Hollywood is still buzzing about a big-screen project, but for all the wrong reasons: Warner Bros.’ sudden move to shelve its Batgirl film.
In an Instagram post, Ms. Marvel veterans Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah broke their silence about the studio’s decision to not only keep the HBO Max-bound film from theaters, but to lock it up entirely.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it,” the pair began.
It had been reported the movie was far enough along to test for audiences — and it wasn’t going well, according to the New York Post, with one source calling Batgirl “irredeemable.”
“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,” the filmmakers continued.
The pair thanked the HBO Max project’s cast and crew, who did a “tremendous job” and “worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life,” adding “it was a dream to work with Michael Keaton (Batman/Bruce Wayne) JK Simmons (Commissioner Gordon), Brendan Fraser (Firefly), Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, and Rebecca Front.”
The directors heaped praise on “the great” Leslie Grace, who they insist “portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication, and humanity.”
The filmmakers closed by saying, “In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life.”
For her part, Grace hasn’t made any public comments about the shocker, though she just might have hinted at it: She posted an Instagram Story of a guy on a scooter happily singing Taylor Swift‘s “Shake It Off,” captioning it “vibes.”
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