“Batgirl” Directors Talk Shocking Cancellation

HBO Max scrapping the $90 million DC Comics adaptation of Batgirl came as a shock to everyone, from disappointed fans to those in the industry. The film, which starred Leslie Grace in the title role and was set to feature Michael Keaton reprising his position as Batman, was scrapped in order for Warner Bros. to take a tax write-down on it. Many, though, have been expecting the project to pop-up online somewhere in light of it being shelved. According to the directors, though, the chances of that are quite slim.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the Belgian filmmakers who helmed Batgirl, were recently interviewed by the YouTube channel SKRIPT, and spoke on the chances that the project could show up online in the wake of the startling decision, and according to them, none of the footage was saved. Specifically, El Arbi stated that:

The guys from Warners told us ‘It was not a talent problem from our part or the actress, or even the quality of the movie’. They told us it was a strategic change. There was new management, and they wanted to save some money. [Moreover] Batgirl cannot be released in its current state. There’s no VFX, we still had to shoot some scenes. So, if [Warners] wanted us to release the Batgirl movie they would need to give us the means to do it. To finish it properly with our vision.

Fallah chimed in as well, stating that the pair were “shocked” by the decision and that it was hard to believe, commenting that:

First, when I heard the news, I was shocked, I didn’t know how to react. I wanted to break stuff, cry, even laugh. I was like, ‘this is not happening.’ [But then] seeing all the support on Twitter, and even from big directors Edgar Wright and James Gunn, who sent us supportive messages, it was comforting.

While there are larger scheme corporate considerations at play here, there is no world where this move doesn’t seem short-sighted. While many were questioning the decision to have a standalone Batgirl film amidst the cinematic confusion of the Batman franchise, most were onboard to give it a chance, either way. Sadly, it seems that this production will be lost to the ethers.