Brendan Fraser shared some more insight into the Batgirl test screening process, as well as his thoughts on its subsequent cancelation. The Whale star, who played Firefly in the HBO Max movie, argued that the movie wasn’t given a fair showing.
Speaking on The Howard Stern show, Fraser revealed he hasn’t seen the movie but has friends and coworkers who had. "They all say really good things about it," he explained. "But the thing about it was it was screened in a garden-variety test screening. It was a director's cut, a first cut, it wasn't finished. I mean, 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. The sad thing is that I don't know if it was judged on merit. It wasn't shown in the best light that it could have been. I mean, yes, once you give a film to the people and the world, it's open season to criticize or praise it or whatever you want. But this didn't even really get a fair shake."
Fraser went on to call the decision "disappointing", adding that he’s sad the world won’t get to see Leslie Grace’s performance in the lead role. "Little girls are gonna have to wait longer now before they can see a Batgirl who they can identify that says 'hey she looks just like me too' in Leslie Grace and she was wonderful," he added. "Oh gosh, she was good, really terrific. She's a firecracker. Like dynamite comes in small packages for a reason. She's a dynamo."
Recently, new DC Studios co-CEO Peter Safran said Batgirl was "not releasable" at the recent presentation of his and James Gunn’s DCU plan. "I saw the movie," he said (H/T IndieWire). "There were a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film. But that film was not releasable. It happens sometimes. That film was not releasable."
For more on DC and its future, check out all of the new superhero movies and upcoming DC movies. For more on Fraser's new movie The Whale, check out our interview with director Darren Aronofsky.
