time that Warner Bros. shifted plans for one of their mid-sized superhero efforts that were originally planned to release exclusively on HBO Max. Blue Beetle, starring Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña, was originally going to be an HBO Max exclusive but they apparently liked what they had so much that they decided to go theatrical with a release on the big screen set for August 2023. I’m honestly not surprised that Batgirl, arguably a bigger title than Blue Beetle, would also get this consideration.
Batgirl began shooting back in November so it has been about four months of work on principal photography. A release date has yet to be confirmed but assuming post-production goes as planned, the film SHOULD arrive by the end of the year. In addition to Leslie Grace suiting up as Batgirl, the film also stars J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Jim Gordon and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman. Brendan Fraser is also on board as the villain Firefly.
Do YOU think Batgirl should go theatrical over streaming?