Batgirl was an upcoming but is now an unreleased superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. Produced by Burr! Productions and DC Films for the over the top streaming service HBO Max, the film was intended to be a part of an installment in the DCEU (DC Extended Universe). The film was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah of Bad Boys For Life from a screenplay written by Christina Hodson.
The now shelved film was supposed to star Leslie Grace as Batgirl, J. K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, Jacob Scipio the mob boss Anthony Bressi, Brendan Fraser as the disgruntled veteran turned sociopathic pyromaniac Firefly, and Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne / Batman from an alternate universe of Gotham City who moonlights as a crimefighting vigilante.
Recently, DC Films and HBO Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery announced that, while the $90 million film was close to completion, they no longer planned to release it due to low evaluations by test audiences, the studio's cost-cutting measures, and refocus on theatrical releases. Taking to Instagram, the Bad boys For Life director duo shared a heartfelt note in which they expressed their grief regarding the situation.
The note read, “We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe. 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. Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity. In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honour to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl for life”. Check it out:
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