Batgirl Drama Update: Funeral Screenings & Its Trans Star Speaks Out

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 Batgirl are 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.

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.

RELATED | Christine and the Queens Singer Shares His New Name & Pronouns