According to The Associated Press and Variety, the film – starring “In the Heights” actress Leslie Grace as the title character and Michael Keaton as Batman – originally had been set to premiere this year on streaming service HBO Max. But the studio determined that the superhero flick, which was in post-production, did not warrant a streaming or theatrical release on its platforms, the news outlets reported.
“The decision to not release ‘Batgirl’ reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said Wednesday of the move, which comes in the wake of WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery Inc.
The spokesperson went on to call Grace, 27, “an incredibly talented actor, and this decision is not a reflection of her performance,” the AP and CNN reported.
On Wednesday night, Grace took to Instagram to react to the news, saying she was “proud of the love, hard work and intention” of the cast and crew.
“I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process!” she wrote alongside photos and videos captured during filming. “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!’ #Batgirl for life!”
“As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves,” read the statement. “Maybe one day they will insha’Allah.”
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years Here are some photos of singer, songwriter and actress Leslie Grace through the years. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2013: Singer Leslie Grace poses in the press room at the 14th annual Latin Grammy Awards held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on November 21, 2013, in Las Vegas. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2014: Leslie Grace attends the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Bank United Center on April 24, 2014, in Miami. (Larry Marano/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2015: Recording artist Leslie Grace attends the 16th Latin Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on November 19, 2015, in Las Vegas. (David Becker/Getty Images for LARAS)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2016: Singer Leslie Grace attends The 17th annual Latin Grammy Awards at T-Mobile Arena on November 17, 2016, in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2017: Leslie Grace attends the Univision's "Premios Juventud" 2017 Celebrates the Hottest Musical Artists and Young Latinos Change-Makers at Watsco Center on July 6, 2017, in Coral Gables, Florida. (Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Univision)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2018: Leslie Grace attends the 2018 Latin American Music Awards at Dolby Theatre on October 25, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2019: Recording artist Leslie Grace attends the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "Miss Bala" at Regal LA Live Stadium 14 on January 30, 2019, in Los Angeles. (JC Olivera/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2020: Leslie Grace performs onstage during the 21st annual Latin Grammy Awards at American Airlines Arena on November 19, 2020, in Miami. (Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for the Latin Recording Academy)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2021: Singer Leslie Grace attends the 2021 Met Gala Celebrating In America: A Lexicon of Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021, in New York City. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
Photos: Leslie Grace through the years 2022: Actor Leslie Grace on the set of the "Batgirl" movie on January 13, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)