Report: Joss Whedon securing deal to write, direct and produce Batgirl movie
Entertainment, Movies, News
With Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment allegedly eager to fast-track one of their in-development movie projects for 2018, so as to maintain their two-movies-per-year mandate for their big screen DC Extended Universe next year, it looks like another possibility has thrown its hat into the ring. Word comes down from official source, Variety today that Marvel's former The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron director, Joss Whedon is aiming to defect to the Distinguished Competition, to write, produce and direct an in-development Batgirl movie for the DC Extended Universe!
Warner Bros. was rumoured to be developing a Batgirl movie in secret, with this scoop from Variety seemingly outing the project as real. Securing Whedon as the movie's main mastermind is also a big blow to competitor, Marvel, who grossed almost $3 billion between Whedon's two Avengers movies, before he left the franchise on account of alleged creative difficulties. Despite that however, Whedon still serves as one of the creative forces behind ABC's Marvel Cinematic Universe-set television series, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., with his brother, Jed Whedon also serving as one of the showrunners, writers and occasional directors for the series.
The Batgirl movie has no production timeline confirmed yet, but it's likely that this is one of the movies that DC will consider trying to fast-track for a 2018 release, especially since a Batgirl movie doesn't necessarily have to command a huge budget. With DC's Flash movie, wholly unrelated to The CW's highly successful The Flash television series, ending up in development hell, only DC's Aquaman movie is currently still scheduled for release in 2018. Reports from several outlets have stated that DC is trying to replace the stalled Flash movie's 2018 release, which ended up giving up its premiere date to Warner Bros.' upcoming Tomb Raider movie reboot, with another DC film. Ben Affleck vehicle, The Batman originally hoped to do that, before a necessary script rewrite pushed that movie into a 2019 release window. It's possible that the studio may simply have decided that a Batgirl movie is a worthy consolation prize for The Batman's own delay.
The scoop from Variety also claims that the Batgirl movie in question will be used to introduce other personalities from the DC Extended Universe's version of Gotham City, though it's unknown which personalities these may be. Considering that Batgirl's civilian identity is Barbara Gordon however (there were Batgirl successors in former DC Comics canon, but they've since been erased from continuity by the New 52 reboot), it's pretty likely that J.K. Simmons' Commissioner James Gordon will appear in the movie at the very least. Also of interest is the likely possibility that Batgirl will serve as a springboard or spin-off to another female-led DC movie set in Gotham City, Gotham City Sirens, which will be directed by Suicide Squad helmer, David Ayer, with Margot Robbie set to reprise her role as Harley Quinn from Ayer's previous DC flick. Gotham City Sirens is also one of the movies that Warner Bros. is considering fast-tracking for a 2018 release to precede Aquaman.
We'll be sure to keep an eye on potential developments regarding the Batgirl movie, so keep swooping to Eggplante for all major news and updates on the DC Extended Universe.
agents of s.h.i.e.l.d.barbara gordonbatgirlbatmandcdc comicsdc extended universegotham citygotham city sirensjoss whedonmarvelthe avengers
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