It’s almost as if Leslie Grace was destined to find yourself in Gotham.
The Within the Heights star and Latin pop singer didn’t grow up reading DC comics or watching superhero shows, but she and her childhood best friend nicknamed themselves after the caped crusader and his sidekick. “We at all times got into trouble as kids, so we began calling one another Batman and Robin,” she previously told ELLE.com. So when she learned she was solid as Batgirl (amid a decent race for the coveted role), her BFF knew it felt like fate. “[She] was like ‘All this time, we’ve been manifesting this,’” Grace said.
A standalone Batgirl film has been within the works with Warner Bros. and DC since 2017, and Grace’s casting was announced in 2021. Nevertheless, a yr later, the film has been scrapped just months away from release. Here’s what we all know.
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Why did Batgirl get scrapped?
Batgirl was expected to reach sometime in 2022 on HBO Max, but on Aug. 2, reports broke, initially from The Latest York Post, that Warner Bros. would not be releasing the film in any respect, theatrically or online.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, “The bizarre move comes after a change in leadership at Warners, with newly installed Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav prioritizing on cost-cutting measures and refocusing Warners on theatrical movies somewhat than creating projects straight for streaming, as had been a priority for former WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar.”
The film—with a reported budget of $80 million and actual costs nearing $90 million because of COVID protocols—had already finished shooting, THR reports. Sources told the outlet that costly projects made just for streaming don’t align with the corporate’s recent strategy.
The Wrap reported earlier that, based on insiders, the studio heads decided Batgirl simply didn’t work, even with reshoots and an increased budget. The brand new management is “committed to creating DC titles big theatrical event movies, and ‘Batgirl’ isn’t that,” per The Wrap. Nevertheless, the studio reportedly loves Grace and the film’s directors, and need to work with them in the long run.
And based on Variety, “Studio insiders insist the choice was not driven by the standard of the film or the commitment of the filmmakers, but by the will for the studio’s slate of DC features to be at a blockbuster scale. ‘Batgirl’ was budgeted to screen in homes on HBO Max, and never for a serious global release in theaters.” (For reference, the Robert Pattinson-starring Batman, which released primarily in theaters, cost $185 million.)
Still, because the outlet points out, it’s surprising to see the studio drop Batgirl entirely somewhat than attempt to make up for among the costs with a smaller release.
What’s Batgirl about?
The film was meant to follow Barbara Gordon, daughter of Gotham’s police commissioner (and famous Batman ally) James Gordon, taking the alias of Batgirl. Grace also teased a little bit of Barbara’s story to ELLE.com:
“I can’t say much about what she goes to do, but Batgirl becomes her own hero. [Her origin story] is crazy dark, like a number of other superheroes, but I like that she becomes Batgirl because she desires to make a difference on this planet. She appears like people underestimate her as Barbara Gordon, and I relate to that.”
The actress also hinted at among the stunt work she’d be doing within the role, talking to Variety: “There’s crazy fire. There’s crazy stunts, crazy drops. She’s a biker chick, so that you’re going to see her do a bunch of badassery.”
This marks the third onscreen iteration of the caped superheroine, per The Hollywood Reporter. She debuted on TV in 1961 as Betty Kane (played by Yvonne Craig) then appeared again within the 1997 Batman & Robin film (starring Alicia Silverstone as Barbara Wilson).
Who’s within the solid?
Michael Keaton was set to make his grand return as Batman. J. K. Simmons, who played Commissioner James Gordon in Justice League, was going to reprise his role too.
Mummy star Brendan Fraser had joined because the pyromaniac supervillain Firefly, Deadline reported in October. And Jacob Scipio, breakout star of Bad Boys for Life, was also onboard as mobster Anthony “Tony” Bressi.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys For Life) were directing, Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey) wrote the script, and Kristin Burr (Cruella) was producing. Joss Whedon had initially signed on to jot down and direct the film before dropping out in 2018.
Leslie Grace has shared a sneak peek at her Batgirl costume.
On January 14, Grace shared a shot of herself within the Batgirl costume, standing against a Gotham constructing backdrop. The suit has a blue solid to it, a gold utility belt, what looks like a weapon strapped to her thigh, and a brief cape lined with yellow. Grace’s hair flows free within the wind behind her.
She captioned the image, “‘I exploit their expectations against them. That might be their weakness. Not mine. Allow them to all underestimate me…And when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts.’ – Batgirl, 12 months One.”
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This story has been updated.
