Warner Bros. Moving Forward With Their BATGIRL Film with BUMBLEBEE Writer Christina Hodson
It's been two months since Joss Whedon and Warner Bros. parted ways on the Batgirl film, but the studio is now ready to move forward with a new creative team.
According to THR, they've hired Christiana Hodson to write the script. She most recently worked on the upcoming Transformers spinoff film Bumblebee. As the development of the film moves forward, I'm sure the studio is looking to bring on a woman director to replace Whedon. Hodson also is working on WB's Birds of Prey feature film project, which also includes Batgirl, so she's already familiar with the character.
I was excited when Joss Whedon was on board to develop the film, but according to him, he couldn't crack the story. It was later reported that he was looking at adapting "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl." With a new writer coming on board, though, you can bet that she and the studio will be starting from scratch. So, at this point, we have no clue what to expect other than the fact the story will focus on Barbra Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City police commissioner James Gordon.
Personally, I like the idea of seeing a film adaptation inspired by "The Million Dollar Debut of Batgirl". Here's a breakdown of that story:
Barbara Gordon was a brainy librarian with a brown belt in judo. She was nothing like her teenage predecessor, Betty Kane, who relished being a hero; in fact, the daughter of Police Commissioner Gordon only donned a Batgirl costume for a policeman's masquerade ball.
However, when she stumbled upon an attempt on the life of millionaire Bruce Wayne by Killer Moth, Barbara sprang into action, fending off the attackers and feeling a crime-fighting spirit awaken within her. The spirit awakened again following what appeared to be Wayne's murder at the hands of the Killer Moth. Unfortunately, Batgirl soon discovered that "Wayne" was a dummy set up by Batman and Robin to draw out Killer Moth, and her arrival had interfered with the operation.
Though dejected, Batgirl quickly made amends for her rookie mistakes, tracking Killer Moth to his hideout and rescuing the Dynamic Duo from a gravity free chamber that made them helpless targets. She had been wearing perfume during their previous tussle and some had rubbed off on Killer Moth. She was even able to scent down the criminal mastermind when he attempted to evade capture.
The Caped Crusader told the impressive Batgirl that he would welcome her help whenever the need arose, though she wasn't the type to wait for an invitation. Furthermore she was intent on refuting the perception of the "weaker sex" and refused to take a back seat to anyone.
What are some Batgirl story arcs that you'd like to see make their way to the big screen?