Batgirl May Hit Theaters After All
The reports of the movie theater’s demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated. When the theaters were closed during the ridiculous (and seemingly interminable) lockdowns, Warner Bros. decided to release its movies directly to HBO Max throughout 2021 alongside their theatrical releases. As the box office continued to dwindle even after the lockdowns – and the end of forcing people to suffocate for the privilege of paying $18 to see Wonder Woman 2 – Warner Bros. decided to continue releasing some of its films directly to its sister streaming service, including some middle-tier DC movies like Batgirl.
But, since then, a few things have happened. First, Spider-Man: No Way Home proved people still wanted to go to the movies, especially to see an unabashedly entertaining crowd-pleaser. Then, The Batman landed, with a dark, realistic tone and few big names (I know we’re supposed to think Robert Pattinson is the next De Niro or something in terms of talent, but regardless, he’s not a star), plus a very limited theater-exclusive window before hitting HBO Max. It, too, was a hit, pulling in $750 million in 45 days. Finally, Netflix took a big nose dive, losing money and subscribers, the latter for the first time in over a decade, and causing a ripple effect that hurt the other streaming services as well.
One other thing also happened: Discovery bought Warner Bros., which is now called Warner Bros. Discovery, and former CEO Jason Kilar – whose plan the direct-to-HBO releases was – was replaced by David Zaslav. Zaslav, Puck News’ Matthew Belloni hears from sources, is keen to change course and bring some of those DC films to the theater before they get zapped into everyone’s home as part of their monthly HBO package. Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Tony Emmerich is also said to be reconsidering the release plan. They aren’t going to scrap streaming releases entirely, though; The Batman garnered huge streaming numbers following its theatrical run, and the one-two combo of the box office haul and home viewings could be symbiotic. (If you liked it in theaters, you might be more willing to watch it again at home rather than shell out for another movie ticket that’s likely more than you pay for a whole month of HBO Max.)
There are also budgets to consider. Right now, Batgirl is being produced for around $70 million, but if it goes to theaters, Warner Bros. will invest more money in the special effects, music, and other production values, not to mention a bigger advertising push. If Batgirl does big numbers, it could be worth the money, but if it doesn’t, they’ll have bled even more cash on a flop. And while The Batman wasn’t a star-studded affair, it was about Batman, one of the most beloved fictional characters of all time; whatever you think of her, Batgirl is no Batman. So, regardless of the size of his role in the actual film, expect to see Michael Keaton front and center on every poster, featured heavily in every trailer, and mentioned in 70% of the paragraphs in every mainstream entertainment news article written about the movie.
Would you rather Batgirl be released in theaters or go immediately to HBO Max? Are you looking forward to the movie? Does this mean streaming will solely be the home of lame-o supporting character spinoff series? Let us know in the comments, and stick around Geeks + Gamers for more DC news!
