Batgirl movie may be released – and it’s down to Brendan Fraser
Warner Bros/A24The cancelled Batgirl movie may not be completely dead – according to the directors, there’s a chance it might still be released, but that possibility rests upon Brendan Fraser.
Batgirl, set to star Leslie Grace as the titular caped crusader alongside Michael Keaton’s Batman, was axed by Warner Bros earlier this year.
The film, directed by Bad Boys for Life’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, had already finished shooting and was in the middle of post-production.
The directing duo earlier said they weren’t able to recover any footage, as it was swiftly deleted by the studio – however, there may be another way for it to be released.
Brendan Fraser Oscar win could see Batgirl released
Batgirl starred Brendan Fraser as Ted Carson, aka Firefly, the movie’s main villain. The star been tipped to win an Oscar for his performance in The Whale, an award that could revive the DC film.
Speaking to Variety, Adil El Arbi said of Fraser: “He is so, so talented.
“The way he played that character… it was one of the most memorable villains, so we’ll see. Maybe when he wins his Oscar they’ll want to show the movie.”
Bilall Fallah added: “[Fraser] is the nicest guy I’ve ever met in my life. I never had an experience like that, the whole city was working with us to make it possible. I hope we can get back.”
While they said they “don’t have any influence” on Batgirl ever being released, Adil claimed: “We might have it somewhere.”
Fraser earlier described the cancelation as “tragic” and praised the directors. “I don’t eat half-baked cake. Everything that Adil and Bilall shot felt real and exciting,” he said.
“It doesn’t engender trust among filmmakers and the studio. Leslie Grace was fantastic. She’s a dynamo, just a spot-on performer… it was a big-budget movie, but one that was just stripped down to the essentials.”
You can find out more about why Batgirl was cancelled here, and the rest of our coverage here. You can also check out our predictions for the 2023 Oscars, and where Fraser stands in our ranking.