DC will have the biggest theatrical year in 2022, with movies including DC League of Super-Pets, Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman 2 all lined up to release in the course of the year after the thunderous success of The Batman. It doesn’t end there. After the record-breaking success of The Peacemaker series, Batgirl is set to premiere on HBO Max as DC’s first-ever live-action original streaming movie.
Barbara Gordon aka Batgirl will be played by Leslie Grace, while J.K. Simmons will reprise his role as her father and Commissioner Gordon. Michael Keaton will tag along as Batman and Brendan Fraser is set to play Batgirl’s main antagonist.
Batgirl stuck in the streaming platform dilemma
Batgirl is in HBO Max and Warner Media since the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger. HBO Max has been Kilian’s top priority from the start and new CEO David Zaslav is more amenable to such a change.
According to reports, Warner Bros. and other studios may re-exam their strategies of streaming shows in the wake of the huge stock losses by Netflix which has been a substantial drop in subscribers last quarter. Studios have gradually embraced streaming, even after the pandemic recedes and people are rushing to theaters to watch movies.
The Warner Bros. way to success
The Batman has made $750 million at the box office before being streamed on HBO Max and garnering huge viewership there. Releasing Batgirl in the theaters would help suppress criticism that the studio is being partial to The Batman and The Flash for releasing them in theater while streaming the likes of Batgirl and Blue Beetle on HBO Max.
Discovery withdraws from investing in HBO Max
Related: Every Major Release Coming To HBO Max After The Batman
News has it that Discovery executives have signaled early on that they do not play on investing in HBO Max as their predecessors did. They consider it a risky strategy because of the Netflix fiasco that has put the future of the streaming industry on the line. Although Warner Bros. future under Discovery remains ambiguous, the studio’s strategy for 2022 and beyond has more or less been decided. Of the upcoming movies that Warner Bros. makes annually going forward, some of them will be designated officially for HBO Max and the remaining will be launched in theaters exclusively for 45 days before they are available for home viewing.
