"There was certainly potential for a great film, in my view."

Leslie Grace, "Batgirl," star, is confident that she and the rest had a great movie before Warner Bros. decided to cancel the project as part of a tax writeoff.

Grace would have been the superhero in the movie, but the studio pulled out in August 2022. J.K. Simmons would have played the role of Commissioner Gordon, Barbara Gordon’s father, and Michael Keaton would have been back as Batman. Brendan Fraser was also cast in the role of Firefly, the movie's villain -- Adil El Arbi directing.

Fraser claims that everyone involved in the project was waiting for the studio to offer them pickups to "expand" the movie's theatrical release. The film had originally been filmed for HBO Max. It was scrapped instead. Grace told Variety that she learned about the news after reading the New York Post headlines.

It was almost like releasing a balloon. It was almost like deflating a balloon. I was just trying to take it all in that day. But I was also certain of the magic that occurred -- based on my experience and my team's cast -- that I thought, "This must be some crazy thing we can't control." She recalled. "I am a positive and optimistic person in these kinds of situations, and I really believed in the beauty of this opportunity that I had in my life." Although I would have loved to share it with everyone, we cannot take that experience from them.

She also responded to comments that DC Studios' head Peter Safran, who along with James Gunn announced the slate last month, called the movie "not releasable".

Variety reported that she met with Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, Warner Bros. Film Group CEOs, to learn more about their views on the project. They also explained the details of how they felt about it, the things they could not control, the plans and budgets they had in place. The experience taught me a lot about moviemaking that you as an actress don't have control over. They were not very specific about what they thought about the film or how it would have affected DC creatively. But I'm human and people perceive things. It can be frustrating when people speak lightly about work that they have put in a lot of effort to -- not only me but also the entire crew.

Grace admitted that she had seen the film in its entirety, but she said it was "incredible" and that there was "definitely potential for a great movie." She also hoped that footage would be released. Grace claimed to have been having ongoing conversations about Batgirl's future, and how Batgirl can make it a resurgence. However, she did not say if playing the role again is a possibility at this time.

Grace said she hasn’t heard from Gunn or Safran, but wished them the best with their "plans that are being developed."

On January 31, DC revealed its next slate, revealing the 10 first projects in development. The plan includes five TV series and five films over the next 8-10 year -- including films for Superman and Batman and Robin as well as TV shows for Amanda Waller and Green Lanterns Viola Davis and Wonder Woman.

Click here to learn more about their plans.

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Title: Leslie Grace Calls Shelved Batgirl 'Incredible,' After DC Boss Said It Was 'Not Releasable'
Sourced From: toofab.com/2023/02/13/batgirl-leslie-grace/
Published Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2023 19:24:34 +0000

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