“Batgirl” will remain shrouded in darkness.
Warner Bros. Discovery has iced the feature film following a change in ownership. The movie, which starred Leslie Grace (“In the Heights”) as the titular Barbara Gordon, was cancelled as part of cost-cutting measures by CEO David Zazlav, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Grace shared her reaction to the news in a post on Instagram, writing, “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 7 months in Scotland.”
“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” she added. “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! 🦇”
Zoe Saldana was very upset with the news. The “Guardians of the Galaxy” star expressed her frustration with the studio’s decision to shelve the film on her Instagram Story.
‘Not fair,” Saldana wrote. “Truly atrocious act from a studio. For what? For a tax break?!”
Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah also reacted to the news in a statement published to Instagram on Wednseday.
“We are saddened and shocked by the news,” the directing duo 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. Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.”
READ MORE: ‘Batgirl’ Casts Ivory Aquino To Play First Trans Character In A DC Movie
Adil and Bilall were in Morocco celebrating Adil’s wedding when they learned of the film’s cancellation, according to Deadline. They had expected to finish up the project after returning to the U.S.
“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. It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front and, 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 honour to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life.”
READ MORE: Leslie Grace Teases First Look At ‘Batgirl’ Costume
The new “Batgirl” movie would have welcomed back Keaton (“Batman”, “Batman Returns”) as the caped crusader. Keaton will still reprise the role in 2023’s “The Flash”.
“The decision to not release ‘Batgirl’ reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” said a Warner Bros. spokesperson in a statement published by THR. “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.
“We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of ‘Batgirl’ and ‘Scoob! Holiday Haunt’ and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.”