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‘Batgirl’ movie axed by Warner Bros., shocking film industry

NEW YORK — Warner Bros. has decided not to release its $90 million “Batgirl” movie, stunning the film industry and DC Comics fans.

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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!”

Meanwhile, “Batgirl” directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah wrote in an Instagram post that they were “saddened and shocked by the news.”

“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.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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