Batgirl: Leslie Grace will star as Barbara Gordon in HBO Max movie

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Well, that didn't take long. Just two days after it was revealed that Warner Bros. and DC were testing actresses for the title role in Batgirl comes the news that the studio have chosen Leslie Grace to star in the film. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. were already "super high with the rising star following her breakout role in In the Heights, and sources say her audition sealed the deal as the choice." In addition to Grace, Isabela Merced (Sweet Girl) and Zoey Deutch (Zombieland: Double Tap) were also testing for the role. How do you feel about Leslie Grace taking on the role of Batgirl?

It was reported earlier this year that Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors behind Bad Boys for Life, had been tapped to helm the Batgirl movie. Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson has penned the script, and she has previously teased that she'll be remaining faithful to the character while also giving fans something new.

There’s a little piece of me in every character I write. They start with me, and then they take on a life of their own. [Barbara Gordon's] been through so many iterations. There’s certain characteristics of hers that are always there that I’m excited to develop further. Whenever I’m writing a character who’s based on someone who’s existed in a previous form, whether it’s comics or a movie or anything, I always hope to bring something new to them and bring them to life in their own way, even if they fairly iconic like Harley Quinn or Batgirl. I think fans want the original, to be honest, but they also want to see something they haven’t seen before.

It also seems that the Batgirl movie is being planned as an HBO Max exclusive, which some people aren't thrilled about. "With Batgirl, we hope to take the audience on a fun ride and see a different side of Gotham," said producer Kristin Burr. "Christina’s script is crackling with spirit. Adil and Bilall have an excited and joyous energy which is infectious, making them the perfect filmmakers for this Batproject. And I’m just psyched I get to be part of the DC universe, which is super cool."