A little over a month after learning that a Batgirl movie "..won't be a high priority..," it was revealed that screenwriter Christina Hodson was hired to write a script for a film, presumably titled The Batgirl...I think that's the first time Batgirl has ever been referred to with "The" preceding her name, but it puts her on equal footing with Batman, perhaps.
What this means is that Warner Brothers has observed that the initial reaction to the possibility of a Batgirl movie in production was positive enough to give it another try...even when the initial go-ahead was part of a sweetheart deal to court Joss Whedon. When Justice League did lukewarm box office, Whedon suddenly backed away from Batgirl, claiming he didn't have a story to tell...which I recall claiming was b.s...I was expecting his take on Barbara Gordon to fall along the lines of his other work, so it probably wouldn't have looked innovative...just competently done. As with Wonder Woman, the comic books are really weak - I remember writing that I liked the Batgirl comics with Stephanie Brown, but more for the character than the plotlines or new supporting characters created for that run. Batgirl usually captured our imaginations when she appeared on television moreso than in the comic books...just like Wonder Woman! And in live-action, though I liked how she was portrayed in cartoons like Batman: The Animated Series and The Batman. The only neat tricks the comic book Batgirl had that haven't been adapted for the TV and film screens were a photographic memory, plus aplomb with advanced computer tech and - this one is obscure - a knack for hypnosis.
Hodson's past credits include genre thrillers Shut-In and Unthinkable. She also wrote the script for Bumblebee: The Movie, a Transformers spin-off prequel not directed by Michael Bay...which implies it won't have the misanthropic cynicism that shaded the last five Transformers movies. Here is the whole point of this post: Hailee Steinfeld stars in Bumblebee. I had mentioned in my previous Batgirl-related post that she had gone on record as saying she wanted to play Batgirl, albeit this remark was when Joss Whedon was attached to the project, but his absence doesn't mean she wouldn't be interested in playing Barbara Gordon with new people involved, particularly if it's anticipated that Warner Brothers is keen on getting a female director. If Steinfeld wants it - anyone still remember those purple Batgirl-esque she wore to the Grammy Awards this year? - she can get it.
I'm still curious about what the plot of The Batgirl could be. There are some good ideas in Chuck Dixon's Batgirl: Year One. Batgirl wanting to join the Justice Society. Pairing Killer Moth with Firefly. I always thought the scenes depicting her interaction with Batman and Robin in this story had more to do with editorial inference regarding those characters at the time, rather than how they would've acted, so while I like the idea that Batman is supporting Barbara with supplies and equipment, I thought it was portrayed better elsewhere. I like how Jason Bard was introduced, even though a little of him goes a long way in the old comics (I believe Frank Robbins pulled a fast one by introducing Bard so that he didn't have to write about Batgirl and slowly write her out of her own series to write more about the terribly-dull Jason Bard, Private Eye). In fact, without Marcos Martin's art, we might not even be talking about Batgirl: Year One.
Not sure which of Batgirl's different costumes will inspire the movie version, but it's gotta show off the motorcycle...I actually believe Barbara Gordon would have to be adept at motorcycle maintenance & repair if she's going to keep that bike in good shape. It would be cool to show her handy with tools...I don't think that's been depicted in the comics at all, but it makes sense.
It's also possible that Warner Brothers hired Hodson because she wrote the script for the Birds of Prey movie, which would've featured Harley Quinn, Batgirl, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. It's alleged that this film faded away when Suicide Squad also did lukewarm business. DC Films has Aquaman, Shazzam and Wonder Woman 2 on the schedule. For sure. There's a Flashpoint that's supposed to star Ezra Miller and Ben Affleck as The Flash and Batman, respectively, but that might not be happening...it's just fading out. Affleck still has one more film in his contract, so he could appear in The Batgirl to fulfill that obligation and that would be cool. It's a real pity that he never got a solo Batman film going, yet he's played the character in more films under the shortest amount of time than any other actor to date, and his performance has been good work.
So there we are. For now. The Batgirl is on. Female screenwriter. Female director (we think so). Hailee Steinfeld (maybe). The Penguin, Killer Moth, Firefly, Roxy Rocket, Calculator, Cluemaster, Poison Ivy (villains?). Harley Quinn, The Batman (guest-stars?). Jason Bard, Stephanie Brown, Luke Fox, Dinah Lance (supporting characters). Cool motorcycle (absolutely). Purple costume (why not?). Contractually obligated Ben Affleck (possible). Release date: _____ (I have no idea).
