As the dust settles on Warner Bros. Discovery’sindustry-shaking announcementabout the cancellation of two major films —BatgirlandScoob!: Holiday Haunt— talent associated with both projects is beginning to comment on the situation. And after statements fromBatgirldirectorsAdil El ArbiandBillal Fallahand starLeslie Grace,Scoob 2co-writerPaul Dinihas questioned the studio’s move to cancel a film that he thinks would’ve been a sure-shot hit this holiday season.
Dini, who is perhaps best known as the creator of the Batman character Harley Quinn, responded to a fan’s tweet about the news. He not only revealed that the film — a prequel to the animated reboot of the franchise — was “95% complete,” but claimed that a work-in-progress cut actually tested quite well. Warner Bros. in a statement about the cannedBatgirlfilm said thata change in the studio’s business strategywas the primary reason behind the move. In Dini’s own words:
“‘Shit next’ indeed. Yes, I’m co-writer, but also, why cancel a 95% finished holiday movie this close to Fall, when you’re guaranteed kids watching it from right after Halloween until at least New Years? Makes no business sense esp. as both kids & parents dug the WIP screening.”
RELATED:‘Scoob: Holiday Haunt’ Shelved at Warner Bros
According to aVarietyreport, the new W.B.D. leadership’s decision to distance the company from the previous regime’s streaming-focused strategies prompted the cancellation of the two movies, which were deemed unsuitable for either the theatrical marketplace or the HBO Max streaming service. The studio had already spent around $90 million onBatgirl, which the film’s directorsrevealed in their joint statementwas “far from finished,” contrary to the rumors floating around.
Scoob 2, on the other hand, was apparently closer to the finish line. According toThe Hollywood Reporter, the film was budgeted at around $40 million, which is far lower than what an average Pixar project costs —Lightyear, for instance, was produced for a reported $200 million — but still a hefty price tag for a streaming-exclusive title. The firstScoob!film, directed byTony Cervone, debuted at the peak of the pandemic’s first wave in 2020 and received mixed reviews.
Dini is best known for writing some of the most memorable episodes of the classicBatman: The Animated Series. He has also written the acclaimed video game,Batman: Arkham Asylumand its sequel,Batman: Arkham City. Scooby-Doo remains a popular piece of IP, and fans can be sure another reboot of the popular cartoon is probably around the corner. In fact, anew animated seriescentered around the character Velma Dinkley is coming from star and executive producerMindy Kaling.
You can check out Dini’s tweet here, and watch the trailer for the firstScoob!film down below:
