Actress Ivory Aquino Appeals Cancellation Of 'Batgirl' In Touching Letter

Since the shocking cancellation of the unreleased American superhero movie "Batgirl" earlier this month, fans, cast, and crew members have been deeply saddened, leading several to voice their thoughts about the turn of events.

Ivory Aquino is one of those genuinely bothered about the termination as she recently penned a letter of appeal to the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), David Zaslav, pleading that "the measure be reconsidered." It is worth knowing that Aquino was set to star as Alysia Yeoh, a bartender and the best friend of lead character Barbara Gordon, a.k.a, Batgirl, played by actress Leslie Grace.

The Filipina-American actress naturally shared screenshots of her detailed letter on Instagram, adding a caption that showed she had just read an article from Hollywood Reporter, leading her to feel inclined to write to Zaslav. "Dear Mr. Zaslav," her letter began, "I just read an article about supposed 'funeral screenings' of Batgirl and the possibility afterward that the film footage would be destroyed."

She continued, "If this is the case, as one of many who poured our hearts into the making of this movie, I ask that this measure be reconsidered." As much as Aquino had tried her best to be strong over the past weeks, she admitted to finding herself weeping from "grief" due to her love for and the loss of "Batgirl."

She noted that although the production was labeled a "woke film," it came together that way given that the writing reflected the "world we live in." The "When We Rise" star saw the creation as a "father-daughter story" that she could relate to as her dad died a year ago, not long before she got involved in "Batgirl."

She also hoped it would "resonate with other children around the world, grown and not-so grown, who hold their fathers in high esteem and could see Batgirl as a story of that special bond." Aquino has not been able to talk about the film's cancellation with anyone, even her castmates and the crew members who would genuinely understand, as she believed the wound was still too fresh.

Her heart went out to them, particularly Leslie Grace, who comforted her after hearing the sad news and "has had to put on a brave face as a way of taking care of us the way she gracefully steered our film." She further credited a friend for inspiring her to pen the emotional letter leading to her concluding appeal for the release of "Batgirl" and noting that the character has always been an "underdog" with nowhere to go but up.

Following the cancellation of the DC film, The Blast reported that another of its stars, the lead character herself, broke her silence with a public message expressing pride for being part of such a fantastic project. Grace shared:

"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 7 months in Scotland."

She felt blessed to have worked among "absolute greats and forge relationships for a lifetime in the process." In addition, she appreciated every fan of the movie for their "love and belief," allowing her to be a hero.   

Amid preparation for "Batgirl" production, The Blast revealed last October that the team had to go through a long list of female characters, taking a while, before settling on Grace.

The movie star was reported to have had a remarkable audition, leaving the directors, Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, enthralled with her perfect portrayal of the character's combined natural feminine behaviors and the necessary fierceness a vigilante should have.

When asked about selecting the "In The Heights" star for the role, Arbi praised her talent, saying, "There was something that hit a nerve, and [we] felt like we were actually watching Barbara Gordon."

Upon hearing the news about landing the role, Grace was beyond excited and could not believe the update. She also sent a note of thanks to DC for welcoming her to the family.

While competing for the lead role in "Batgirl" was reportedly pretty serious, the chosen lead actress was able to dominate over other performers like Zoey Deutsch, Isabella Merced, and Haley Lu Richardson.