Summary
- Composer Natalie Holt had a full score for the canceled Batgirl movie, but she hasn't listened back to it since the cancellation.
- She still fondly reminisces about the project and the people she worked with, including getting approval from Danny Elfman to use his Batman theme.
- Holt laments that Batgirl could have been her big break into film and regrets not being able to see Michael Keaton as Batman backed by Elfman's iconic music.
Prolific composer Natalie Holt had a full score created for the tragically canceled Batgirl movie. So, it would be understandable if she harbors some animosity about the affair. Now, she's finally spoken out about her feelings about the cancelation and her score, and it seems she's taken a unique approach to dealing with it all.
Holt may currently be best known for her memorably surreal soundtrack for Marvel Studios' Disney Plus series Loki. But what could have been an equally impactful work of hers on the DC side of things has been lost since the film was scrapped in the 11th hour. Shortly after Batgirl was axed, she spoke about the disappointing Batgirl cancelation and how it affected her. But a year later, things have changed a bit.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Holt revealed that she hasn't even revisited her Batgirl score since the cancelation. Despite how many composers will repurpose unused material like this into other scores and soundtracks, she said, "I just haven’t listened back to it." But it's not out of disappointment in her work or the experience. It seems to be the exact opposite, as she still reminisces about the people she worked with and what she accomplished. That even included using Danny Elfman's theme from 1989's Batman with his blessing.
Do you know what? I just haven't listened back to it. So many things happened last year, and I needed a bit of time. I had some time this summer to reflect on where I want to go and also process the experiences I've been through creatively, but I haven't really listened back to it yet. So ask me next year, maybe. (Laughs.) I've just put it away and it feels sad. I was really fond of that project, and I'd been working on it for a year with [directors] Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. I also got to meet Danny Elfman, who gave me approval to work with his theme from Batman (1989). So it's just sad, and I also really wanted to do a film. I haven't really had a big film to work on yet, so hopefully that day will come soon.
The mention of The Nightmare Before Christmas composer Elfman perhaps adds even more tragedy to the whole situation, as his theme from Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film remains one of the most iconic in the character's history. It would have had one heck of an impact to see Michael Keaton as Batman backed by that music again. That's not to mention Holt's lament on how this would have been her big break into film after spending so much time in the TV realm. There are a lot of regrets swirling about this film, and that's without even getting to how fans won't get to see Brendan Fraser's reportedly Oscar-worthy performance as Firefly in Batgirl.
It's almost ironic that Holt's arguably best-known work is from Loki. That's not to say the show or her score is bad. The opposite is very much true on both counts. But many have argued that most MCU shows on Disney Plus could have been movies. So if the studio had indeed elected to go that route, Holt would have likely gotten her wish for a movie to score quite some time ago.
Holt has worked on Loki, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and even in the music department of the first Paddington movie. Along with a slew of other prominent projects and a respectable number of awards, that would probably be enough for anybody. But it's hard to look at what might have been sometimes. Here's hoping she gets that big movie break she deserves soon.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter