Thursday 4 August 2022 05:10 PM Zoe Saldana SLAMS Warner Bros. for canning $90M Batgirl movie trends now

Marvel star Zoe Saldana has blasted Warner Brothers for canning their $90M Batgirl movie as she came out in support of the film's star Leslie Grace.  

An incredulous Saldana, 44, aired her grievances with the studio in a post shared to her Instagram Stories Thursday morning.  

'Not fair... Truly atrocious act from a studio. For what? For a tax break?!' the actress posted in bold font.

She also re-posted an Instagram Story from The Hollywood Reporter quoting a social media post Leslie shared addressing the canning on Wednesday. 

'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!' Grace said. 

The decision to axe Batgirl — which was slated to be released on HBO Max later this year — came after a series of test screenings were panned by audiences, and studio execs thought it would hurt the future of the brand as they seek to streamline the DC Extended Universe.

Grace spoke out for the first time after the axing and shared behind-the-scenes pictures and footage from the film's production on Thursday.  

Writing on Instagram following criticism of the sudden canceling from directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah on Wednesday, the actress said she was proud of the movie executives deemed 'awful' following test screenings.   

'Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie 'Batgirl,' I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over seven months in Scotland,' Grace wrote.

'I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! 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!'''

As she stood by the movie, Grace - who was set to star in the lead role as Batgirl - shared videos and pictures of the production, including several photos of herself in the Batgirl costume and of the crew having fun.

One of the photos shows Grace posing in the purple superhero attire, complete with a black cape, flowing red hair and the Batgirl cowl over her face. 

Another photo shows off Grace in blood and bruise makeup, relaxing inside a tent while wearing the costume. The actress was also wearing a large jacket and winter cap over the outfit. 

Along with a photo of her unmasked, bloodied and bruised, Grace also shared what appears to be a picture from the film set of her and another actor running near a large fire. 

Grace also posted a video of her and her co-stars singing along to Nelly Furtado's Promiscuous inside a tent as they laughed. 

At one point in the video, Grace jokes that Babs, the Batgirl character, can twerk as she dances to the song with her fellow actors before sharing a hug. 

Another video Grace shared shows her in a dressing room removing her microphone and adjusting her costume's pants as she sings Whitney Houston's I Will Always Love You. 

Grace's defense of the movie came just hours after the directors voiced their disbelief that the movie had been canned, saying they wished Batgirl could have been shown to fans across the world. 

But God willing 'inshAllah' it will be one day, Arbi and Fallahsaid said. 

El Arbi and Fallah, who also directed Bad Boys For Life and Disney+'s Ms Marvel, wrote in a statement on Instagram: 'We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can't believe it. 

'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. 

'Maybe one day they will insha'Allah.'

The directors continued: 'Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. 

'It was a dream to work with such fantastic actors like Michael Keaton, JK Simmons, Brendan Fraser, Jacob Scipio, Corey Johnson, Rebecca Front, and especially the great Leslie Grace, who portrayed Batgirl with so much passion, dedications and humanity. 

'In any case as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honor to have been a part of the DCEU even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl For Life.'  

Batgirl was first given the greenlight in 2021 as part of a company-wide effort to create feature films specifically for HBO Max.

It would have featured Grace in the titular role as she battled Brendan Fraser's Firefly who turned to a life of crime after he is fired from his job, loses his health insurance and could no longer care for his sick wife.

Warner Bros spokesperson said on Tuesday: 'The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership's strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max.

'Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future.'

Filmmakers were told the decision came down to a 'purchase accounting' maneuver available to Warner

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