Scrapping BATGIRL And Other Movies Took "Real Courage" According To WBD's David Zaslav

Scrapping BATGIRL And Other Movies Took "Real Courage" According To WBD's David Zaslav

Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav has no regrets about his decision to shelve Batgirl and other projects as tax write-offs, and believes it's simply a necessary evil...

By MarkCassidy - Nov 29, 2023 08:11 PM EST
Filed Under: Batgirl
Source: Via Variety

Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav's decision to shelve the HBO Max Batgirl movie when it was already so deep into post-production was one of the biggest news stories of last year, and was met with a significant amount of backlash from every corner of the industry.

The project was scrapped as a tax write-off, with reports doing the rounds at the time that Barbara Gordon's first solo outing simply wasn't very good, and DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran would later suggest that Batgirl may have been even more of a mess than we'd been led to believe.

"I saw the movie, and there are a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film. But that film was not releasable, and it happens sometimes. That film was not releasable. I actually think that [president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David] Zaslav and the team made a very bold and courageous decision to cancel it because it would have hurt DC. It would have hurt those people involved."

Other projects have suffered the same fate since, including Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Coyote vs. Acme (though the studio is allowing filmmakers to shop it to other distributors), but Zaslav is adamant that these practices simply come down to a “strategic decision” and were required to improve the media conglomerate’s financial health.

"What content is going to help us win? The content that wasn’t, we made a strategic decision on. It was difficult and it was painful. But I think it was the right decision for the company and it was necessary. The question is, should we take certain of these movies and open them in the theater and spend another $30 [million] or $40 million to promote them?. When I look at the health of our company today, we needed to make those decisions. And it took real courage.”

The chances of us ever seeing Batgirl are somewhere between slim and none (we're not even sure the movie still exists), but star Leslie Grace has confirmed that she has spoken to new Safran and James Gunn about potentially returning as Babs down the line.

What do you make of Zaslav's comments? Do you see where he's coming from, or do you think more should have been done to ensure Batgirl was releasable in some capacity? Be sure to share your thoughts in the usual place.

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Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 11/29/2023, 8:14 PM
It takes real courage to take a tax write off. 🤣
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 8:17 PM
@Feralwookiee - I'm still working on your tampons and pot write offs. Give me a few, man.
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 11/29/2023, 8:25 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - Don't forget the inflatable sheep!
Greetpack9
Greetpack9 - 11/29/2023, 8:45 PM
@OriginalGusto1 - Damn Gusto I haven't commented in a while. If its really, really you ( sits down in front of the fireplace... wraps up in warm cozy blanket) tell me again about the Iron man Christmas clusterfrick.
McMurdo
McMurdo - 11/29/2023, 8:52 PM
@Greetpack9 - it's him.
Feralwookiee
Feralwookiee - 11/29/2023, 8:55 PM
@Greetpack9 - It's him.
Nomis is back on here too. 👍
Greetpack9
Greetpack9 - 11/29/2023, 8:59 PM
@McMurdo @OriginalGusto Well Miley my Cyrus. I thought I smelled carni folk
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:07 PM
@Greetpack9 - thanks, man.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:08 PM
@Feralwookiee - I thought all inflatibles were are thing, man?
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:09 PM
@McMurdo - Pray McGee doesnt come back. I cant get my head around that depravity.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:12 PM
*our thing
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 11/29/2023, 8:14 PM
Watching Black Adam and Shazam 2 took courage.

I wasn't brave enough.
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 8:16 PM
@WEAPONXOXOXO - You did the right thing.
Goldboink
Goldboink - 11/29/2023, 8:45 PM
@WEAPONXOXOXO -

DocSpock
DocSpock - 11/29/2023, 8:15 PM

So when you scoop up and throw away your dog's sh!t, that takes "Real Courage!"

OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 8:18 PM
@DocSpock - Depends on the dog.
Goldboink
Goldboink - 11/29/2023, 8:45 PM
@DocSpock - I pay someone to do that shit for me.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 11/29/2023, 9:07 PM
@Goldboink -

yet another courageous hero!
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:10 PM
@Goldboink - how much we talking?
OriginalGusto1
OriginalGusto1 - 11/29/2023, 9:11 PM
Keep in mind that DocSpock is rich...he's a dentist.
lazlodaytona
lazlodaytona - 11/30/2023, 5:35 AM
@DocSpock - Zaslav is an idiot but it was like he was trying anything to course correct the disaster that the DC films for it. Again, I don't like the man and don't agree with his decision but it's kinda understandable why he made that decision.
DocSpock
DocSpock - 11/30/2023, 8:52 AM
@lazlodaytona -

I think he made the right decision.

Goldboink
Goldboink - 11/30/2023, 11:11 AM
@OriginalGusto1 -
Half as much as the guy who wipes my bottom for me.
IronMan616
IronMan616 - 11/29/2023, 8:17 PM
Lol, would've done worse than The Marvels.
Toonstrack
Toonstrack - 11/29/2023, 11:56 PM
@IronMan616 - it wasn't going to have a box office at all....
dracula
dracula - 11/29/2023, 8:19 PM
Also takes a lot of courage to start caring about a project only after it was cancelled

Which yeah really felt like a lot of people did with some of these projects
dracula
dracula - 11/29/2023, 8:22 PM
Like really i was interested in batgirl but yeah dont thinj i was ever excited though. That could have changed with a trailer but eh i can do with or without
Forthas
Forthas - 11/29/2023, 8:21 PM
This guy is clueless. What has he done to benefit the company since he started? Sure he inherited a mess but so far he has not done anything to turn things around.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 11/29/2023, 8:21 PM
What a courageous asshole he is
TiberiousOmega
TiberiousOmega - 11/29/2023, 8:21 PM
It couldn’t be much worst than most of the recent DC movies. And sadly we will never know if the movie was any good. I do think The Flash movie could have been great if it actually followed the Flashpoint story line better. And recast the main character.
KillerOfSaints
KillerOfSaints - 11/29/2023, 8:27 PM
Never before have I wanted to see a movie so bad. I bet it was fine.
NicolausCopernicus
NicolausCopernicus - 11/29/2023, 10:46 PM
@KillerOfSaints - If an executive says its bad, then I assume that I must be a masterpiece
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 11/29/2023, 8:27 PM
This dude is the worst. The thing about rooting for the Gunnverse to succeed is, if it does, then Zaslav gets to claim victory. And I can't allow that.🤣
AnthonyVonGeek
AnthonyVonGeek - 11/29/2023, 8:28 PM
Yeah ok….
BlackSpider
BlackSpider - 11/29/2023, 8:31 PM
Should have released it. Couldn't have done worse than the flash
Ha1frican
Ha1frican - 11/29/2023, 8:35 PM
Oh shut the [frick] up
ReverseFlasher
ReverseFlasher - 11/29/2023, 8:35 PM
More than a bit offensive to say the project wouldve hurt those people’s careers…

Especially coming from a guy whos produced some of the most painfully generic and forgettable movies, superhero or not, in the last 15 years.
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