‘Batgirl’ star filled with ‘grief,’ pleads for studio to release scrapped film

Brendan Fraser is learning a lot from the cancellation of “Batgirl”.

Michaela Zee editor When Xolo Maridueña first stepped into the Blue Beetle suit, there were “a lot of nerves and exhilaration” that came with embodying the DC superhero. “Excited is not the first word that comes to my brain,” Maridueña told Variety at the Season 5 red carpet premiere of “Cobra Kai” on Wednesday night. “It is nervous excitement, it’s antsiness. It’s the anticipation of knowing that you’re on the brink of something potentially big, but it still feels really intimate because you’re just with the cast and the crew.” The 21-year-old actor will be portraying the lead role of Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in DC’s first adaptation of a comic led by a Latino superhero. “I can’t wait for people to see one of the — if not the first — Latino-led superhero movies ever,” he continued.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The blowback Warner Bros. Discovery received over its cancellation of “Batgirl” was “blown out of proportion,” according to CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels. Last month came word that “Batgirl,” the $90 million Warner Bros./DC movie starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, would not be released theatrically, on HBO Max, or anywhere else. WBD, formed formed earlier this year by Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia, determined that taking a tax write-off for “Batgirl” made more financial sense than releasing it commercially. “To me, you know, it’s blown out of proportion a little bit, in terms of the attention externally,” said Wiedenfels, speaking Thursday at the Bank of America Securities Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference, regarding the “Batgirl” decision. “The focus is, on a go-forward basis here, we’re spending more than ever in the history of the two legacy companies on content. We’re continuing to make significant investments — [but] we’ll make them differently.”

Dan Lin is not going to take the DC job, after all. Back to the drawing board for David Zaslav and Warner Bros Discovery.

actress Ivory Aquino isn't giving up on the DC Comics hero. Following a  article that revealed Warner Bros.

In the course of 12 tweets, Batgirl actress Ivory Aquino, who plays Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s roommate and the first major trans character in the axed HBO Max DC film, expressed her grief to Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav over the studio’s cancelation of the film, and pleased with him to “Consider releasing Batgirl“.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Batgirl” actor Ivory Aquino is speaking out about Warner Bros.’ decision to indefinitely shelve the DC film. In an emotional letter addressed to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslov, Aquino — who played the best friend of Barbara Gordon (a.k.a. Batgirl) — pleaded for the studio executive to rethink the alleged plan to permanently destroy the movie’s footage. “As one of many who poured our hearts into the making of this movie, I ask that this measure be reconsidered,” Aquino wrote Wednesday night on Twitter. “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.”

“Batgirl” actress Ivory Aquino is hoping Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav might reconsider his decision to scrap the superhero film, considering the outpouring of support for the movie since its demise this month.

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Warner Bros. is making a slew of release date changes next year. First of all, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom needs more time in post, so it’s moving from March 17, 2023 to Dec. 25, 2023.

Batgirl directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have claimed they can no longer access footage from the film.Earlier this month, it was revealed Warner Bros. Discovery had shelved the film after it was originally due to be released on HBO Max.“The guys from Warners told us it was not a talent problem from our part or the actress, or even the quality of the movie,” El Arbi told SKRIPT. “They told us it was a strategic change.

Ethan Shanfeld Earlier this month, Warner Bros. Discovery kicked off a wave of cancellations and cost-cutting measures by scrapping DC’s $90 million “Batgirl” movie starring Leslie Grace, which was already in post-production. In a new interview with French outlet Skript, “Batgirl” co-directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah revealed that the studio blocked their access to footage after axing the film. “Adil called and told me, ‘Go ahead. Shoot everything on your mobile,'” Fallah said. “I went on the server … Everything was gone.” El Arbi added: “We were like, ‘Fucking shit!’ All the scenes with Batman in them!”

Weeks after the HBO Max DC movie Batgirl was canceled by the David Zaslav run Warner Bros. Discovery, the pic’s directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah said in an interview with French outlet Skript that the studio promptly prevented them from accessing the pic’s footage after unplugging the movie during post.

SKRIPT YouTube channel in an interview that they don’t have any footage from “Batgirl,” claiming the studio blocked their access to the production servers after it was shelved.“We have nothing! Adil called me and said, ‘Go ahead shoot some things on your cellphone.’ I went on the server and everything was blocked,” Fallah, 36, said. “We were like, ‘F—king s—t!’,” said El Arbi, 34. “’All the scenes with Batman in them! S—t!’”The Post has reached out to Warner Bros.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is going all in on The Batman director Matt Reeves and his 6th & Idaho production company. He has become the first filmmaker given an overall first look film deal since Warner Bros Pictures Group Co-Chairs/CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy were hired by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav to steer the film division. In addition, Reeves has re-upped with the Warner Bros. Television Group and Chairman Channing Dungey, where he is also working on The Batman spinoff series The Penguin with Colin Farrell.

Selome Hailu HBO Max has canceled upcoming animated feature film “Driftwood,” Variety has learned. From Cartoon Network Studios, the film was greenlit just three months ago.The family adventure movie is one of many titles being lost at the streamer — just last week, nearly 40 series and films were removed from the platform, such as “Little Ellen,” which had 20 completed episodes that were yet to be released.

David Zaslav, president and chief executive officer of the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery, has high hopes for “House of the Dragon,” and touted the series in an email to staffers Friday.In his message to the team, obtained by TheWrap, Zaslav praised HBO boss Casey Bloys, and the premium cable network’s team that are behind “HOTD,” which premieres this Sunday night on HBO.“[They] have shepherded what looks to be the next big cultural moment,” Zaslav wrote.

There’s been a lot of drama surrounding Warner Bros. Discovery over the past few weeks, with the new CEO, David Zaslav, cutting jobs and costs, including shelving two films that were in post-production (“Batgirl” and “Scoob! Haunted Holiday”).

Batgirl star Leslie Grace has paid tribute to a wee boy she met while filming in Glasgow after he lost his battle with cancer. The actress had formed a bond with Finlay Mckechnie, four, when he arrived on set dressed as his favourite superhero, Batman.

report by Variety, after The Post broke the news that they’re pulling the plug on her starring role last week. Ideas allegedly include having Grace play the role of the teenage vigilante Barbara Gordon in a future DC Comics project, or “at least” offer her starring role in another Warner Bros. production.The Post has reached out to Warner Bros.

After the nearly complete, $90-million “Batgirl” movie was cancelled by Warner Bros. Discovery, fans are wondering what other HBO Max content might be on the chopping block.