Following yesterday’s shocking announcement that Batgirl will be shelved, and not released either in theaters or on HBO Max, the filmmakers behind the ill-fated DC film took to social media today to respond to fans who have been reaching out, and to praise the film’s cast and crew. Saying they are “saddened and shocked” by the cancellation, Billal Fallah and Adil Al Arbi tried to maintain a positive tone, but it’s pretty clear that they were almost as blindsided as the fans themselves.
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The film, which starred Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton alongside In the Heights star Leslie Grace, was originally set for release after the events of The Flash, and created as an HBO Max original. Not long after Discovery acquired Warner Bros., new CEO David Zaslav expressed an interest in releasing it on big screens, but instead, seemingly just pulled the plug.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news,” wrote Fallah and Al Arbi. “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 an embrace the final films 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,” they added. “We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK 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 honor to hav ebeen part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl for life.”
Talent relations are likely to be a significant problem following Warners’ new direction, which is probably not a surprise, since Zaslav reportedly told Warner Bros. they should not have released a recent Clint Eastwood movie, because the studio doesn’t deliver the star (who has delivered numerous hits and almost as many Academy Awards for Warner Bros.) anything.
“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” said a Warner Bros. spokesperson in a statement. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
