Thursday, October 10, 2024

Exclusive: “Batgirl” Shelving Was Coming for a While, HBO Max Not Getting Rebranded…for Now

Share

I’ve been talking to sources in and out of WarnerMedia this afternoon after the alarming news that “Batgirl”– which possibly cost $90 million — i s being shelved.

Sources tell me that this was bombshell news to all of us, but in the company it’s been known for a while that “Batgirl” was dead. What a shame. Also, Michael Keaton must be livid. He came out of bat retirement to play his character and did a lot of publicity.

Meantime, I am assured that rumors of HBO Max being subsumed into Discovery Plus are not true. My sources there said, “At this point anything is possible, but there’s been no sign of that.” HBO Max is a hit, with lots of popular shows. They’ve burnished their name and logo quickly. Viewers refer to “HBO Max shows.” Discovery sounds like a science channel.

As for “Batgirl,” the fact that Warner/ DC did nothing for it at Comic Con should sent a Bat Signal. The other movie I’d worry about is “The Flash.” So far there’s no word on its fate, but the Ezra Miller fiasco episodes may make it impossible to release.

One day, when Warner’s is owned by Tesla or Apple we can sit back and watch a bunch of unreleased films from Warner’s made during this period. That should be fun!

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

Read more

In Other News