Batgirl movie filmed in Glasgow shelved: What has Leslie Grace said and was Brendan Fraser due to be in it?

Following the shocking Warner Brothers announcement that the Glasgow-filmed Batgirl would not be getting theatrical or HBO Max releases, the star of the film, Leslie Grace, has spoken out.

Batgirl was set to be a building block for the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) Warner Brothers has been working on to compete with Marvel.

While it’s no secret that Warner Brothers has struggled to compete against Marvel’s Cinematic Universe (MCU), the mass cancellations of almost complete movies has shocked many fans and creators.

The film was set to see In The Heights star Leslie Grace play the iconic DC Comics character Barbra Gordon. Batgirl wrapped filming after working for seven months on location in Glasgow.

Fans were excited when it was announced that Glasgow’s gothic architecture would play a key role in bringing Gotham City to the big screen.

Glasgow was first seen in the DC Universe in the smash movie The Batman starring Robert Patison also filming on location in the city in February 2020.

So, why was the Batgirl movie shelved?

Here’s everything you need to know about Warner Brothers’ decision.

Why has the Batgirl movie been canned?

There have been many reasons given as to why the film has been cancelled so late in production.

However, the New York Post reported that the initial test screenings of the film received poor responses from audiences. This prompted Warner Bros. to cut the losses and cancel the movie altogether, adding further damage to the mess that is the DCEU franchise.

It’s also been rumoured that Batgirl didn’t fit with the large-scale vision that Warner Brothers has for the theatrical films in their DC world.

What has Leslie Grace said about Batgirl?

Stars, and creators of the film have taken to social media to speak on the shocking decision Warner Brothers announced on Tuesday 2 August.

Now Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, has taken to Instagram to address the unfortunate news.

The star posted a handful of images and videos behind the scenes of the film when they filmed in Glasgow earlier this year.

The caption read: “Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie “Batgirl,” I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland.”

“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan - thank you for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cap and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!”

Grace ended her caption with: “Batgirl For Life”.

Warner Bros. studio has suggested that it will continue to work with Leslie Grace as Batgirl, so we may see her in future projects.

Was Brendan Fraser supposed to start in the Batgirl movie?

On the heels of his comeback, Brendan Fraser was cast as popular DC comic book character Firefly and was expected to debut as the character in Batgirl.

Fraser, known best for his work in the 90s film The Mummy, joined the cast as the villain in October 2021.

What have director’s Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi said about the cancellation?

The directors who are best known for directing some episodes of Ms Marvel and 2020’s Bad Boys for Life shared a statement on instagram after the news.

The statement read: “We are saddened and shocked by the news,” the duo wrote. “We still can’t believe it.”

“As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will Insha’Allah.

“Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life.”

“We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication and humanity.

“In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honour to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl for Life.”

What have Glasgow representatives said?

Glasgow Council leader Susan Aitken stressed that in the wake of the decision to cancel the film that “no public money has been paid to Warner Bros”.

She posted on Twitter: "It’s obviously disappointing Hollywood corporate shifts mean we won’t get to see Glasgow on the big screen in Batgirl.”

“The new Indiana Jones will have to suffice. Some important points though – the production created well over 1000 local jobs for crew, tradespeople and extras.”