DC’s latest movie Batgirl has been scrapped by Warner Brothers just months before it was due to premiere.
And now, Batgirl herself, Leslie Grace, has spoken out about the devastating news.
She shared that despite the unexpected announcement, she was still “proud” of all the work she and the crew put in over the “seven months” of filming.
Filming took place in Glasgow, Scotland, which was transformed into the city of Gotham for the project.
But it seems as though the reportedly $90 million movie won’t be making it onto the big screen, or streaming site HBO Max, as previously planned.
The surprising move by Warner Brothers is definitely a shock for fans, who have since demanded the movie be released.
It comes allegedly after test screenings, in anticipation of its release, flopped. In fact, moviegoers reviewed the film so poorly that the studio decided it was better to cut the movie than risk DC’s reputation.
“They think an unspeakable ‘Batgirl’ is going to be irredeemable,” a source told the New York Post.
Eyebrows were first raised when Batgirl wasn’t brought up at DC’s Comic-Con panel in San Diego in July, which would normally have been used to boost publicity for the upcoming film.
And now the reason why has been confirmed. But the movie’s directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, who famously directed Bad Boys for Life, are distraught by the news.
They revealed in an Instagram post that they were “saddened and shocked” by Warner Brother’s decision to ax the movie, which featured Hollywood A-listers such as Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, and Brendan Fraser.
They wrote: “We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves.”
“Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team,” they added.
They went on to thank all those who helped create the film: “especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedication, and humanity.
“In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life,” the pair added.
Not long after their announcement, Leslie Grace took to social media to share her own statement about the unexpected move.
Grace, who was the star of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, wrote: “Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie ‘Batgirl,’ I am proud of the love, hard work, and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over seven months in Scotland.”
She continued: “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!”
Grace concluded her post: “To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, ‘my own damn hero!’”
The news has left fans devastated, with many taking their outrage out on social media. One disgruntled fan tweeted: “If the rumors about Batgirl’s canceled release are true, there is absolutely no excuse for that. Leslie Grace deserves better. Brendan Fraser deserves better. Michael Keaton deserves better. The fans deserve better. Batgirl deserves better!”
Another commented: “If it wasn’t canceled, Batgirl would have been: One of the first, if not the first, superhero movies with a Latina actress as the lead – One of the first superhero movies with a trans person playing a trans person – BRENDAN FRASER’S RETURN TO THE BIG SCREEN!”
You can see Leslie Grace’s heartbreaking post here.