Batgirl directors say movie's cancelation was a "traumatic experience"

Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah spoke out about the movie's cancellation while presenting a new film at the Red Sea Film Festival.

"It was a traumatic experience," Fallah said at Deadline's Red Sea Studio. "[Al Arbi and I] went through all the emotions."

"At that time, it was pretty unprecedented, so it was like movie history, but in a crazy way," El Arbi added. "There was still a lot of work to be done but they just said it was financial decisions and so that’s that and the movie can never be released."

Speaking to Variety about Brendan Fraser's role in the film, El Arbi praised his performance and expressed his hope that Fraser's potential Oscar win for The Whale could revive interest in releasing Batgirl.

"The way he played that character… It was one of the most memorable villains, so we’ll see. Maybe when he wins his Oscar [for The Whale] they’ll want to show the movie," the director said. Fraser's upcoming film, which many have called a career-best, has generated quite a bit of Oscar buzz.

He added: "Should it maybe be released, there’s still a lot of work to be done and I don’t know if they are really going to go back for that."

The filmmaking duo presented their newest movie Rebel, which follows two brothers from Belgium who decide to join ISIS, at the Red Sea Film Festival. The Whale is set to hit theaters in the United States on December 9.

For more, check out our list of all the new superhero movies flying your way in 2022 and beyond.