After Jenna Ortega starred in one of the biggest 2024 movies, she can’t stop, won’t stop finding work with some major talent. Word is she’ll work next with Oscar winner Natalie Portman in a movie called The Gallerist, and whoa, did the premise make me do a double take.

The Gallerist will apparently follow an owner of an art gallery who attempts to make her next big sale a dead man at the renowned Art Basel Miami art show in a fit of desperation. While no further details about the plot was disclosed in the Deadline report, it would see Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega leading the same movie. Oh, and it would be the first feature directed by Cathy Yan since Birds Of Prey.

While it’s tough to tell whether The Gallerist would be a black comedy, thriller or straight up horror movie (as Ortega often gravitates to with her work), the pair of these talents together seems worth dying over… a fictional guy who becomes a piece of art, that is. I could see a movie like delving into the problems that come with commodifying things, or satirizing the lengths one could go to for art.

Between the two, I picture Natalie Portman being the gallerist, and goodness knows we’ve seen her play desperate with Black Swan. The movie’s script has been written by Cathy Yan and newcomer James Pedersen. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been so excited about Yan’s next project since her very underrated DC movie, plus she directed a particularly excellent episode of Succession in 2021. Natalie Portman would also be producing the movie with a few notable producers, many of which worked together on the 2021 Matt Damon flick Stillwater.

The Gallerist could join a slew of upcoming Jenna Ortega movies and TV shows from the star after the Beetlejuice sequel became one of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the year (so far). Ortega had the chance to work with all sorts of major talent for the Tim Burton flick, and Winona Ryder told us she was “the missing puzzle piece” the second movie needed to work.

Ortega has already filmed a movie with Paul Rudd called Death Of A Unicorn, as well as the Taikia Waititi adaptation of Klara And The Sun. She is currently filming the second season of Wednesday for Netflix. Natalie Portman was in one of the best movies of 2023 with May December, and led Apple TV+’s Lady Of The Lake earlier this year. Next, she’ll also be in the Guy Ritchie adventure film, Fountain Of Youth with John Krasinski and have a voice role in The Twits.

Here’s hoping The Gallerist does book these two powerhouse actresses, because I really need to see this wild premise play out.

Here is a little tidbit of information that is going to come as a surprise to just about no one, but some of the best action movies of all time have been directed by trailblazing female filmmakers who have proven that the genre isn’t reserved solely for their male counterparts. Over the years, Academy Award winners like Kathryn Bigelow have come in and released a few of the most transformative action flicks, like Point Break, that we’re still talking about 30-plus years later. But, she’s not alone…

In the past, we’ve talked about all the great horror movies from female directors, as well as pointed out some of the best superhero movies told from the female perspective, and so now feels like a great time to point out a dozen badass action movies by female directors and what makes each so great.

Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow)

Although Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action thriller, Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze wasn’t the biggest hit with audiences or critics upon its release (it opened just one week after her then-husband James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out), it has since earned a reputation as being one of the best action movies of the early 1990s, and perhaps of all time. 

The film centers around Reeves’ FBI Agent Johnny Utah, as he goes undercover to bring down Bodhi (Swayze), the leader of a group of surfers who fund their lifestyles by committing over-the-top bank heists while dressed up like former U.S. presidents. With thrilling heist scenes, daring skydiving sequences, and one of the all-time great movie villains, there’s a lot to love with this cult classic.

Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins)

A few years after leaving the production of Thor: The Dark World, Patty Jenkins took her talents to the DCEU with the 2017 smash hit, Wonder Woman, a movie that not only made the Monster director one of the most sought after names in Hollywood, but helped take the growing cinematic universe to the next level.

Wonder Woman is nothing short of a comic book movie masterpiece, with exquisite action set pieces (especially the epic “No Man’s Land” sequence), a rich and detailed story, and an outstanding performance by Gal Gadot, who first took on the role of Diana Prince one year earlier in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

The Old Guard (Gina Prince-Bythewood)

Director Gina Prince-Bythewood and her 2020 Netflix original, The Old Guard, made great strides in Hollywood, specifically when it came to the representation of the LGBTQ+ community in an action movie. This, combined with Prince-Bythewood’s unique take on the genre and the source material, created a hellacious and thrilling action spectacle that did a lot while never feeling overstuffed or unnecessary.

In case you aren’t familiar, The Old Guard centers on a group of centuries-old warriors who all have amazing regenerative healing abilities that allow them to essentially come back from the dead over and over again. After fighting together for nearly a millennium, the group finds themselves the target of a mysterious party, while at the same time taking in a new member to the family.

The Matrix (The Wachowskis)

The landscape of action movies was forever changed in 1999 when The Wachowskis released the groundbreaking and mind-bending box office smash hit, The Matrix. With the movie, and the directors’, blend of heavy philosophical questions about truth, freedom, and identity, it’s easy to see why it’s still held in such high regard more than 20 years after its release.

On the surface, The Matrix is about one man — Neo (Keanu Reeves) — saving humanity from being enslaved by machines and used as a power source, but the more you peel back at that onion’s layers you find all kinds of statements and questions that turn it into anything but a straight-forward, run-of-the-mill action flick.

Birds of Prey (Cathy Yan)

It is easy to feel bad for Cathy Yan’s female-centric comic book movie, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), considering the global theater market came crashing down just a few weeks following its February 2020 release, but don’t let this take anything away from the criminally outrageous and fun action movie it is. Plain and simple, this movie rocks!

In the aftermath of Harley Quinn’s (Margot Robbie) breakup with the Joker, the Suicide Squad member finds herself with a big old target on her head, as just about every big bad (and just about anyone she hurt over the years) comes looking for revenge, including Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). But, don’t count her out, as Harley has some friends of her own; some very badass friends with equally great backstories.

Tank Girl (Rachel Talalay)

If you are a fan of the Mad Max movies, the punk rock mentality, and a heavy dose of feminist themes, then Rachel Talalay’s 1995 sci-fi cult classic, Tank Girl, is worth checking out. This movie is absolutely and undeniably bonkers, but this is a good thing, a very good thing. Set in 2033 where most of the planet’s fresh water is controlled by an evil corporation, Rebecca Buck, a.k.a. Tank Girl (Lori Petty), rises to the occasion to save her friends and humanity in whole fell swoop.

There’s just so much to love here, including Petty’s take on the underdog comic book character, the insane action sequences, outstanding soundtrack, and those human-kangaroo hybrids (your eyes aren’t deceiving you). But overall, it’s a fun, silly movie that isn’t afraid to tackle some big topics.

Punisher: War Zone (Lexi Alexander)

Not to be confused with the Thomas Jane-led The Punisher that came out a few years earlier, Lexi Alexander’s 2008 bonkers and very R-rated comic book movie, Punisher: War Zone, is an absurdly fun and ridiculous movie. Is a great movie? No, not really. Is it a blast? You bet!

The movie centers on Frank Castle (Ray Stevenson) as he tries to fight off the legions of criminals, goons, and psychopaths hired by Jigsaw (Dominic West) to take down the Punisher after he left the crime boss hideously disfigured. But, don’t worry about the story, because the action sells the movie, especially the parkour scene where the Punisher makes a guy explode mid-flip.

Blue Steel (Kathryn Bigelow)

A little more than a year before Kathryn Bigelow released Point Break, the future Oscar winner came out with an equally as impressive crime action thriller called Blue Steel, which happens to be one of the best Jamie Lee Curtis movies. The drama in this one picks up after rookie cop Megan Turner (Curtis) puts an end to one criminal, but inadvertently kicks off another reign of terror when a psychopath (Ron Silver) picks up the dead man’s gun.

Though more toned down (in scope, not in violence) than the movie that would come out a year later, Blue Steel isn’t for the faint of heart. The great cat-and-mouse game between cop and criminal is brilliant throughout the movie and adds a great deal of tension.

Speed Racer (The Wachowskis)

Despite being a box office bomb and not being well received by critics, The Wachowskis’ 2008 adaptation of the classic Japanese manga and anime series, Speed Racer, is a dazzling display of cinematic greatness. Sure, an appreciation (or obsession) with the intellectual property helps in this regard, but it’s never too late to give it a second chance.

The movie looks and feels just like the old animated series and features multiple aspects, including those outrageously treacherous races with danger around every corner, the identity of Racer X (Matthew Fox), and so much corporate greed, that make you think you’re watching an HBO drama.

