Brendan Fraser says Glasgow was ‘perfectly cast’ as Gotham City in cancelled Batgirl film

Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser has said Glasgow was “perfectly cast” as Gotham City in the cancelled Batgirl film.

The Mummy star – who was set to play the villainous Firefly – told The Howard Stern Show that the DC picture didn’t get a “fair shake” before it was scrapped by Warner Bros just months before it was due to be released last year.

Speaking about the film, Fraser said: “Gotham never looked better cast as Glasgow, Scotland, you know.

“It’s decaying and just gorgeous, and it looks like it’s Gotham City; it’s perfectly cast. You believe it no matter where you look in the town if you light it the right way.”

Batgirl was due to focus on Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham police commissioner Jim Gordon.

The film, shot entirely in Glasgow and co-starring Leslie Grace, Michael Keaton and JK Simmons, reportedly cost an estimated $90m (£75m) and was scheduled for release in late 2022.

After test screenings the studio made the call to shelve the production completely, with no plans for it to appear in cinemas or on streaming service HBO Max.

Read more:
Batgirl and five other films that were so bad they were never released

Fraser, who is nominated for best actor at this year’s Oscars for The Whale, said the film is “in a vault somewhere, in the dumpster”.

He said the cancellation was “disappointing” as it was a first cut of the film, adding: “It wasn’t finished.”

Speaking about lead star Leslie Grace, Fraser said: “She was wonderful. Oh gosh, she was good, really terrific.

“She’s a firecracker. Like dynamite comes in small packages for a reason – she’s a dynamo.”