Summary
- Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah expressed sadness over the cancellation of their Batgirl film after watching The Flash.
- They felt that they could have been a part of The Flash and wished they had the opportunity to show their vision for Batgirl to the world.
- Adil and Bilall described their Batgirl film as more grounded and reminiscent of Tim Burton’s Gotham City.
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah admitted to feeling “sad” about their canceled Batgirl film after watching the recently released DC outing The Flash. While recently chatting with Insider, the filmmakers reflected on the experience and revealed how they felt viewing Andrés Mushchietti’s The Flash after Warner Bros decided to cancel Adil and Bilall’s Batgirl movie last year. Adil told the outlet:
“We watched it and we were sad. We love director Andy Muschietti and his sister Barbara, who produced the movie. But when we watched it, we felt we could have been part of the whole thing.”
The director then stated his disappointment over not being able to show the world what they had envisioned for Batgirl, a movie that was reportedly canceled due to being ‘unreleasable.’
“We didn’t get the chance to show ‘Batgirl’ to the world and let the audience judge for themselves. Because the audience really is our ultimate boss and should be the deciders of if something is good or bad, or if something should be seen or not.”
Batgirl was already in post-production when Warner Bros announced that it was axing the film, with many left wondering what would happen with The Flash in the aftermath. Ultimately, The Flash was released (at great expense) while Batgirl was erased from cinematic history.
Batgirl Would Have Been ‘More like Tim Burton’s Gotham City’
Batgirl would have starred In the Heights actor Leslie Grace as the titular character. The movie would have also featured Brendan Fraser as the villain Firefly, J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon, and Michael Keaton returning as Batman. A statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, further explained Warner Bros decision to cancel Batgirl.
The spokesperson stated, “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. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”
Adil noted to Insider that their film “was very different” from Muschietti’s. The director added:
“That has a big fantasy component, ours was more grounded. More like Tim Burton’s Gotham City.”
The pair went on to say that they were seriously disappointed that they weren’t able to show audiences their take on Keaton’s Batman. Bilall said, “I felt like a kid on a set working with Keaton. I totally forgot that I was directing.” Adil added that Keaton was one of the cast members that reached out after it was announced that Batgirl was canceled. “He was sad but also said he had fun,” the director stated.
He later called the cancelation of Batgirl “the biggest disappointment of our careers.” The director went on to say, “As a fanboy, just to be in the presence of Keaton as Batman, that’s just a privilege and an honor. But it’s a bittersweet feeling.”
Still, the filmmakers aren’t interested in holding a grudge over the canceled film and still hope to make DC Comics movie at some point in the future. Bilall said, “There’s still a feeling of unfinished business.” While Adil adds:
“Our love for DC, Batman, Batgirl, Gotham City, it’s so big that, as fans, we could never say no to another project. If we got another chance to be part of it, we’d do it. We didn’t get our day in court. We still want to make our case.”
Would you have rather seen Batgirl instead of The Flash?
