Batgirl Is Getting Secret 'Funeral Screenings' On The Warner Bros. Lot
The insanity over at Warner Bros. keeps getting weirder. By now you've heard over and over again about the absolute head-scratcher decision from the new bosses at Warners to scrap "Batgirl," a film that was well into post-production as it was heading towards its expected late 2022 release date. New CEO David Zaslav has been under fire from day one for this decision, which Warners has called a "strategic shift as it relates to the DC Universe and HBO Max."
The optics of this decision are unflattering, to say the least. It takes some gumption to think you can just erase an anticipated comic book movie from existing, let alone one that was to feature a Latina lead and directed by filmmakers of color. Social media has been on fire since this announcement.
Reports are that it's not even a quality issue, but a cost-saving measure in order to write off the sunk money with the IRS.
Now a new article over at The Hollywood Reporter describes a final (and likely only) screening of "Batgirl" will happen on the Warner Bros. lot just for the cast, crew, and their friends and family. These "funeral screenings" are happening this week and unless the public pressure becomes overwhelming, this is likely to be the only time "Batgirl" will be projected.
There's one positive side to these funeral screenings
On the one hand, this whole situation sucks. It sucks for fans. It sucks for the filmmakers. Hell, it even sucks for Warner Bros., whose stock has plummeted since the merger and has fallen even further in the wake of the cancellations Zaslav has overseen. On the other hand, the literal least the studio could do is give closure to the filmmakers who poured their blood, sweat, and tears into this movie and give them a chance to celebrate what they made.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah ("Bad Boys 4 Life") are reportedly locked out of access to the footage of their own movie, though El Arbi did release the above still of him on set with Leslie and Michael Keaton, who was returning as Batman. This is Hollywood at its worst and a stark reminder that the business side of Show Business is always the priority for those in charge.
Perhaps the outcry will be enough to force the studio's hand, or maybe Zaslav will laugh himself all the way to the bank, burning the century-long institution to the ground as he goes. No matter how you slice it, this is a horrific situation that can only be seen as harmful to creators and their audiences.