The Peacemaker (Mimi Leder)

Mimi Leder’s 1997 political action thriller, The Peacemaker (no, not the 2022 HBO Max show starring John Cena), is one of those movies that isn’t necessarily the best the genre has to offer, but is fun and engaging enough that you’ll be glad you watched it. When a train containing nuclear weapons vanishes after a wreck in Russia, nuclear specialist Dr. Julia Kelly (Nicole Kidman) and U.S. Army Ranger Thomas Devoe (George Clooney) attempt to find the missing weapons, which is easier said than done.

The pairing of Kidman and Clooney works really well throughout The Peacemaker and adds another level of drama and contention as the two characters, who are polar opposites, learn to work together. Bickering, banter, and plenty of explosions are found throughout.

Eternals (Chloé Zhao) 

Chloé Zhao became the second female filmmaker (the first being Kathryn Bigelow) to take home an Academy Award for Best Director with her 2020 sensation, Nomadland, and immediately followed it up with one of the most ambitious entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet. That movie, Eternals, introduced audiences to some of the MCU’s most interesting and powerful heroes thus far.

Although not everyone’s favorite Marvel movie, there’s a case for Eternals being the most beautiful entry in the saga over the years, and that’s mostly because of Zhao’s eye for great shots and insistence on shooting on location whenever possible. When Zhao said she was from the "Terrence Malick school of filmmaking," she really meant it with this one.

Aeon Flux (Karyn Kusama)

A little more than a decade-and-a-half before she directed the pilot episode of the popular drama series, Yellowjackets, Karyn Kusama helmed the 2005 live-action adaptation of the MTV animated series, Aeon Flux, with Charlize Theron taking on the role of the titular heroine. Set 400 years after a deadly pathogen wiped out most of life on Earth, the movie features some flashy action and multiple plot twists before Aeon Flux can fulfill her mission.

Aeon Flux didn’t fare all too well at the box office, with critics, or fans of the original series, but Theron’s take on the iconic ‘90s character is fun enough to make it a fun cinematic experience.

Hopefully this all sheds light on some of the more forgotten movies on this list as well as the female directors who brought the stories to the big screen. And, with so many female filmmakers at the helm of some of the upcoming 2022 movies, expect this list to get longer in time.

The DC Extended Universe has been steadily growing in momentum over the past few years, with director-driven projects that were well-received by audiences and critics alike. While the fandom is eagerly anticipating the upcoming release of Wonder Woman 1984, the most recent DCEU installment was Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), a wild ride through the title character's psyche. Birds of Prey's villain was Ewan McGregor's Black Mask, with the actor stealing the show with his mixture of privilege and psychosis. And now Yan has shut down a rumor involving the character's nude photographs.

Black Mask was a fascinating figure in Birds of Prey, as the character was the physical embodiment of misogyny and privilege. Ewan McGregor's characterization was equal parts unnerving and hilarious, and one popular rumor was that the movie originally had a character involving his nudes before ended up on the cutting room floor. But director Cathy Yan recently addressed this reports about the reported "dick pics" on social media, saying:

Well, there you have it. It looks like Birds of Prey was never going to include any plot line involving Black Mask's dick picks. And while she appreciates support of her film, this rumor never had any roots in reality.

Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey clarification comes to us from the filmmaker's personal Twitter page. She's been regularly using social media to directly communicate with the fans, including her support for the movie's early arrival in homes. But this time she used the platform to officially shut down a rumor about her DC debut, and the concept of a subplot revolving around Black Mask's dick pics.

Aside from being a fun action romp, Birds of Prey is also features a commentary about sexism, especially where Black Mask is involved. His dialogue paints a nauseating world view, which also served as fodder for jokes throughout the movie's 109-minute runtime. Meanwhile, the horrifying table dance scene in Black Mask's club shows how his fragility factors into his life as a Gotham kingpin.

A subplot about Black Mask's nudes seem like another way to hammer the character's misogyny and fragile ego, so it makes sense that this rumor got some steam. But Cathy Yan isn't holding her tongue, and wants to clear up any misconceptions about her vision for Birds of Prey. The movie never went full dick pic, despite any reports to the contrary.

Ewan McGregor's performance was so strong in Birds of Prey that its a shame we won't see him in the DCEU again. The character's fate was clear in the movie's ending, and there's no plausible way to bring him back for any possible sequel. Meanwhile, The Batman will bring more iconic villains to the shared universe for the first time.

