Fresh off her feature-film debut in the movie adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights, Leslie Grace has landed the lead role in Batgirl, the upcoming HBO Max superhero film.
Just two days after breaking the news that testing for the lead role was taking place, Deadline reports that Warner Bros. and DC Films have tapped Grace to play Barbara Gordon, the crime-fighting daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon. Batgirl last appeared in a live-action movie in 1997’s Batman & Robin, with Alicia Silverstone portraying the iconic DC Comics character.
Bad Boys for Life filmmaking duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah are set to direct Batgirl for HBO Max. Screenwriter Christina Hodson, who wrote Birds of Prey and The Flash, will pen the script.
“With Batgirl, we hope to take the audience on a fun ride and see a different side of Gotham,” Kristin Burr, the project’s producer, said earlier this year. “Christina’s script is crackling with spirit. Adil and Bilall have an excited and joyous energy which is infectious, making them the perfect filmmakers for this Batproject. And I’m just psyched I get to be part of the DC universe, which is super cool.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Warner previously indicated that Batgirl will likely premiere on HBO Max in 2023.
