See Leslie Grace Being Incredibly Flexible During Batgirl Training
See the video of Leslie Grace's Batgirl training.
After years of waiting, we finally have our Batgirl. Leslie Grace will portray the DC superhero in the upcoming movie for HBO Max. As pre-production for the film continues, fans are eager to see what the In The Height’s star’s take on the role will be.
Leslie Grace recently took to social media to share a unique look at her training for the movie. The actress shared a video of herself on Twitter doing upside-down push-ups, along with a caption that said, “When they ask how the Batgirl training is going.”
In an interview with Billboard last month, Leslie Grace talked about her preparation for the film. She said she’s been reading a ton of comics and keeping an eye out for tweets from beloved DC comic fans to see what they are excited to see in her iteration of the iconic superhero. When asked about her costume by Entertainment Tonight, Leslie Grace said the studio hasn’t told her anything about the Batgirl suit just yet. But the actress added that she’s dying to know what it looks like. At DC FanDome, it was confirmed that her costume would include a cowl, not a face mask, but so far that’s all that’s known.
Speaking about the training, Leslie Grace said she’s never fought in her life, so she’s working hard every day to get her body used to all the motions. The actress also expressed her excitement at getting to honor Batgirl, as the character’s legacy spans over 50 years. She said it’s a huge responsibility and wants to do her very best to make sure her portrayal does right by the character.
In 2017 Joss Whedon was hired to write, direct and produce a Batgirl movie. But he left the project in 2018 after realizing that he didn’t have a story. He was replaced by Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah who have signed on to direct Leslie Grace’s Batgirl. Christina Hodson, who has worked on Birds of Prey and The Flash, will be writing the script for the HBO Max film. Kristin Burr (of Cruella fame) will serve as producer.
Batgirl will focus on Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon, with Gail Simone’s The New 52 Batgirl comics used as a starting point for the story. Leslie Grace was cast as Batgirl after beating Isabela Merced and Zoey Deutch for the role. The studio was already impressed with the actress’s breakout role in In the Heights, and her audition sealed the deal. There is currently no release date for the movie.
Along with Leslie Grace, Batgirl is expected to see the return of J.K. Simmons as Commissioner James Gordon, with Brendan Fraser joining the cast as Firefly, and Jacob Scipio cast in an undisclosed role. And if rumors are to be believed, Michael Keaton also may be joining the film as Batman. Apparently, DC Films president Walter Hamada wants Keaton to be the canonical Caped Crusader in the DC Extended Universe moving forward. The actor is reported to have signed a multi-picture deal to recur as the veteran Bruce Wayne. While nothing has been officially confirmed, it is known that Keaton will be reprising his role as Gotham’s protector in 2022’s The Flash.