The next installment in the DCEU is Wonder Woman 1984 on August 14th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The DC live-action universe has had an interesting run in theaters, and continues to surprise the moviegoing public. Following Zack Snyder's tenure as the architect of the DCEU, Warner Bros. has allowed directors to take more ownership over projects like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey. The latter blockbuster was directed by Cathy Yan, and was an R-rated romp through the Harley Quinn's twisted psyche. One highlight of the movie saw Harley breaking into the Gotham City Police Department with some non-lethal projectiles, although it looks like she could have had a NSFW weapon during that sequence.

Around halfway through Birds of Prey, Harley arrives at the GCPD in a trench coat to "report a crime." She promptly whips out a gun that shoots glitter and other objects at her enemies, as she attempts to find Cassie Caine before Black Mask's thugs. Cathy Yan recently opened up about that iconic sequence, and it turns out that writer Christina Hodson had some alternate weapons for Margot Robbie's character. Namely, a sex toy and a shady stuffed animal.

Cathy Yan recently spoke to Empire Magazine (via ScreenRant), revealing more information about Birds of Prey's development. This includes some of the scrapped ideas, including Harley's primary weapon during the GCPD confrontation. As Yan explained, Christina Hodson originally "wanted a giant double-ended dildo that (Harley) had to fend off." Another choice was "a big fluffy bear stuffed with drugs that she used as a pillow to fight with." Although ultimately, Yan and company had to use some restraint (despite the movie's tone and rating.)

This restraint seemingly worked out well for Birds of Prey, as Harley's scene in GCPD is definitely a fan-favorite sequence from the blockbuster. While Margot Robbie's femme fatale didn't get to wield a sex toy as a weapon, her glitter gun allowed for the sequence to be especially visually appealing. She also gets to set a man's beard on fire, which got a huge laugh in theaters when I saw the movie in theaters. As for the teddy bear with drugs... Harley got her fix in another way.

When it appeared Black Mask's men were going to shoot and kill Harley from within the police department, fate was on her side. She uses a huge sum of confiscated cocaine to shield herself from some bullets, which results in the drug flying, and Harley ingesting it. This gives her the extra kick she needs, as she lays some pain on the thugs and cements her relationship with Cassie Caine.

As a reminder, you can check out the latter half of that sequence below.

Clearly there were some really fun concepts being played with for Birds of Prey, with Cathy Yan creating a collaborative environment with writer Christina Hodson. Margot Robbie was also a producer on the project, and contributed heavily to its vision. We'll just have to see if a sequel happens, given the movie's somewhat disappointing box office performance.

Birds of Prey is available on video on demand now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The DC live-action universe is an ever changing place, with Warner Bros. planning the franchise's future based on the performance of each new release. The most recent addition to the DCEU is Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey, which expanded Gotham City and gave Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn a group of gal pals. The motley crew of femme fatales united against Ewan McGregor's Black Mask, who pivoted between being hilarious and terrifying. Although it turns out that Yan had to fight for the character's most disturbing sequence.

Around halfway through Birds of Prey, Roman Sionis / Black Mask's fragile ego truly takes center stage. After getting bad news in his club, Sionis hears a patron laughing at another table. Assuming she's mocking him, he publicly humiliates her, as she's forced to dance in her underwear or face certain death. It's an extremely uncomfortable scene that shows the true madness of Ewan McGregor's villain. Director Cathy Yan recently opened up about that scene, and how she had to fight to keep it in the theatrical cut. As she put it,

As a director, Cathy Yan had a clear vision for Birds of Prey. That includes the movie's uncomfortable club scene, which highlighted how misogynistic and psychotic the film's villain was. It's an effective piece of storytelling, and also helps Black Canary find her own moral compass throughout the course of blockbuster.

Cathy Yan's comments to THR help to peel back the curtain on Birds of Prey's journey to theaters. Yan shot the film aiming for a hard R rating, allowing Harley and the rest of the cast to be as foul mouthed and violent as the story called for. But there was some push back from the studio when it came to Black Mask's disturbing dance scene. But she won that battle, and that scene does mark a big shift for Black Canary.

As a reminder, you can check out the Birds of Prey scene in question below.

