Batgirlhas hit the headlines again, as it seems that Warner Bros. Discover employees have begun to hold “funeral screenings”in the wake of its cancellation. The move is happening just before Warner Bros. Discovery is said to be taking measures to put footage under “lock and key”. Originally,Batgirlwas shelved earlier this month, despite nearly being completed. The move was said to be a tax write-off by new CEO David Zaslav. It’s been a very controversial move, and the cancelation has been earning the company more than a little negative press.
According toThe Hollywood Reporter, however,cast and crew who worked onBatgirlare holding screenings on the Warner Bros. Discovery lot to enjoy the fruits of their labor one last time, before the film is set to reach its final resting place. What that resting place might be is unclear; while certain projects are said to be still in existence despite never seeing the light of day, such as Game of Thrones spin-off,Bloodmoon, some have speculated that the footage may actually be destroyed entirely. This move would ensure that the tax write-off would be accepted by the IRS without question - should the project ever be released, it would run afoul of several of the organization’s rules on the process.
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It seems that even filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have not been allowed to rescue any footage from the movie. The lack of access to such high profile individuals paints the screenings as a last hurrah for the film: if not even the directors of the project are allowed to see it, holding secret screenings may be the only way that it is seen in its entirety. Reportedly, the screenings are also being held for representatives and executives at Warner Bros. Discovery, suggesting that not even they will have access to the footage.
Batgirlis not the only project that has been canceled by Zaslav’s move to cut down on debt; other projects, particularly animated ones, have been stopped mid-production or canceled in order to cut down on costs. Creatives in particularhave been incensed by the company’s decisionsin recent weeks, alienating the talent pool from the company.
It makes sense thatBatgirlis the rallying point that fans have decided to focus on when discussing the distressing situation. Not only was it nearly complete, but theLeslie Grace-starringfilm was also dismissed in a manner that most found incredibly callous. For that reason, it became a production that was easy to root for.
