I have a tendency to write about DC Projects more than anything else on this site. More than likely it’s about being in my lane than anything else just as for someone else it could be Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dragonball, Sports, or almost anything. This Merger at Warner Bros. Discovery that’s still in a transitional state for months now has had some of the most polarizing outcomes in terms of consumer interest.
Whether it be canceling movies, shows, or even the eventual end to the HBO Max service which is set to merge with Discovery+ within the next year or two. Among the topical cancelations, what happened to the Batgirl film is perhaps the most noteworthy thing that has a lot of people in the film community arguably have been the angriest and the most grieving when comparing the things that got pulled.
Sure the axing of Close Enough, the erasure of Infinity Train, or the Mystery of the Scoob!! Holiday Haunt’s future is discouraging enough but when it comes to this Batgirl movie there have been fans, cast members, film crew, and even some Celebrities that have pleaded with WBD to release the Batgirl film.
Me, I am also frustrated with these decisions even if I understand the reasons behind them. However, while I enjoyed Close Enough, thought Infinity Train was intriguing as a concept but wasn’t exactly a devotee to the series, and as someone who doesn’t care if Scoob gets a sequel or not these don’t bother me nearly as much as the cancelation of Batgirl because at least some of these got the full exposure to the public and animated projects even when finished get canceled all the time canceling a live-action superhero film that finished filming or even canceling a film, in general, is a rare situation.
If the film never sees the light of day I’ll have to come to terms with that as I don’t have nearly as big a dog in this fight as other people do. Now if you’re someone reading this and are outraged that I’m not making a Pickett sign or carrying torches and pitchforks over WBD’s decisions I hope you take solace that I have an easy solution not just for Batgirl but for David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, Joel Schumacher’s Director’s Cut of Batman Forever, or any other unrealized DC projects live action or animated: An Anthology show.
Now I understand that WBD is concerned with gaining the attention of the average consumer who doesn’t go online and isn’t in the know of movie news since they make up 90%+ of the people who buy their products, but with every passing year the perpetually online is growing and is increasingly getting more self-aware of what’s happening behind the scenes. If this was 2032 instead of 2022 the internet would back major Studios into a corner way more than they would now.
Eventually, you’re going to have to at least address these people too because in a decade there’s a strong possibility that they will make up an even larger percentage than they do right now so you may not want to let them bite your hand because you’re not feeding them.
With this show, I’m proposing my own working title of ‘DC Presents Elseworlds,’ you have all lf this alternate and unused footage in that digital vault at WB Studios we can assume several of us saw in Space Jam: A New Legacy that fans want to see and if they don’t sell well on their own you have this HBO Max Anthology show that can showcase what could have been. It’s very similar to The Twilight Zone Alfred Hitchcock Presents & to some extent Marvel’s What If…? where most of the stories can be a self-contained Multiverse story that will allow a vision that a filmmaker initially wanted to be fully realized.
Picture if you will (Channeling Rod Serling here) 2 part or even 3 part hour-long episodes of an 8 episode series (Batgirl/2 episodes, Ayers Suicide Squad/3 episodes, Schumacher’s Batman Forever/3 episodes), and if this show is a hit you can make season 2 animated films based on films that were in development but never went into filming like Tim Burton & Kevin Smith’s Superman Lives, JJ Abram’s Superman: Flyby, Darren Aronofsky’s Batman: Year One where these directors can even return to either direct them or have them on board as producers.
Now if the problems are more nuanced than simply what happens in the film and more of a money problem this is why turning these projects that have popular demand into a series for streaming would not only get these fans that are mad at WBD on board it also brings in new fans as well. Zack Snyder’s Justice League was a global phenomenon and got the service new subscribers but it didn’t keep all of them.
By turning these unfinished films into a series you get the best of both things: they’ll be cheaper to make rather than making their individual movies and by making this an ongoing show you get that staying power. Worst-case scenario if any or even all the movies as episodes are received poorly you can revamp the format for Season 2 if enough people stayed until the very end and want another season.
In fact, DC Presents: Elseworlds can be the launching show for the newly merged service I’m just going to call WB Discovery+ for argument’s sake. I know this won’t absolve the other shows & films that are canceled but if you really want Close Enough & Infinity back campaign for them. Campaign for Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt too but just know this proposal I have ought to be an option for campaigning too.
