“IN the Heights” star Leslie Grace has officially been cast as Barbara Gordon in “Batgirl,” the upcoming HBO Max superhero film. In securing the title role, Grace beat out several formidable contenders, including “Five Feet Apart” actress Haley Lu Richardson, “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” star Isabela Merced and “Set It Up” actress Zoey Deutch. Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the filmmaking duo behind “Bad Boys for Life,” will be directing “Batgirl.” Christina Hodson is writing the screenplay. Filming is expected to commence sometime in November. “Batgirl” does not have a release date yet. Grace’s first starring role was in the Warner Bros. film “In the Heights,” which was directed by Jon M. Chu and adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical. In the movie, which debuted in theaters and on HBO Max in June, Grace portrayed the whip-smart Nina Rosario alongside a cast that included Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera and Corey Hawkins. Prior to the release of “In the Heights,” Grace said she was “petrified” to be on her first film set. “I didn’t have a point of reference for anything that’s supposed to happen on a movie set of any scale,” she said. However, she praised the filmmaking team and her co-stars for making her feel comfortable. “I was hyper-aware that I didn’t know anything, but I also knew I was surrounded by greatness. I was always trying to soak it up and ask all the questions because I knew that this is just like an anomaly of experiences to have on a first go-round.” (SD-Agencies) | 