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Batgirl Drama Update: Funeral Screenings & Its Trans Star Speaks Out
Just release the movie already.
Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that rather than release its almost-finished Batgirl film, it was to be shelved indefinitely. The news came as a huge shock, both to the cast and crew, which included Leslie Grace who starred as Barbara Gordon, aka the titular Batgirl, and trans actor Ivory Aquino who was set to make history as Alysia Yeoh, Gordon’s trans bestie.
The reason for the cancellation? Reportedly, WBD CEO David Zaslav was not confident about its chances of success. So, instead of releasing it, the movie was killed as a tax write-off. Fans had a lot of feelings about the decision, but the studio remained unmoved.
Now Deadline has reported that some people will finally get their eyes on the film. Screenings of Batgirlare being held on the Warner Bros. studio lot so that the cast and crew who worked on the film, along with reps and studio execs, can get a chance to see it in what are being called funeral screenings. They’ve been given that moniker because following the screenings the footage will be permanently destroyed.
This news prompted Aquino to speak out with an emotional open letter on Twitter aimed at Zaslav. The actor made a plea for the executive to not cancel the film’s release, citing what it meant to everyone who took part in making it and rightfully pointing out that after everything that’s happened, the film hardly needs a marketing budget anymore.
\u201cmovie, I ask that this measure be reconsidered. \n\nAs much as I\u2019ve tried my best to be strong these past few weeks, I\u2019d find myself crying, for lack of a better term, from grief, and tonight was one of those nights. As much as Batgirl has been labeled a woke film, it simply came\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
\u201caround the world, grown and not-so-grown, who hold their fathers in the highest esteem and who could see Batgirl as a story of that special bond.\n\nI\u2019ve found myself not being able to talk about this ordeal with anyone. I realized that no one, apart from those involved with the\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
\u201cendeavor. Leslie checked in on me the day we found out of the shelving and only had words of comfort and support. I\u2019ve dared not ask since if she\u2019s spent nights holding back tears like I have because she has had to be the face of our Batgirl family and has had to put on a brave\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
\u201cis like one large cog atop increasingly smaller cogs underneath. One seemingly small movement by this large cog may seem relatively tiny, but for those little cogs at the bottom, they can be spinning ten-fold and the effects can be seismic.\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
\u201cproduct of our hearts and souls, that the little cogs not simply be seen as widgets whose fates are determined by an equation to benefit the bottom line. More than widgets, we are fellow human beings and artists who, when given the chance, can outperform the equation and multiply\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
\u201cfrom Glasgow where we filmed and from all over the world. Now, more people know about our labor of love and are eager to see the movie. I do hope you get to read this letter. Consider releasing Batgirl. She\u2019s always been an underdog and has nowhere to go but up.\u201d— Ivory Aquino (@Ivory Aquino) 1661412792
She has a great point. Curiosity about the film is at an all-time high right now, so dropping Batgirl on HBO Max, even for a short time, would doubtlessly draw interest and a ton of eyes to the film — as if the return of Michael Keaton as Batman and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon wasn’t enough.
While it feels like a long shot, here’s hoping Zaslav will hear her out.
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Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
Rachel Shatto, Editor in Chief of PRIDE.com, is an SF Bay Area-based writer, podcaster, and former editor of Curve magazine, where she honed her passion for writing about social justice and sex (and their frequent intersection). Her work has appeared on Dread Central, Elite Daily, Tecca, and Joystiq. She's a GALECA member and she podcasts regularly about horror on the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network. She can’t live without cats, vintage style, video games, drag queens, or the Oxford comma.
