The Cast Of ‘Batgirl’ Reportedly Wasn’t Informed The Film Was Being Axed
"Bro we really lost Brendan Fraser as a Batman villain?? This truly feels unreal."
The cast and crew of the new Batgirl film were not informed that the $100 million project was being axed, which means the likes of Leslie Grace, Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton found out when The New York Post broke the story earlier this week.
The film was set to debut on the HBO Max streaming service, with rumours of a theatrical release, but now — in devastating news for devoted Brendan Fraser fans — the project will never see the light of day.
A follow-up report from Variety claims the film was axed due to being not quite big enough for a major theatrical release, but too expensive to justify simply dropping it on streaming services.
But according to Page Six, the cast and crew were left humiliated and disappointed after reportedly only finding out about the axing after the Post’s story had broken. “They had no idea the movie was being shelved,” an industry source told Page Six “That’s a giant problem.”
To put the reported blindsiding into perspective, Fraser was answering questions about the film at GalaxyCon on Saturday, just three days before the story broke. The film’s directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi have since released a statement on social media confirming that they, too, were blindsided.
“We are shocked and saddened by the news. We still can’t believe it,” a joint Instagram statement with the hashtag #batgirlforlife read.
Social media users have been quick to slam the film’s axing, demanding justice for the beloved Brendan Fraser.
TBH I'm just tired of this business being awful to Brendan Fraser.
— Kyle F. Andrews (@kylefandrews) August 3, 2022
Justice for Brendan Fraser, y’all gotta stop mistreating my dude!!! https://t.co/FQjPhTZ1B1
— Beyonce Stan Account, Obviously 👁 (@csilverandgold) August 3, 2022
I’m never one to care too much for DC properties, but the ONE MOVIE I was committed to seeing, y’all just CANCEL?! 😭😭
Justice for Barbara Gordon. Justice for Brendan Fraser.
— a bunch of nerdy stuff (@shelby_rogers) August 3, 2022
leslie grace, brendan fraser, and michael keaton really do deserve better tho. pic.twitter.com/KDKaEaZbkI
— aMucc (@amurkymuc) August 3, 2022
when someone has the audacity to cancel a brendan fraser movie pic.twitter.com/Ez3yZh4SQd
— miccaeli ✍️ (@renegadeapostle) August 3, 2022
Bro we really lost Brendan Fraser as a Batman villain?? This truly feels unreal.
— Andrew J. Salazar (@AndrewJ626) August 2, 2022
If it wasn't cancelled, Batgirl would have been:
-One of the first, if not the first, superhero movies with a latina actress as the lead
-One of the first superhero movies with a trans person playing a trans person
-BRENDAN FRASER'S RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN!— Toganium (@toganium) August 3, 2022
Me leaving Warner Bros Studios with ‘Batgirl’ in a hard drive up my ass pic.twitter.com/kdmoNRr3A1
— Airboss Anthony (@edgewalker81) August 3, 2022
The axing comes after the film’s lead Leslie Grace — of In The Heights fame — expressed her excitement for the film, and the opportunity to work with massive names like Keaton and Fraser.
Warner Bros has reportedly also shelved a sequel to the Scooby Doo film Scoob!. Reports claim both films have been axed as a tax write-off for the company but Warner Bros is yet to comment.
Brendan Fraser’s film being axed is my villain origin story.