Batgirl directors recall “traumatic” cancellation experience

Just two days after Batgirl director Adil El Arbi’s Moroccan wedding, he and his co-director Bilall Fallah learned that their film would be shelved in the name of Warner Bros. Discover cutting costs. And this after they had just wrapped production on the $90 million film. Not exactly the type of news you want to hear after celebrating your nuptials, is it?

Arbi and Fallah spoke to Deadline about the jarring experience while attending the Red Sea International Film Festival. Fallah said that “It was a traumatic experience” and that he and Arbi went through “all the emotions.” Added Arbi: “At that time, it was pretty unprecedented, so it was like movie history, but in a crazy way.”

I’d have to agree. It was horrible news we aren’t likely to forget. I mean, shelving a $90 million semi-completed film?! That is unprecedented.

Batgirl directors talk about Warner Bros. Discovery cancelling their movie

Although the film was done shooting, Arbi shared that it “was not done yet–far from it” and that only one version of the film had been edited. “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,” El Arbi added.

Might there ever be a situation in the future where we could see the movie? According to Arbi, “no, not at all.” So don’t hold out hope, folks.

Shockingly, neither Fallah nor El Arbi seem bitter about the whole debacle, and said that they would love to work on a DC project in the future…as long as the movie actually came out. All is well between them and Warner Bros., so if the company is in the market for a pair of directors, these guys are up for it!

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