Poor Erica. She was just trying to enjoy a night at Roman Sionis' Gotham City club, and ended up being publicly stripped and mocked. While she made it out of the encounter alive, its definitely a hard scene to watch.

It should be interesting to see if Birds of Prey ends up getting a sequel. The movie isn't DC's strongest outing at the box office, although it was well received by critics. And since it arrived early via video on demand, perhaps the money was made up for Warner Bros. Cathy Yan and Margot Robbie both seem eager to continue the property, possibly bringing Poison Ivy to the DCEU in the process.

Birds of Prey is available via video on demand now, and will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on May 19th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The DC live-action universe is an ever changing place, with Warner Bros. constantly adjusting its plans based on how each new movie performs. The DCEU recently broke new ground with Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey, as a female-led R-rated romp through the title character's mind. The movie was a critical success, although it didn't make as much money as other installments in the DCEU. But Yan still has hopes for a future, and knows a fan favorite character she'd like to introduce.

Birds of Prey brought a ton of new characters to the DCEU, helping to populate Gotham City with some over the top femme fatales. Harley Quinn was given a group of female friends through the blockbuster, as she teamed up with the likes of Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Cassandra Cain. But there's another Batman rogue that Cathy Yan wants to bring in a potential sequel: Poison Ivy. As the filmmaker recently said:

Do you hear that? It's the sound of countless DC fans cheering. Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy have an iconic relationship in the comics, and it looks like Cathy Yan would love to see that dynamic played out through a Bids of Prey sequel. Let's just hope that becomes a reality sometime in the future.

Cathy Yan's comments to The Wrap are sure to make hardcore comic fans very happy. Harley Quinn first debuted in the beloved 90s classic Batman: The Animated Series. The character quickly became a fan favorite, and was brought into the comic books and video games. Her friendship with Poison Ivy began in that same cartoon, and was greatly expanded on the page.

This is no doubt why Cathy Yan chose Ivy as the character she'd most like to introduce in a possible Birds of Prey sequel. The first movie paired Margot Robbie's character with mostly heroes, so it would be exciting to see her with another villain on the second go around. And considering how complicated Ivy and Harley's dynamic in the comics is, there's a ton of narrative threads to pull from.

In addition to being friends, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn have also had a romantic connection in the Batman comics. Harley's sexuality was hinted at in the first Birds of Prey movie when referencing her past relationships, so that aspect of the character is already canon within the DCEU. All we need is the plant powered villain to make her debut.

Cathy Yan isn't the only Birds of Prey honcho hoping to see Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn's relationship played out onscreen. Margot Robbie herself expressed interest in bringing Ivy to the DCEU. Although whether that happens in Birds of Prey's sequel or a Gotham City Sirens movie remains to be seen.

Birds of Prey is currently available on video on demand now, and will hit DVD and Blu-ray on May 19th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

When Birds of Prey opened below expectations in its first weekend, the comic book flick starring Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was already being called a “flop." In comparison to the rest of DCEU’s slate, it does sit at the bottom in box office earnings. However, that’s without looking at the bigger picture. Birds of Prey made 2.4 times its budget back and, while it didn’t pull the monumental numbers of Joker or Avengers: Endgame, “flop” or “failure” are too strong of words.

Plus, the director behind Birds of Prey, Cathy Yan, had only made one small-budget indie film prior to bringing Harley Quinn and her femme fatales to the big screen. Birds of Prey is also R-rated, which limits the audience another movie like Wonder Woman had at its disposal at PG-13. So there’s a lot of factors to consider here, and Yan is offering her take on the initial headlines of the performance of her movie:

Birds of Prey was made on a production budget of $82 million – which is much lower than your typical DCEU title. So while its $201.8 million haul isn’t necessarily a very impressive box office number, it shouldn’t classify Birds of Prey as bottom of the barrel. As Cathy Yan told THR, it’s unfair to call a movie like Birds of Prey unmarketable or something an audience isn’t ready for based on these numbers.

Cathy Yan’s film is still a sizable win for a female filmmaker of color who had never been at the center of a high-profile comic book project like this before. When Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman broke box office records, she was a more established filmmaker with the Oscar-winning Monster under her belt, and she had a much more well-known hero at the center. Gal Gadot had been introduced in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which was a bigger hit as a set-up film than Suicide Squad was for Harley Quinn. And it came just ahead of the highly-anticipated Justice League, which arrived later that year.

