Article originally written by Jasmine Hall
Recently, an Internet petition has been hitting many different websites in support for an animated Batgirl: Year One film that will likely not see the light of day. Countless websites have promoted the petition in an attempt to get Warner Brothers, DC comics and Bruce Timm to rethink its stance on the pending film. The fanbase of Barbara Gordon (and Batgirl in general) is very high and the possibility of a film has sparked the interest of many fans.
A lingering question seems to be in everyone’s mind — why did they cancel the project? The skeptical view on the Batgirl film and any future female heroic films came from the lack of initial sells for the Wonder Woman animated feature. This puts not only Batgirl, but a possible Wonder Woman sequel on the back burner. In an interview with Bruce Timm on April 27, 2010, Timm states: “The Exec’s decided because it wasn’t able to sell quickly right away, whereas Justice League: The New Frontier was, that there wouldn’t be any more female super hero films right now. We were developing and hoping to get started on a ‘Batgirl’ film based on ‘Year One,’ but because of Wonder Woman’s slow sales start, that won’t be happening now.”
The news has left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans, feeling that the disregard to female fans or fans of Barbara Gordon is unfair. Many points have been made, one including that Green Lantern: First Flight did not sell as well as expected, so why does the female heroic films suffer and not the rest? The whole situation has caused an uproar on many media websites and comic-centric fansites.
Do you want to help? Sign a petition! It might feel as if it won’t help, but a distinct interest in a Batgirl: Year One film may spark DC studios and animated team into going through with their project. I feel strongly about this cause because Batgirl: Year One was one of my first collected series I received as a gift. It’s an awesome story and it deserves an awesome retelling on the small screen. Countless of online petitions have been made, however I chose to sign a particular one. I was signer number 483 on this particular petition. Keep on fighting for what you believe in, guys — you just might get it!
