The Glasgow-shot superhero movie took over the city in 2022 but was then shelved as a tax write-off by Warner Bros.
Batgirl was the first movie to be shot entirely in Glasgow.(Image: Warner Bros)
The imminent release of a movie based on a classic Loony Tunes characters of all time has started an online frenzy over the possible release of the Glasgow filmed Batgirl movie
The live-action animation crossover Coyote vs Acme is finally set to hit cinemas late this year, after originally being shelved by producers Warner Bros as a tax write-off.
The movie follows Wile E. Coyote as he attempts to sue Acme over the faulty products that keep injuring him in his attempts to catch the Road Runner.
After a clamour by fans demanding the movie be saved it was finally bought up by a company called Ketchup Entertainment who are ensuring the long suffering coyote has his day in court.
And that news has prompted Batgirl fans to call on Warner Bro to open the vault’ and allow another company to release the big-budget blockbuster filmed almost entirely in Glasgow.
Like Coyote vs Acme, Batgirl was shelved after production as part of a tax write-down by Warner Bros, which had spent approximately $90 million on the project.
It was reported at the time that this would mean it could never be released, without incurring a hefty tax liability for the studio, but since the same was true for Coyote vs Acme its release has given fans hope.
The reaction was summed up by one fan on X, who replied to a post about Coyote Vs Acme writing: “OMG. This is being released after being shelved?? That is fantastic news!! Now, I hope that same happened to #Batgirl one day.”
The teaser poster for Coyote vs Acme
One excited fan posted “Holy s***, this means we might get the batgirl movie too” while another simply wrote “release the Batgirl movie”.
A user called @visionsofhope posted: ”Okay, now how do we get Batgirl released?”, while another fan suggested going to see Coyote vs Acme could help pressure studio over Batgirl, writing: “I hope the millions of Batgirl fans who keep asking for that to be released to support this movie.”
The major Hollywood movie was filmed entirely in Glasgow in 2022, with the city transformed into Gotham by set builders, including alterations to shop fronts and cars.
Batgirl was due to focus on Barbara Gordon, played by Grace, the daughter of Gotham police commissioner Jim Gordon, and starred major names including Michael Keaton, Brendan Fraser, JK Simmons and Leslie Grace in the main role.
The city was dressed up as Gotham for the doomed film(Image: Reach Plc)
Filming on the DC movie took place around Glasgow from January to April 2022 with parts of the city centre including George Square brought to a standstill during high-octane scenes.
The movie, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, was given 20 times more council funding than any other production in the last five years.
Glasgow City Council agreed to give Warner Bros £150,000 to shoot the entire production in the city, 20 times more council funding than any other production – although after the film’s release was scrapped the council said no money had yet been paid and negotiations were ongoing.
Glasgow was transformed into Gotham for the doomed Batgirl film.(Image: Reach PLC)
The New York Post reported the decision had been made following a change of leadership after Warner Bros merged with Discovery, with new CEO David Zaslav prioritising cost-cutting and theatrical films over streaming projects.
However there were reports that the movie had not performed well in test-screening, while others have commented that it differs from Coyote vs Acme in that it is not a completed film, meaning Glasgow film fans may still never get a chance to see what all the fuss was about.