Brendan Fraser Has An Eyebrow-Raising Take On Batgirl's Shelving
"Batgirl" made headlines after HBO's shockingly decided to scrap the film entirely. The highly-anticipated superhero movie had already finished filming and was well into the post-production process at the time of the cancellation. Although the studio held a funeral screening for the cast and crew, the film will ultimately never see the light of day.
It's an understatement to say that the cast and crew were disappointed with HBO's decision. "Batgirl" star Leslie Grace took to Instagram to share her thoughts and post numerous behind-the-scenes pictures and videos. "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 cape and become, as Babs said best, 'my own damn hero!' Batgirl for life!"
Directors Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi also posted their statement on Instagram. Fallah was visiting his grandmother's grave in Morocco when he got the call about the cancellation while El Arbi was celebrating his honeymoon with his new wife. "We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can't believe it," the duo said. "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."
Now, "Batgirl" villain Brendan Fraser has finally spoken on the controversial decision.
Brendan Fraser throws shade at Warner Bros.
Brendan Fraser played the villain Ted Carson — Firefly — in "Batgirl." The actor is making a massive comeback to the industry, and "Batgirl" was supposed to be his return to a blockbuster franchise.
Fraser was in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival — TIFF — where he and the cast of his upcoming movie "The Whale" received massive praise for their film. Fraser's performance in the movie, directed by Darren Aronofsky, generated huge awards-season buzz, including an extended standing ovation after its TIFF screening. Even with all the fun that came with the praise, Fraser took the time to express his disappointment towards Warner Bros. for their "Batgirl" decision.
"The fans really wanted to see this film made. Leslie Grace is a dynamo," Fraser told Variety. "The movie was shot and conceived for a smaller screen. In this age that we've come out of now between streaming service versus theatrical release, it wound up being the canary in the coal mine. What did we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers, like Darren."
Fraser clearly disagreed with the decision to cancel "Batgirl," and he doesn't seem to be pulling any punches. While the statements from Grace, Fallah, and El Arbi reflected on their wonderful time on set, Fraser decided to go right at the studio, calling them out but not naming anyone specifically. He mentioned the small screen, potentially suggesting Warner Bros. could have released the movie on HBO Max as initially planned. But the studio decided against that in favor of a complete tax write-off.