According to various sources, the DC-based film project, which was set to begin production in early July, has been cancelled.
Riverdale star KJ Apa and 1883 actress Isabel May were cast in the film, which was being created as a movie for HBO Max. The Wonder Twins script was written by Adam Sztykiel, who also directed Dwayne Johnson’s next film Black Adam.
According to sources, the decision to shut down the project was made some weeks ago. According to insiders, the leadership of Warner Bros. Discovery, the new business formed by the merger of Discovery and Warner Bros. and now helmed by CEO David Zaslav, has mandated that DC films be developed with a theatrical-first focus. One source claimed that Wonder Twins in its current form was “too narrow.”
At the same time, one source claimed that the budget was too expensive for an HBO Max film. Twins was set to have a $75 million budget, but insiders say Zaslav wants to keep HBO Max original movies around $35 million. He’s come to the conclusion that higher-budget products don’t bring enough value, i.e., don’t attract enough members, and that lower-budget films do a better job of maintaining customers. Original theatrical films, on the other hand, perform a fantastic job of drawing members, with The Batman reportedly being a great hit for the service.
“A lot of things that were developed are going to go away,” another source said, alluding to the increased scrutiny that various Warners businesses, including cinema, are receiving.
Zan and Jayna, the Wonder Twins, are a pair of extraterrestrial twins. They were introduced to a generation of television viewers as youthful companions to adult heroes like as Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman on Hanna-The Barbera’s All-New Super Friends Hour. The couple later made an appearance in the Super Friends comic and eventually became part of the broader DC world.
The geek blog That Hashtag Show originally reported the project’s cancellation, and a Warner Bros. official rejected the claim.
