Barbara Gordon is returning to the movies! The last time the beloved heroine appeared in a live-action film was way back in 1997’s Batman & Robin, but that’s finally about to change as it’s been confirmed that the long-gestating Batgirl flick is now back on track, with Warner Bros. in the process of screentesting their shortlist of actresses for the title role.
Deadlie broke the exciting news this Monday. The trade notes that test deals are still under wraps and some stars have already passed on the project, but four names have been revealed in conjunction with the part. According to Deadline, Isabella Merced (Transformers: The Last Knight), Zoey Deutch (Zombieland: Double Tap) and Leslie Grace (In the Heights) are in the running. Haley Lu Richardson (Split) has also been linked, but Deadline speculates that she may have already bowed out of the race. For those that remain, studio bosses will be testing them for the character this week.
As for the other key creatives involved with the movie, its directors and screenwriter have finally been revealed. Following on from reported info that came out in May, Deadline confirms that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (Bad Boys for Life) are on hand to direct, picking up the project from Joss Whedon, who vacated a couple of years ago after the failure of Justice League. DCEU veteran Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, The Flash), meanwhile, is penning the script. Batgirl is said to be headed exclusively to HBO Max and won’t enter theaters.
It’s unclear if Batgirl will be connected to Matt Reeves’ The Batman, in which Jeffrey Wright plays Babs’ father Jim Gordon. However, Deadline indicates it is a possibility. There’s still much to learn, then, but the good news is the spinoff film is finally going places. In the meantime, Barbara (in her Oracle guise and played by Savannah Welch) appears in Titans season 3, premiering on HBO Max on August 12th.
