Words are only selected members of the cast and crew will see the film during secret screenings on the Warner Bros. lot before it is locked away in a vault.
- Aug 25, 2022
AceShowbiz - The hard work of "Batgirl" cast and crew may not completely go to waste. The movie will get its own screenings, though only a select group of insiders will get a chance to see the film, per new reports.
Sources told Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter that "Batgirl" will be screened on the Warner Bros. lot this week. It is believed that only the cast and crew who worked on the film along with reps and studio execs were given invites to the screenings that began Wednesday, August 24 and will go throughout the week.
One source described the private screenings as "funeral screenings," as it's likely the only time a handful of people get to see the film before it is locked away in a vault, either physical or digital.
Warner Bros. shocked everyone on August 2 when it announced its decision to shelve "Batgirl", starring Leslie Grace in the titular role. The project, which was directed by Billal Fallah and Adil Al Arbi, had finished shooting, but was still far from complete, with temp visual effects and score.
Reacting to the news, Grace wrote on Instagram, "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!"
Fallah and Al Arbi also released a joint statement via social media which read, "We are saddened and shocked by the news. 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 an embrace the final films 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," they added. "We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, J.K. 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."
The directors recently denied reports that said the film was canned because of poor test screenings. El Arbi said, "The guys from Warners told us it was not a talent problem from our part or the actress, or even the quality of the movie. They told us it was strategic change. There was new management, and they wanted to save some money."
They additionally claimed that they didn't have access to the footage of the canceled film because the studio shut them out of the production servers. "We have nothing. Adil called me and said, 'Shoot everything on your phone.' I went on the server, and everything was blocked," Fallah said in an interview with SKRIPT. El Arbi added, "We were like, 'F**king s**t! All the scenes with Batman in them! S**t!"
