Actress Ivory Aquino Gets Emotional About 'Batgirl' Cancellation: 'I've Tried My Best to Be Strong'

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Ivory Aquinomade a public plea forBatgirlto be released after Warner Bros. Discovery abruptlycanceled the already-filmed movieearlier this month.

“As one of many who poured our hearts into the making of this movie, I ask that this measure be reconsidered,” she wrote. “As much as I’ve tried my best to be strong these past few weeks, I’d find myself crying, for lack of a better term, from grief, and tonight was one of those nights.”

Aquino, who portrayed Batgirl’s (Leslie Grace) best friend Alysia Yeoh in the movie, continued, “As much asBatgirlhas been labeled a woke film, it simply came together that way because of writing that reflects the world we live in.”

The actress said she has been unable to open up about the “ordeal” since the film’s cancellation, adding, “Talking about it with my castmates, I feel, might be akin to rubbing salt on a still-open wound.”

“My heart goes out to Leslie Grace and our beloved directors [Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah] and entire crew and cast who spent months dedicating their all to this endeavor,” she shared.

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“Now, more people know about our labor of love and are eager to see the movie,” she wrote. “Consider releasingBatgirl. She’s always been an underdog and has nowhere to go but up.”

Earlier this month, news broke that Warner Bros. Discoverycanceled plans to release two major moviesthat were deep into production:Batgirland the animated sequelScoob! Holiday Haunt. The superhero movie reportedly already cost an estimated $90 million, but the studio no longer will release the film on streaming or in theaters.

In a statement, a Warner Bros. Pictures spokesperson said, “The decision to not releaseBatgirlreflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.”

The filmmakers, who also directed 2020’sBad Boys for Life,spoke outin astatementshared on Instagram following the shelving of the film.

Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah.Alexander Tamargo/Getty

“Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life,” the directors added. They called it “a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU, even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life.”

Grace, 27, alsoopened upabout the film’s cancellation in anInstagram post.

“Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movieBatgirl, 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,” she shared.

“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” she continued. “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!’ "

source: people.com