Batgirl will have select ‘funeral screenings’ before axed film is put under lock and key

Tom Murray
·2 min read
Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon in the only released image from ‘Batgirl’ (Warner Bros)
Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon in the only released image from ‘Batgirl’ (Warner Bros)
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Warner Bros will reportedly screen Batgirl on its studio lot in Burbank, California, for people who worked on the movie, both cast and crew, as well as representatives and executives.

It was announced earlier this month that the film studio had decided to shelve Batgirl due to a changing regime behind the scenes.

The Hollywood Reporter exclusively reported that Warner Bros would host the “funeral screenings” this week, before the footage is put under lock and key.

The DC film starred Leslie Grace in the lead role of Barbara Gordon, and was set to be released later this year. It also featured Michael Keaton’s return as Batman.

Discovery CEO David Zaslav opted to scrap the $100m (£81.9m) project in order to take a tax write-down amid plans to save the newly-merged company $3 billion.

According to THR, some sources told the publication that Warner Bros may go to the trouble of physically destroying footage of the movie in order to demonstrate to the IRS that there will never be any revenue from the project.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the duo behind Bad Boys for Life and episodes of Disney Plus series Ms Marvel, had already completed work on Batgirl when they learned of the studio’s shock decision.

In a recent interview with SKRIPT, the pair claimed that Warner Bros Discovery have blocked their access to the production servers.

Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon in the only released image from ‘Batgirl’ (Warner Bros)
Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon in the only released image from ‘Batgirl’ (Warner Bros)

“We have nothing,” Fallah said. “Adil called me and said, ‘Shoot everything on your phone.’ I went on the server, and everything was blocked.”

El Arbi added: “We were like, ‘F***ing s***! All the scenes with Batman in them! S***!”

Warner Bros Discovery did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

At the time of the film’s cancellation, a Warner Bros Pictures spokesperson said: “The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.”

The spokesperson added that the studio is committed to working with the film’s directors and cast members on another project.