Warner Bros. has begun testing for the lead role of Barbara Gordon for the upcoming HBO Max original “Batgirl” movie, and the first contenders to suit-up have now been unmasked for the coveted role.
According to Deadline, Isabella Merced (“Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Let it Snow”), Zoey Deutch(“Set It Up,” “Leslie Grace” and “In The Heights”), have all read or are expected to read for the part. However Haley Lu Richardson (“Six feet apart,” “Edge of Seventeen”) was reportedly attached to the project, but it seems she might have withdrawn before the testing had begun.
“She’s been through so many iterations,” Christina Hodson previously told Variety about Barbara Gordon, who has made live-action appearances in the ’60s Batman series (Yvonne Craig), The WB series “Birds of Prey”(2002-2003) (Dina Meyer), the 1997 film “Batman & Robin” (Alicia Silverstone), and the HBO Max series “Titans”. Savannah Welch will make her premiere in season 3 on the streaming platform Aug. 12 2021 as the Oracle variation of the character.
“There’s certain characteristics of hers that are always there that I’m excited to develop further,” Hodson said. “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 are 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.”
As of now, no plot details have been revealed about the film. Warner Bros has not commented on the official testing process.
The film will debut on HBO Max, marking one of the first major DC properties to premiere exclusively on the streamer. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (“Ms. Marvel” Disney+ series) will direct from a script by Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee”, “Birds of Prey”, “The Flash”) who wrote the most recent script. Kristin Burr is producing.
No official release date has been confirmed by Warner Media for “Batgirl” on HBO Max
