Batgirl Is Getting Her Own Movie If This Notoriously Bloody Filmmaker Has His Way
The beloved comic book character Batgirl could be getting her own movie franchise, that is if everything falls into place for director Nicolas Winding Refn.
There has been no shortage of superhero movies over the past few years, but Hollywood has been heavily criticized for focusing on male superheroes. However, with the announcement of a Wonder Woman movie, that trend may be about to change. And with the record-breaking success of the R-rated Deadpool movie, directors are eager to make superhero films that aren’t afraid to depict violence. If the industry is heading in these directions, it will be the perfect opportunity for Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn to make a Batgirl movie.
According to Business Insider, Refn recently released his movie The Neon Demon, which features a primarily female cast. Although the director’s past movies have been infamously masculine, he’s expressed an interest to make more female-driven movies since Drive came out. Although he wasn’t able to make a Wonder Woman movie like he hoped, Nicolas Winding Refn told Business Insider that he’s still looking for a female superhero to bring to the big screen, and Batgirl may be the perfect choice.
“God, I would love to make one, it would probably be great fun. I just don’t know when it’s going to happen. I very much enjoy my freedom creatively, but I also would love to make one of those big Hollywood films that costs a lot of money and has a lot of people running around with cell phones and all that insanity.”
Obviously, Batgirl comes from the DC Universe Batman comics, which are some of the most popular superhero stories of all time. However, Batman has appeared many times in Hollywood movies and is slated to appear in yet another reboot starring Ben Affleck — not to mention his own Lego movie. But his sidekick, Batgirl, has only filled supporting role in past installments. Nicolas Winding Refn may be the first to grant Batgirl her own standalone story.
“What ones are left?” Refn asked. “You know the one I want to do? I want to make Batgirl. Let’s get Warner working on it.”
Of course, there are many other female superheroes left without their own movie, but few as popular as Batgirl.
What’s interesting about Nicolas Winding Refn potentially directing a Batgirl movie is the possibility of him applying his notoriously violent style. Nearly all of Refn’s movies so far have pushed the limits of on-screen brutality, especially his Ryan Gosling crime drama Only God Forgives, which was so violent it had audiences booing by the end of screenings. If Warner granted Refn the rights to Batgirl, would they force the director to abandon his grim style for a tamer adaptation, or would they give him the go-ahead to make a gritty, bloody Batgirl tale?
After the positive reception of Deadpool, it was immediately announced that the newest Wolverine film would be heading into R-rated territory. So perhaps an R-rated Batgirl would be a profitable venture for filmmakers. DC Comics is also slated to release the animated Batman film The Killing Joke soon, which has an R-rating as well. So a dark and gruesome Nicolas Winding Refn version of Batgirl wouldn’t be completely shocking.
Even if Batgirl doesn’t get her own film, she will supposedly make an appearance in the standalone Harley Quinn movie that was recently announced as a spin-off to the Suicide Squad film, starring Margot Robbie.
What do you think? Does Batgirl deserve her own movie? If Refn did decide to make an R-rated comic book film, is Batgirl the right choice?
[Photo by Len Trievnor/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images]
