Is Warner Brothers/Discovery going to discover that there are consequences to shelving projects that dozens and dozens of people worked on for months, even years just to save not even that much money? Probably not. In these times, it’s hard to be an optimist, but people involved are speaking out.
In Batgirl, which the studio shelved after it was already made, Aquino plays Alysia Yeoh, Barbara Gordon’s trans roommate. The character was introduced in the “Batgirl” comics in 2011, and the film marked the first time a trans character would appear in a DC film. Earlier this week, there were reports of secret Batgirl screenings on the Warner Brothers studio lot. A source told The Hollywood Reporter that the film would be locked in a vault after these “funeral screenings.” In an open letter shared on her personal Twitter account addressed to Discovery head David Zaslav, Aquino asked for the film to see the light of day.
“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. As much as Batgirl has been labeled a woke film, it simply came together that way because of writing that reflects the world we live in.” Aquino wrote. “I’ve found myself not being able to talk about this ordeal with anyone. I realized that no one, apart from those involved with the film, would truly understand what we’re feeling. And talking about it with my castmates, I feel, might be akin to rubbing salt on a still-open wound,” she continued.
Aquino shared that the film, which was a father-daughter story, was important to her because her father passed away shortly before she was cast in the film. She also thanked the cast and crew of Batgirl, including it star Leslie Grace, and closed the letter with a more direct message to Zaslav. “I do hope you get to read this letter. Consider releasing Batgirl. She’s always been an underdog and has nowhere to go but up.”
