Brendan Fraser defends $90M Batgirl film he starred in after it was suddenly scrapped
Based on the iconic comics chronicling the adventures of Barbara Gordon, Batgirl was set to be an exciting new addition to the DC Extended Universe.
Unfortunately, the film has now been scrapped and Fraser, 54, has since spoken out to defend it.
The film was pulled to everyone’s surprise, especially leading star Leslie Grace, who has also spoken out against the decision.
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Directed by Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi, the unreleased superhero flick wracked up a staggering budget of $90 million (approximately £74.3 million).
Fraser was set to be joined by a star-studded cast, which included the likes of Michael Keaton and J.K. Simmons.
The Whale star played the iconic role of Firefly - a supervillain hell-bent on terrorising Gotham City through a cascade of arsonist attacks.
But just as it teetered on the verge of completion, the film was suddenly scrapped, leaving many fans high and dry.
While we may not get to see Fraser's next film following his 'Brenaissance', we did get to hear from the star himself exactly how he felt about the film's cancellation.
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show, Fraser defended the film and revealed it never got a 'fair shake'.
Praising directors Fallah and Arbi, the actor vouched for their choice to use Glasgow as a setting for Gotham City.
"Gotham never looked better cast as Glasgow, Scotland, you know," he said.
He added: "It's decaying and just gorgeous, and it looks like it's Gotham City; it's perfectly cast."
Going into the details of his role, Fraser admitted that he 'relished' the character.
"You've got some sympathy to him, you've also got some humanity to him and, on top of that, a screw loose because he's a bad guy.
"But, like all the best bad guys, you kind of like them a bit."
"I relished this part, it was great fun," he said.
The Mummy star said that when the film was first-screened, it wasn't entirely finished and therefore didn't really get the treatment it was deserving of.
"I don’t know about you, but I don’t eat half-baked cake. I don’t want to see something that’s not ready yet and the sad thing is that [...] it wasn't shown in the best light that it could have been."
The actor then briefly touched upon the importance of representation in film, noting that young girls will now have to 'wait longer' before they can see a Batgirl who they can 'identify' with.
He also called Grace 'wonderful' and 'really terrific'.
Warner Bros have since released a statement on their decision to do away with the film.
It read: "The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.
"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 their respective cast and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future."
Topics: Batman, Brendan Fraser, TV and Film, Warner Bros, DC Comics
Rhiannon Ingle