Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah reveal that a revival or director’s cut of “Batgirl” is unlikely because the studio has blocked their access to film footage.
Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were asked about the possibility of its release in a recent interview with SKRIPT, and they revealed they don’t have access to any footage, so the chances are slim. The unexpected news had taken them by surprise.
El Arbi stated that Batgirl cannot be released in its current state because visual effects are still lacking and there are a few more scenes to shoot. Unfortunately, they needed Warner Bros.’ permission to finish “Batgirl.”
According to Warner Bros, the decision was made due to a shift in corporate strategy rather than any issues with talent or the quality of the film. Recently, Warner Bros. merged with Discovery, resulting in the cancellation of numerous shows and films to save money. When executives informed the team that “Batgirl” would be shelved, the film was already in the editing process.
With the cancellation of “Batgirl,” it was also revealed that Warner Bros. had blocked the directors’ access to the production servers. The pair recalled the moment they realized what had happened, saying they were shocked and couldn’t process the news until they were blocked.
Fallah said:
“No, we have nothing! Adil called me and said, ‘go ahead shoot some things on your cellphone.’ I went on the server and everything was blocked.”
El Arbi replied:
“We were like ‘fucking shit!’. All the scenes with Batman in them! Shit!”
Fallah also stated that they were surprised by the public’s outrage over the cancellation and were moved by the #SaveBatgirl hashtag on social media sites. Despite the disappointing turnout, the “Ms. Marvel” directors stated that they still hope to see “Batgirl” released someday.
Fallah said:
“Seeing all the support on Twitter, and even from big directors Edgar Wright and James Gunn, who sent us supportive messages, it was comforting.”
Other DC titles that Warner Bros. has delayed or shelved include “The Batman 2” and the DC anthology series “Strange Adventures.”