Batgirl directors say film studio blocked their access to footage after scrapping movie

Directing duo tried to record the film footage on a mobile phone

Batgirl directors claim that Warner Bros Discovery has “blocked” their access to footage after scrapping the film.

It was announced earlier this month that the film studio had decided to shelve Batgirl due to a changing regime behind the scenes.

The DC film starred Leslie Grace in the lead role of Barbara Gordon, and was set to be released later this year. It also featured Michael Keaton’s return as Batman.

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the duo behind Bad Boys for Life and episodes of Disney Plus series Ms Marvel, had already completed work on Batgirl when they learned of the studio’s shock decision.

The news was met with widespread criticism from fans.

In a new interview with SKRIPT, the pair discussed the possibility of releasing the film themselves in the future.

They claimed, however, that Warner Bros Discovery has blocked their access to the production servers.

“We have nothing,” Fallah said. “Adil called me and said, ‘Shoot everything on your phone.’ I went on the server, and everything was blocked.”

El Arbi added: “We were like, ‘F***ing s***! All the scenes with Batman in them! S***!”

The Independent has contacted a representative of Warner Bros Discovery for comment.

‘Batgirl’ star Leslie Grace with directors (Instagram)

The directing duo added that there is a long way to go before they could release the film themselves. Even if they could get their hands on the footage, it “cannot be released in its current state”.

“Before it’s released one day, there would be a lot of work still to do. Just like the Snyder Cut. There’s no VFX, we still had to shoot some scenes. So if [Warner Bros] wanted us to release the Batgirl movie they would need to give us the means to do it, to finish it properly with our vision,” said El Arbi.

The pair also shut down rumours that it was poor test screenings that led to the film’s cancellation.

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 a strategic change. There was new management, and they wanted to save some money.”

(Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock)

It was claimed at the time that the film was set to be released in cinemas, despite having been made for HBO Max, but was considered “irredeemable” in the eyes of studio bosses.

The New York Post reported that Batgirl had been scrapped due to a ballooning budget of more than $100m (£81.9m) as well as negative test screenings.

At the time, a Warner Bros Picture spokesperson said: “The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.”

The spokesperson added that the studio is committed to working with the film’s directors and cast members on another project.