Filmmaker Kevin Smith has opened up about his disappointment over Warner Bros.' decision to release the long-awaited Batgirl exclusively on HBO Max instead of theaters. The character was created by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff in the early '60s, and the film will center on Barbara Gordon, daughter to Gotham City Police Department Commissioner Jim Gordon, as she becomes the titular heroine. The script for the project is being written by Birds of Prey and The Flash scribe Christina Hodson.
Development on a Batgirl film has languished for nearly five years, with the original plan having Joss Whedon set to write, direct and produce the project set in Warner Bros.' DC Extended Universe. However, Whedon eventually stepped down after claims of being unable to come up with a story for the film, though subsequent allegations of abuse on the set of Justice League paint a different picture for his departure. Just over three years after signing Hodson to pen the script, the studio landed Bad Boys for Life directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah to helm in mid-May.
In the latest episode of his and Marc Bernardin's FatMan Beyond podcast, Smith and his co-host discussed the news that the Bad Boys for Life directing duo signed on to helm the DC title. But Smith was shocked to learn that the project is being developed as an HBO Max exclusive and expressed a great sense of disappointment in the decision by WB and WarnerMedia, believing there to be a "billion-dollar franchise" in the property if handled correctly. Smith said:
“Batgirl, handled correctly, has a chance – I feel like – to be a billion-dollar franchise, depending on who you cast. You’re talking about one of the most iconic female superheroes from the DC universe[…]You say ‘DC female superheroes,’ yes, Wonder Woman checks the box right away, that’s probably the first name you think of. [But] I think of Batgirl before I even think of Supergirl. The CW has done a wonderful job of building that character up into a franchise but, just comic books alone, I’d be like, ‘Oh, Batgirl.’”
It should be noted that Smith does mix up the fact that its HBO Max home establishes the project as a streaming series instead of a film, but given Bernardin does call it a film at the start of the conversation and a few times throughout does point to what many fans are going to be thinking. HBO Max is still seen by most as a home to original series and same-day theatrical film premieres, partly due to the fact none of its original films have wowed critics or audiences alike or spark any viral trends on social media, save for Zack Snyder's Justice League. Nonetheless, Smith's brief stumble doesn't invalidate the rest of his points in his argument as a Batgirl film is absolutely capable of becoming a billion-dollar franchise akin to Wonder Woman if handled properly.
Given WB previously had enough faith to give it a shot by putting it in Whedon's hands for a theatrical film instead of a series, the disappointment over WB's Batgirl going directly to HBO Max is understandable. That being said, the fact that an adaptation of the character is finally going to be getting her solo due in a feature film with the writer behind the wonderful Birds of Prey should keep fans excited for what's to come. With directors now in place, word should hopefully arrive soon about who will play her in the film.
Source: FatMan Beyond