After its surprise announcement earlier this year, HBO Max’s Wonder Twins movie is no longer going forward. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has cancelled its plans to give Zan and Jayna their own feature film.
HBO Max announced Wonder Twins in February with Adam Sztykiel (Black Adam) set to write the script and make his directorial debut on the project as well. Last month, KJ Apa and Isabel May were chosen to headline the movie as Zan and Jayna, respectively. Production was expected to begin sometime in July. But apparently WarnerMedia’s recent merger with Discovery is to blame for the cancellation.
Studio execs reportedly made the decision to scrap the film several weeks ago. Apparently CEO David Zaslav has mandated that all DC movies shoot for a theatrical-first release model. That’s not too surprising, given the viability of comic book movies at the box office.
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However, other sources give different reasons for Wonder Twins’ fate. One insider claims that the story was “too niche” for a mainstream audience. And another source suggested that the budget was too high for an HBO Max exclusive. Zaslav reportedly wants to cap budgets for all HBO Max-only releases at $35 million. Prior to its cancellation, Wonder Twins reportedly had a $75 million price tag.
Zaslav’s mandate also leaves the future of other upcoming DC films in question. Warner Bros. was also developing new movies featuring Black Canary, Zatanna, and Static as HBO Max exclusives. But if theatrical-first is the ultimate goal, then the studio must decide whether to release these films on the big screen or do away with them altogether. According to a third source, that is a very real possibility.
Are you sad to hear that Wonder Twins has been cancelled? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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