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Four years after the movie was shelved by Warner Bros. Discovery, J.K. Simmons has opened up on the cancelled Batgirl movie. The project is among DC’s most infamous, having been entirely filmed and then entered into post-production before the company decided to pull the plug, which became a tax write-off to recoup funds rather than being released.
Speaking with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Simmons was asked about the Batgirl movie and confirmed he never got to see it, but that he thought it was going to be a fun superhero movie. The full exchange between the pair is below:
Josh Horowitz: You did you did have a run in DC as well. Do you feel like you were robbed a little bit playing, I mean you get this iconic character, Commissioner Gordon. It was a little bit like snake bit, it feels like, because like Justice League obviously had some issues beyond anyone’s control.
J.K. Simmons: Yeah.
Josh Horowitz: And this crazy Batgirl thing happens. The last time I spoke to you, you were about to play, you were going to about to do Batgirl.
J.K. Simmons: Yeah, yeah. That big hit Batgirl.
Josh Horowitz: Well, we don’t know. I mean, it’s not, I mean it just, it didn’t exist. Doesn’t exist…
J.K. Simmons: No, it’s it’s in a vacuum.
Josh Horowitz: Did you ever see it?
J.K. Simmons: It’s bizarre. No. No. Apparently, one test audience saw it, and, you know, it wasn’t like it was like a bad score from the test audience. It was, yeah, it was a whatever business decision obviously, and and then yeah, Justice League where, which was a very small part, yeah, had its own drama attached to it. But then then Zack’s cut—
Josh Horowitz: Yes.
J.K. Simmons: —the director’s cut came out, which the DC fans, you know, really love.
Josh Horowitz: Yeah.
J.K. Simmons: And which is really, you know, a lot of fun. And then yeah, when when when Batgirl came along with Adil and Bilall and, you know, it was it was an exciting prospect to be part of the origin story of Batgirl. For those who don’t know, Commissioner Gordon’s daughter. Um, and and, yeah, maybe maybe we’ll maybe we’ll never know, the the worldwide audience. And it was and it was—
Josh Horowitz: I mean, did you feel like it was a good, I mean it was a good experience? Did you feel like the script was solid? It was…
J.K. Simmons: Yeah, no. It was, yeah, we really had a good time making it and, you know, thought it was going to be a fun superhero movie and, uh…
Josh Horowitz: One of the strangest stories in— (laughs)
J.K. Simmons: Oh well.
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