Following Warner Bros.’s decision to cancel the production of the DC superhero movie Batgirl, Marvel President Kevin Feige has extended a message of support to the film’s creators. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah received an email from the head of Marvel Studios stating, “My friends, I had to contact out and let you know we are all thinking about you both. I’m proud of you guys for your incredible effort, especially with Ms. Marvel, of course! I’m eager to learn what comes next for you—Ms. Marvel, a Disney+ miniseries from Marvel, with two episodes directed by El Arbi and Fallah.
Since the news surfaced last week, Warner Bros’ decision to delay the movie sparked online criticism.
Michael Keaton would resume his role as Batman in the movie, which had already cost £74 million, while Brendan Fraser would make a comeback to the big screen after a long absence. Leslie Grace, an American singer-songwriter who will portray Batgirl, and JK Simmons will both feature in the film, making her the third Latina to hold a prominent position in a DC superhero endeavour.
The movie, intended for HBO Max, has been entirely scrapped owing to escalating production expenses and reportedly failed early test screenings.
However, the decision to hold off on releasing Batgirl “reflects our leadership’s strategy shift as it relates to the DC Universe and HBO Max,” according to the official Warner Bros statement. The decision is not a comment on Leslie Grace’s performance; instead, the studio “Thinks an awful Batgirl is going to be irredeemable,” a source told the New York Post.
“We are grieved and startled by the news,” El Arbi and Fallah said in a joint Instagram post. We still find it hard to accept.
While the movie was far from done, we wished that viewers from all over the world would have had the chance to witness and enjoy the end product. As filmmakers, people must see our work. Insha’Allah, perhaps they will in the future. The pair continued by praising their “wonderful cast and crew.”
Glasgow was the location for the filming of Batgirl, and cast members were spotted there earlier this year. The decision to stop production is all the more puzzling given that, according to Screenrant, “the picture is all but complete.”
The choice was probably influenced in part by a change in leadership at the organization’s top. According to reports, David Zaslav, CEO of the newly combined Discovery and WarnerMedia, is “searching for savings” and has even just shut down CNN’s £240 million streaming business.
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