It happens all the time in Hollywood despite what you probably hear but the cancellation of the Leslie Grace-led Batgirl happened so suddenly and took aback so many that the event came across as unprecedented. For the directors of the aborted project Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, it certainly was — to the point of feeling as if they are a part of history.
This is what they are saying, courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter, now that they can look back at the debacle while looking forward to their next endeavors. “This is something that never happened before, so we’ve kind of become part of movie history without even trying!” Arbi said at the thought — or rather the consolation — of being caught up in something historic, at least.
From the perspective of Warner Bros. Discovery, the decision was business but also an erring of a sort on the side of caution. Believing Batgirl was not actually ready for release, they weren’t going to put it out there. “We’re not going to launch a movie until it’s ready,” they said in a statement contrary to rumors and other reports.
“We’re not going to launch a movie to make a quarter, and we’re not going to put a movie out unless we believe in it,” they add in a story that’s theirs and they’re sticking to it. Others including YouTuber Diktor Van Doomcock and his reputed inside sources tell a tale of saving face, defying wokeness, and preventing Michael Keaton’s legacy from being sullied.
For Fallah and Arbi, however, making Batgirl was a chance to live a dream. “You’ve got to imagine,” Arbi continued, “we’re two fanboys and for one second we were in the Batman universe, following in the footsteps of Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan, and then it was just like we woke up and it was a dream!”
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In the eyes of some, WBD took that dream and snapped it like Zod’s neck at the end of Man of Steel. Depending on whom you ask, it’s a downer of an ending for the character of Batgirl and two young prolific filmmakers. But, in the aftermath, Arbi and Fallah received tremendous support from their peers and fans that were anticipating the film.
“It was unbelievable how much support we got,” Fallah said. “There was so much support from people in the industry, it felt like all the artists were supporting us and that’s [a] great feeling because you feel like you’re not alone.” Some of the industry insiders who expressed sympathy were English filmmaker Edgar Wright, the outspoken Kevin Smith, and DC Studios’ own James Gunn.
The duo is willing to work with him down the line but under one rather obvious condition. “Yeah, we’d still work with them. But on the condition that the movie comes out. I mean, if Warner says, ‘Do you want to do the next Batman or Superman?’ Of course, we’ll say yes. Just so long as the movie comes out!” Fallah added.