Birds of Prey recently hit VOD early to follow in the footsteps of Universal’s quick decision to release its new movies The Hunt, Emma, Invisible Man and Trolls World Tour. Since then, Birds of Prey has been followed by Sonic the Hedgehog, Onward, Bad Boys For Life and others hitting digital platforms early.

You can check out Birds of Prey from the comfort of your home right now.

In between passing his time by finishing his long-awaited script for Mallrats 2, Kevin Smith is also winning at self-quarantining because he revisited Warner Bros’ kickass Birds of Prey last night when it made its way onto digital early. The Jay and Silent Bob Reboot filmmaker paid this awesome compliment to Birds of Prey’s Cathy Yan as he reached the final act:

The Roman Sionis fanbase is strong. Although Birds of Prey is clearly all about the badass girl gang made up of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary and Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya, wow, does Ewan McGregor steal the show with his eccentric villain. As Kevin Smith wrote on Twitter, Roman’s lines are just incredible.

The Clerks writer/director had a lot of nice things to say about Birds of Prey while watching it at home, and Cathy Yan took notice. Here’s what the Birds of Prey filmmaker said in response to Kevin Smith’s words:

She’s clearly flattered. Birds of Prey is Cathy Yan’s first major film after impressing with her 2018 feature debut, Dead Pigs, at Sundance. The movie may not have raked in as much cash as other films under the DC Comics umbrella, but it still managed to bring in $199 million worldwide against a $84 million production budget. It’s one of those rare releases that had audiences and critics agreeing, considering the movie has a 78% score on Rotten Tomatoes for both its critic and audience meter.

Birds of Prey’s time in theaters was cut short due to movie theaters shutting down last week due to COVID-19 concerns. The latest DC flick was on big screens for just under two months before Warner Bros decided to release it onto digital early. When Universal became the first studio to announce early digital dates for their recent movies such as The Invisible Man, The Hunt and Trolls, Cathy Yan took to Twitter to share her interest in Birds of Prey coming early as well… and thus, it happened.

It sounds like Kevin Smith was happy to return to the movie early. The filmmaker is such a huge fan of DC Comics that he actually named his one and only child Harley Quinn. So the fact that he’d approve a movie starring her that much is high praise for Cathy Yan.

Birds of Prey is certainly packed with memorable scenes for fans to jump on early and watch again, such as the viral hair tie sequence that Cathy Yan recently called a “big middle finger” to the expectations for female comic book characters to fit into a specific standard. And every one of Ewan McGregor’s f-bombs is gold. Birds of Prey can be purchased on digital now.

In the weeks since the release of Birds Of Prey And The Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn, a moment that lasts a grand total of one second has earned a lot of attention. It takes place during the big third act battle between the titular protagonists and the army controlled by Ewan McGregor's Black Mask, and is what amounts to a simple exchange between Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn and Jurnee Smollett-Bell's Black Canary. While the superpowered lounge singer is battling some goons, the psychopathic clown rolls up on her skates and hands her a hair tie.

It's a small thing, but there's a very good reason why it's garnered notice: it's a moment that purely originates from, to use a simple label, "the female perspective." It's the kind of thing that a male director isn't necessarily consider when filming an action scene (as evidenced by the many movies featuring heroines and/or villainesses with long hair flying in their faces), but it became incorporated into Birds of Prey courtesy of screenwriter Christina Hodson and director Cathy Yan – the latter recently calling it "a big middle finger" to what can be perceived as the standard.

Timed to the early digital release of Birds of Prey, which is happening due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Times had the opportunity to speak with Cathy Yan about the film, and the hair tie scene was among the subjects that came up in conversation. The filmmaker explained that the idea originated with Christina Hodson, but that she particularly loves how it exists in contrast to what we regularly see in action movies. Said the director,

There is a solid tradition of heroines in action movies sporting shorter haircuts, from Sigourney Weaver's Ripley in Aliens to Charlize Theron's Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road, but there is still something particularly special about the perspective offered by Cathy Yan with Birds of Prey.

What the director is recognizing is the fact that there is a certain expectation for sexiness when women are fighting, which can be delivered through the aesthetic of beautiful, flowing locks... but it's not exactly utilitarian. One doesn't have to think too hard to come up with a list of reasons why a woman would want to keep her hair up in a fight, from the fact that it might obscure her vision, to the fact that it might get yanked. And yet we see what Cathy Yan is describing all the time on the big screen.

