DC Films’ Batgirl, starring Leslie Grace, was to be the next installation in the DC Extended Universe, navigating Barbara Gordon’s life and her journey to becoming the comic-famed superhero Batgirl. However, the movie has now been removed from the roster of to-be-released films by Warner Bros. Batgirl, an HBO Max production for the streaming platform, was directed by Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi who recently shot into fame after their Marvel Phase Four project, Ms. Marvel.
Related article: 4 DC TV Shows That Almost Happened
Directors Convey Their Regrets After WB Shelves Batgirl
The directorial pair, Adil El Arbi, and Bilall Fallah, both born in Belgium and of Moroccan descent, made a niche in the industry after directing movies like Black (2015), Gangsta (2018), and Bad Boys For Life (2020). Their recent big-budget Hollywood production under the Marvel franchise, Ms. Marvel, was one of the many projects that brought them to the forefront of public fame. However, the equally amazing opportunity of the DC Films project that the pair were meant to bring to the big screen, i.e. Batgirl has now been canned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Also read: 5 Films Made and Never Released (Including Batgirl)
In the aftermath of this news being made public, the directors reeled at the considerable shock since they too were not aware of the drastic decision. The movie which was scheduled to be aired on HBO Max in 2022 has now been the subject of several fan theories due to its sudden cancellation starting from WB using it as a tax cut-down or managing costs after their merger. Directors Fallah and El Arbi have expressed their regrets, however, saying:
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.”
Leslie Grace Responds to WB’s Cancellation of Batgirl
Batgirl was the culmination of 7 months of filming and the dedicated contribution of the 27-year-old Latin-American singer, songwriter, and actor, Leslie Grace. As her first solo superhero role in a major franchise movie, it was Grace who was most affected in the aftermath of the film’s cancellation. However, the actor took to Twitter to address the issue in the most heartfelt manner.
Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. pic.twitter.com/jGACQHoMjm
— Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace) August 4, 2022
I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!” #Batgirl for life! 🦇 pic.twitter.com/4D9ZM87Ytu
— Leslie Grace (@lesliegrace) August 4, 2022
Related article: Michael Keaton’s Batman Is ‘Surreal’ Says Batgirl‘s Leslie Grace
The DCEU movie had been written by Christina Hodson and featured a stellar cast comprising J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, Michael Keaton as Batman, Brendan Fraser as Firefly, the antagonist, Ivory Aquino as Alysia Yeoh, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front, and several others.
Source: Twitter
