Brendan Fraser calls Batgirl the "canary in the coal mine"

Brendan Fraser has addressed the cancellation of Batgirl, the DC Comics movie set for HBO Max that was scrapped last month, despite already being filmed. The actor played the villain Firefly in the movie. 

"It's disappointing. The fans really wanted to see this film made," Fraser told Variety. "I was there: Leslie Grace is a dynamo. She's like a power Q-tip. She just goes for it. She looks great in the outfit. The movie itself was shot and conceived for a smaller screen. In this age that we've come out of now between streaming servers vs. theatrical release, it wound up being the canary in the coal mine. So, what can we learn from this? Work with trusted filmmakers, like Darren [Aronofsky]."

Warner Bros. has issued a statement explaining why the film was scrapped. "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max," the studio said. "Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future." Both Deadline and Variety point to potential financial reasons behind the cancellation, too. 

Grace and directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have all addressed the movie being scrapped. "We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it," said the filmmakers. "As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Maybe one day they will insha'Allah."

"Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie Batgirl, I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland," Grace said. "I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, 'my own damn hero!' #Batgirl for life!"

Fraser can next be seen in Aronofsky's The Whale, which premiered at this year's Venice Film Festival. The next DC movie to arrive is Black Adam, which hits theaters this October 21. In the meantime, check out our guide to this year's major movie release dates for everything else 2022 has in store for us.