The Nina Rosario of 'In the Heights' is reported to have beaten fellow actresses Isabella Merced, Zoey Deutch and Haley Lu Richardson for the HBO Max film's coveted lead role.
- Jul 22, 2021
AceShowbiz - "In the Heights" star Leslie Grace has landed the role of "Batgirl" in a new movie.
It was reported earlier this week (ends July 23) that the actress, Isabela Merced (Isabela Moner), Zoey Deutch and Haley Lu Richardson were all up for the role of the superhero and her alter ego Barbara Gordon, and now it appears Grace has won the "Batgirl" battle.
Deadline sources claim her audition was top-notch and helped her seal the deal. She will now lead the cast of the HBO Max film.
The Batgirl character was first introduced in 1961. She has previously been played on screen by Alicia Silverstone and Yvonne Craig.
The new movie has "Bad Boys for Life" directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, serving behind the lens with "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn" scribe Christina Hodson writing the script. While it is yet to have a scheduled release date, filming is said to start sometime in November.
Back in May, producer Kristin Burr said of the movie, "With 'Batgirl', we hope to take the audience on a fun ride and see a different side of Gotham." She added, "Christina's script is crackling with spirit. Adil and Bilall have an excited and joyous energy which is infectious, making them the perfect filmmakers for this Batproject. And I'm just psyched I get to be part of the DC universe, which is super cool."
As for Leslie, the "Duro y Suave" singer recently talked about her casting as Nina Rosario. "I had learned by then that if I wasn't right for the part of Nina, the best thing you can do in any audition in front of the same people is demonstrate growth," she told ET. "I made that my goal!"
