“The Flash” Is Still Going Ahead Despite Ezra Miller’s Controversies And It’s Sparked Huge Backlash After $90M Movie “Batgirl” Was Axed

“The Flash” Is Still Going Ahead Despite Ezra Miller’s Controversies And It’s Sparked Huge Backlash After $90M Movie “Batgirl” Was Axed
Reporting To YouSign InSign InAbout UsGot A Tip?buzzfeed.comCelebrityEzra Miller

“The Flash” Is Still Going Ahead Despite Ezra Miller’s Controversies And It’s Sparked Huge Backlash After $90M Movie “Batgirl” Was Axed

Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav said he’s “very excited” about The Flash on Thursday, but people think it should be axed after lead actor Ezra Miller’s string of controversies.

By NwjSePPx5_large.jpg?crop=394%253A393%253B-1%252C38&downsize=60:*&output-format=jpg&output-quality=autoby Stephanie Soteriou

BuzzFeed News Reporter

Posted 20 minutes agoTwitterFacebookLink

Earlier this week, it was announced that Warner Bros. had decided to scrap its upcoming Batgirl movie, even though it had already cost the company a reported $90 million and was in post-production.

View this photo on Instagram

Instagram: @adilelarbi

The movie was set to star In The Heights actor Leslie Grace in the titular role, with the cast including J.K. Simmons and Michael Keaton.

sub-buzz-5940-1659707769-1.jpg?downsize=700%3A%2A&output-quality=auto&output-format=auto

John Lamparski / FilmMagic

All principal filming for Batgirl had been completed and people were flummoxed by the decision to shelve it at such a late stage.

View this photo on Instagram

Instagram: @lesliegrace

The movie was being made specifically for streaming service HBO Max, and sources told Variety: “The decision to axe Batgirl was not driven by the quality of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers, but by the desire for the studio’s slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale."

View this photo on Instagram

Instagram: @adilelarbi

However, the New York Post reported that Batgirl was actually being scrapped due to the negative reaction from test screenings. “[The screenings] were said to be so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future,” an insider alleged.

View this photo on Instagram

Instagram: @fallahbilall

In addition to the $90 million loss from Batgirl, Warner Bros. also scrapped Scoob! A Holiday Haunt, the sequel to Scoob! that had already cost them a reported $40 million.

sub-buzz-5612-1659707905-7.png

Warner Bros.

The company’s bold decision to axe movies after it’d already poured money into them got many wondering about the fate of the upcoming DC Universe installment of The Flash.

sub-buzz-5978-1659707938-16.png

Warner Bros

Its future was up in the air for several months after its lead actor, Ezra Miller, was at the center of a series of allegations this year, including serious accusations of grooming and endangerment.

sub-buzz-5860-1659707967-16.jpg

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

One person tweeted: “If they’re willing to set $130 million on fire to not release Batgirl or Scoob! Holiday Haunt, then WB have absolutely zero excuses not to scrap The Flash given the circumstances surrounding Ezra Miller. the amount of money spent on it cannot function as an excuse anymore.”

qYE_0OFG_normal.jpg Logan