For years, WB has been working on a Batgirl movie, with writers and directors coming and going, but it seems now that things are really moving forward. With Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey, The Flash) penning the script and Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys For Life) teaming up to direct, it was only a matter of time before casting news would begin coming out, and we may have our first tidbit.
A source close to the project provided Deadline with the exclusive news that WB executives are lining up a group of actresses to test for the titular role in the upcoming Batgirl movie. Some actresses expected to test for the role include Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch and Leslie Grace, with Haley Lu Richardson’s name also being floated around.
(L-R) Haley Lu Richardson, Zoey Deutch, Isabela Merced and Leslie Grace
A few months back, it was reported that Batgirl would go straight to HBO Max, as executives have stated that they want both theatrical films and HBO Max exclusive films for the DC universe. This seems to still be the case, making it one of the first announced major releases to go exclusive on the streaming service.
While plot details are under wraps, it is known that Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Commissioner James Gordon, will be the character behind the cape in this version. It has been reported that the film will also include the villain Firefly, though there hasn’t been any official confirmation.
The Batgirl film was first announced to be in development in 2017 with Joss Whedon set to write, direct, and produce the project. But Whedon exited Batgirl in 2018, suggesting that he wasn’t able to get the story right. Birds of Prey writer, Christina Hodson, was then subsequently brought in to pen the script, and later Bad Boys for Life’s Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, were also attached to direct with Cruella’s Kristin Burr producing.
Are you looking forward to Batgirl? Do any of these names interest you as the lead role? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to the DCN website, as well as @DCComicsNews on social media.
