Batgirl (film)
Batgirl is an upcoming American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Barbara Gordon / Batgirl. Produced by DC Films and Burr! Productions for the streaming service HBO Max, it is intended to be an installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is being directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, and stars Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon alongside J. K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Michael Keaton, and Ivory Aquino. Development of a Batgirl feature film began with Joss Whedon in March 2017, but he left the project  a year later. Hodson was hired to write a new script in April 2018, with El Arbi and Fallah hired to direct in May 2021 when the film was confirmed to be an HBO Max original. Grace was cast that July, and filming took place in Glasgow, Scotland, from November 2021 to March 2022. "Batgirl" is scheduled to be released on HBO Max in 2022. Cast. Additionally, Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, and Ethan Kai have been cast in undisclosed roles, with Kai being referred to as a "leading" character. Production. Development. In May 2016, the DC Comics character Barbara Gordon  / Batgirl had the potential to appear in a female superhero team-up film starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, which became "Birds of Prey" (2020). Batgirl was ultimately not included in the film due to the development of a solo film starring the character. Joss Whedon was hired in March 2017 to write, direct, and produce the solo film, which was being overseen by Warner Bros. Pictures president Toby Emmerich and DC Films chairmen Jon Berg and Geoff Johns. Whedon was to begin production on the film in 2018, but left the project in February 2018 after being unable to  come up with a story for it. There was also additional scrutiny on Whedon as a male director of a female-focused film, with Warner Bros. and new DC Films president Walter Hamada planning at that point to replace Whedon with a female filmmaker. "Birds of Prey" writer Christina Hodson was hired to write a new screenplay for "Batgirl" in April 2018, and was expected to begin writing the film after completing her work on another DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film, "The Flash" (2023). In December 2020, "Batgirl" was listed as a film that could potentially be released exclusively on  the streaming service HBO Max, rather than in theaters, as part of Hamada's new plan for the DCEU, and in April 2021 it was included on DC's slate of films that were expected to be released in 2022 or 2023. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were hired to direct the film a month later, when it was confirmed to be planned as an HBO Max original. Kristin Burr was producing the film by that time, and said the directors were bringing an excited energy that would make the film a "fun ride" and show a different side  of Gotham City from previous DC projects. In April 2022, following the WarnerMedia merger with Discovery and the fall in stock prices for Netflix driven by decreased subscribers, executives at Warner Bros. were reportedly considering a switch for the film from a direct-to-HBO Max release with a budget of around $70 million to a theatrical release with increased budget for post-production and a larger marketing push. Casting. DC executives began testing actresses for Batgirl in the week of July 19, 2021, with the group reportedly including Isabela Merced, Zoey Deutch, Leslie Grace, and Haley Lu Richardson ; Richardson and Grace were considered to be the top contenders. Richardson went through several stages of auditioning, but Grace was cast in the role on July 21. By July 29, J. K. Simmons was in talks to reprise his role as Batgirl's father, Commissioner Gordon, from "Justice League" (2017) and its 2021 director's cut. Simmons was confirmed to be reprising his role for the film in October. Also in October, Jacob Scipio and Brendan Fraser joined the cast, the latter as the villain Firefly. Fraser previously portrayed Robotman in the DC Comics television series "Doom Patrol". The villain  role was originally offered to Sylvester Stallone, who voiced King Shark in the DCEU film "The Suicide Squad" (2021), but "things just didn't work out". Scipio portrays mob boss Anthony Bressi in the film. El Arbi and Fallah said Batman would appear in the film but declined to confirm if Ben Affleck would reprise his role from previous DCEU projects. In December, Michael Keaton was revealed to be appearing in "Batgirl", reprising his role as Batman from the films "Batman" (1989) and "Batman Returns" (1992). Keaton had been expected to first reprise the role for the DCEU in "The  Flash" prior to that film's delay to 2023. Rebecca Front, Corey Johnson, Ethan Kai, and Ivory Aquino also joined the cast, with Aquino playing Alysia Yeoh, the first major transgender character in a DC film. Filming. Principal photography began in Glasgow, doubling for Gotham City, on November 30, 2021, under the working title "Cherry Hill". John Mathieson serves as cinematographer. El Arbi and Fallah had arrived in Glasgow on August 24 to prepare for filming, and scouted locations with production designer Christopher Glass. Glasgow was previously used to depict Gotham City in "The Flash" as well as the non -DCEU film "The Batman" (2022). Filming officially wrapped on March 31, 2022. Music. Natalie Holt announced in September 2021 that she would be composing the score for the film. Marketing. El Arbi, Fallah, Hodson, and Grace promoted the film at the virtual DC FanDome event in October 2021, where they discussed their preparation for filming and revealed concept art. Grace revealed a first look at herself in costume as Batgirl in January 2022. Release. "Batgirl" is scheduled to be released in 2022, on the streaming service HBO Max.