According to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, the news is due in part to the recent merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, as well as the recent success of select superhero films in theatres. The report specifically mentions The Batman’s strong performance in theatres — where it earned more than $750 million and debuted to critical acclaim — as a possible reason for Batgirl possibly switching over.
The report also mentions Netflix’s recent problems as a possible reason why Warner Bros. may be reconsidering its strategy of going “all-in” on streaming. Belloni mentions new Warner Bros.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav may be reconsidering the company’s initial strategy of delivering all of its content to streaming services.
Obviously, there are numerous reasons why Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Kilar’s replacement, should reconsider betting the company’s entire future on a streaming service. Not the least of which is that Netflix, the apple of Kilar’s and Wall Street’s eyes, now appears to be a lot less golden after last week.
Netflix revealed to investors on April 19 that the service lost 200,000 subscribers in the first quarter of 2022 and could lose up to two million more in the year’s second quarter. In the same week, CNN+, another streaming service, died an untimely death. It turns out that streaming isn’t a gold-paved road.
Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon, is played by Leslie Grace (In the Heights) in the Batgirl film. Barbara was first seen in the 1967 Batman series, played by the late Yvonne Craig. Her first appearance in a comic book was in Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino’s Detective Comics #357.
Oscar winner J.K. Simmons (Zack Snyder’s Justice League) and Michael Keaton (The Flash) will reprise their roles as Commissioner Gordon and Bruce Wayne/ Batman, respectively, in the live-action film. Jacob Scipio, Ethan Kai, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front, and Brendan Fraser, who plays the villain Firefly for the second time in the DC Universe, round out the supporting cast.
Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are directing Batgirl, which is based on a screenplay by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, The Flash). Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Films are producing, with Kristin Burr (Cruella) serving as executive producer.