Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
The cancellation ofBatgirlhad been the hardest, most lacerating move on DC’s part since David Zaslav stepped on board with his massive plans of reconstructing the franchise. But despite the backlash, no statement was issued as to whether the film would find a home among the streamers (at the very least) so as to not doom the project to complete oblivion.
The Warner Bros. Discovery chief seemed to be inclined against the move and as such the film has found its place in the bottomless vaults of DC Films. But with the resurrection of the DC universe in the hands of James Gunn and Peter Safran, it now looks like not all hope is lost, yet.
Also read:‘It wound up being the canary in the coal mine’: Brendan Fraser Hints WB DoomedBatgirlBy Turning it into a Made-for-TV Film
BatgirlDirectors To Meet With James Gunn and Peter Safran
Set to premiere in mid-2022,Batgirlwas headed for its exclusive release on HBO Max after an impressive shoot with a cast comprising actors likeLeslie Grace,JK Simmons,Michael Keaton, Ivory Aquino, andBrendan Fraser. However, David Zaslav’s intent of steering the industry toward a theatrical release strategy (among other reasons) led to the permanent shelving of the $90 million film.
On 2nd August 2022, theBatgirldirector-duo issued a statement expressing their shock and disbelief over the news — a reaction that was shared by the whole fandom.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news. 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 and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.”
Also read:“Just so long as the movie comes out”:BatgirlDirectors Reveal They’re Still Open to Work With WB After Nightmarish Decision, Want to Follow Chris Nolan, Zack Snyder, and James Gunn in the Future
However, after an intense and inclusive search for a Kevin Feige counterpart of DC, David Zaslav finally landed on James Gunn and Peter Safran, the director, and producer extraordinaire to be the co-Chairmen and CEOs of the newly formed DC Studios. The same director-producer duo who are now knee-deep in building the DC Universe Bible have reached out to Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi for a sit-down about agendas that have not yet been made public. The news has certainly caused some ruckus among the fandom and given way to hope thatBatgirlmay still find itself back on the menu.
Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi Elaborate on theBatgirlIssue
It was made clear in the primary days after the film’s cancellation that theBatgirlmovie would need to be worked on even if it found a way to be released again. The film had almost wrapped up post-production when the news of its shelving reached the media. However, despite the release seeming like a bleak possibility now, the directors have shared an optimistic opinion regarding the slashing ofBatgirl. Speaking toThe Hollywood Reporter, the duo said,
“There was so much support from people in the industry. It felt like all the artists were supporting us and that’s great feeling, because you feel like you’re not alone.”
Also read:“Everything we shot was real”: Brendan Fraser Reveals Canceled ‘Batgirl’ Movie Had Real Action Sequences, Claims it Was Far From a CGI-Fest
Until the meeting is done and dusted with, the fandom can only expect that the pair will walk into the room to discuss their future in the DCU slate and the possibility of directing one of the numerous other projects currently being conceived at DC Studios. James Gunn and Peter Safran made it clear that the DCU is aiming toward narrating“one beautiful big story across film, television, gaming, live-action, and animation.”If such is the case, it isn’t far-fetched to imagine Fallah and El Arbi involved in at least one of the aforementioned genres, given their stellar record with CBM projects and brilliant ideas that seem to echo with the contemporary crowd’s demands.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Diya Majumdar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2408
Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.
