Leslie Grace is speaking out after the announcement that HBO Max’s Batgirl will no longer get a release.
The actress took to Instagram on Wednesday to share her thoughts after news broke the day prior that Warner Bros. Discovery is shelving the $90 million film. The social media post from Grace, who plays Barbara Gordon, aka the titular hero, included movie images and footage from the set of the DC project that was directed by Bad Boys for Life filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.
“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 7 months in Scotland,” wrote Grace, who appeared in Warner Bros.’ 2021 film In the Heights. “I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! 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!’ Batgirl for life!”
Earlier in the day, the film’s directors said in a joint Instagram message that they are “saddened and shocked” to know audiences won’t get to see the movie that also starred Michael Keaton as Batman; J.K. Simmons as Barbara’s father, Commissioner Gordon; and Brendan Fraser as villainous Firefly.
“We still can’t believe it,” their message read. “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. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.”
The directors also heralded Grace for playing her character “with so much passion, dedication and humanity.”
This decision to shelve Batgirl follows a change of corporate ownership for the studio. CEO David Zazlav is seeking $3 billion in cost savings and opted for a tax write down on the movie as he prioritizes theatrical releases over streaming ones, sources previously told The Hollywood Reporter.
Company leadership also had concerns about whether Batgirl would live up to the level of spectacle of other DC films, according to insiders.
In a statement Tuesday, Warner Bros. praised Grace’s lead performance and attributed the move to “our leadership’s strategic shift” regarding its DC properties and HBO Max. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance,” the message read. The company also said it is “incredibly grateful” to Batgirl’s filmmaking team.
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