With exactly three weeks left untilBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicehits theaters, there is still plenty of mystery swirling around the project. It has long been rumored thatJena Maloneis playing Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl in the superhero adventure, but her role has never been confirmed as of yet.Entertainment Weeklyhas a new report, which reveals that the actress' character has actually been cut from the theatrical version. But fans will get to see her at some point.
The site wouldn’t confirm who she’s playing, but they did confirm thatJena Maloneis nolonger in the movie. Although, she will likely return in theR-ratedcut ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We reported last month that the MPAA has issued an R rating for an “Ultimate Edition” ofBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Since the ratings bulletin listed Warner Home Entertainment as the distributor, not Warner Bros. Pictures, it means that this version will be released onBlu-ray and DVD, presumably sometime later this year. The listing doesn’t offer too many details, only stating that it was rated R for “sequences of violence,” while noting that the “content is different from PG-13 version.”
As for whoJena Maloneis playing, that hasn’t been confirmed yet, but she was previously rumored to be playing Carrie Kelley, Kahina the Seer and Barbara Gordon, a.k.a. Batgirl.Entertainment Weeklydid manage to catch up with directorZack Snyder, who didn’t reveal what character the actress is playing, but he did shoot down rumors that she’s playing either Robin or Batgirl. Here’s what the filmmaker had to say below.
“I think we should keep it private, but it’s nothing that’s been talked about. She’s definitely not Robin or Batgirl. I’m happy to say that.”
We reported yesterday thatBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis currently tracking for a domestic opening of anywhere between $120 million and $140 million, with a global total that ranges between $300 million and $340 million. The global debut is expected to be shown on over 30,000 screens across the world, in every market except for China. A Chinese release date has not been announced yet. IfBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justicedoes earn between $300 million and $340 million on its opening weekend, it will be the fifth highest global opening ever for a superhero movie, behindAvengers: Age of Ultron($392.5 million),Marvel’s The Avengers($392.5 million),Spider-Man 3($381.7 million) andIron Man 3($372.5 million).
In the U.S.,Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceis expected to open in more than 4,000 theaters in 3D, 4DX, PLF andIMAXformats. Analysts also claim that the movie is currently outselling 2012’sThe Dark Knight Rises, which previously held the record for pre-sales with $25 million, before that record was shattered in a matter of hours byStar Wars: The Force Awakens. It’s worth noting thatThe Dark Knight Risesopened at $160.9 million, with one unnamed studio analyst claiming that, if it outpacesThe Dark Knight Rises' early ticket sales, it could have a domestic opening weekend upwards of $180 million. Are you disappointed thatJena Malone’s scenes were excised fromBatman v Superman: Dawn of Justice?
