Warner Bros.’ planned Batgirl movie is moving forward once again, only this time with a new writer.
Following Joss Whedon’s abrupt departure from the film in February, The Hollywood Reporter now has word that the studio has hired Christina Hodson, who wrote the upcoming Transformers spinoff Bumblebee, to pen the script.
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That’s a significant development from late February, when it was reported that Warner Bros. had no “imminent plans” to find a replacement for Whedon, effectively relegating Batgirl to the studio’s back-burner.
The outlet notes Hodson already has Batgirl experience, having had a hand in the development of a Warner Bros. feature focusing on DC’s all-female Birds of Prey. No director is attached to Batgirl, which is expected to feature the best-known character to don the costume, Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham Police Commissioner James Gordon.
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A fan favorite for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Marvel’s The Avengers, Whedon was announced in March 2017 to be developing a Batgirl movie, even as he stepped in to take over Warner Bros.’ Justice League from Zack Snyder. However, by November, rumors were already circulating that he was no longer writing and directing Batgirl. Three months later Whedon himself announced he was no longer developing the project, explaining, “Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story.”