It's a great moment in an awesome movie – and one that you can now watch from the comfort of your own home while practicing social distancing/in quarantine. Starting today, Birds of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn is available to purchase on online platforms.

It has obviously been a very eventful few days in the world news cycle. Concerns over COVID-19 have put people into self-quarantine, resulting in the entertainment industry coming to a screeching halt. Plenty of studios have pushed back their upcoming blockbusters from months to a year, while sets and theaters are being shut down indefinitely. But with audiences spending more time at home, Universal has opted to make its new releases available On Demand early. And now it looks like Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey is going to follow suit, and be available to watch from the comfort of your home.

The most recently installment in the DC Extended Universe was Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). While it was later renamed due to disappointing box office performance, Cathy Yan's blockbuster was a colorful look into Harley's mind, and introduced a group of femme fatales to Gotham City. Yan expressed her approval of the movie's early VOD release via social media, and now it's come to fruition.

This latest update is an exciting one for fans, announcing the early arrival of Birds of Prey from the big screen to your television. The female-centric superhero movie will officially be released on demand March 24th, in exactly one week from the time of writing. There wasn't an official date for when the movie was going to be available on demand, but it was moved up in response to COVID-19 concerns and fan interest.

The global health pandemic has resulted in a seismic change in daily life, with people encouraged to self-isolate and work from home if possible, in order to contain the spread of COVID-19. As such, families have relied more heavily on their TV and streaming services to provide entertainment as they're cooped up inside. This is why studios will release movies On Demand early. In addition to servicing the audience and allowing projects to be seen while theaters are closed, this is also an opportunity to make some profit.

Universal has made plans to release its most recent movies On Demand, starting with Trolls World Tour. The animated musical movie is being released for digital rental on its original release date. What's more, the studio is planning to follow suit with recent movies Emma, The Invisible Man, and The Hunt. When Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan saw this trend she posted the following message on social media:

Now it appears that Warner Bros. took Cathy Yan's approval seriously, as Birds of Prey will be available to rent digitally in just seven days. While the movie was a critical success, the R-rated romp failed to make as much money as its predecessors in the DCEU. But perhaps social distancing and self-quarantine will result in the movie making an unexpected profit. Only time will tell.

Birds of Prey will be available via Video on Demand on March 24th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to look ahead at the movies coming down the pipeline.

There’s nothing quite like a quotable villain. And who’d have guessed one of the most memorable in recent memory would be played by Ewan McGregor? The Obi-Wan Kenobi actor is best known for his gentleness in movies such as Moulin Rouge, Big Fish and Christopher Robin, but in Birds of Prey he completely stole the show as eccentric villian Black Mask.

And of course the internet has got to do its thing to immortalize and memeify Birds of Prey’s Roman Sionis. Someone even compiled the scenes in which the villians says “fuck” for a hilarious 15 seconds fans can’t help but relate to in the pit of their souls. The film’s director Cathy Yan has taken notice and is sharing the Black Mask love. Check it:

Anyone else just want to go rewatch Birds of Prey again now? Ewan McGregor’s role was a memorable one and his f-bombs sprinkled a bit more of personality into the R-rated DCEU movie. Although Birds of Prey is centered on being the first comic book film about a gang of female characters, McGregor gave this role his all and was the unexpected surprise fans couldn’t stop talking about as they left the theater.

Ewan got to play with a character who represents toxic masculinity and privilege and ended up improvising a ton of Black Mask’s best lines in Birds of Prey. Cathy Yan let McGregor run wild a bit with the role and the choices made were what we call a “chef’s kiss”. Cathy Yan isn’t just sharing f-bombs either, she also took to Twitter to highlight Black Mask’s uses of “ewws” too. Take a look:

Cathy Yan sounds like she’s proud of how Roman Sionis turned out and she’s loving the love fans are showing for the character. To end the takeover of the character on her feed, she also shared this gem featuring Ewan McGregor’s character saying phrases with every letter of the alphabet. Here it is:

I don’t know how Roman and Elmo would get along on Seasame Street, but I would pay to see that. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see Roman again in future movies considering his fate in Birds of Prey, but he didn’t hold back in the February release. The movie is close to $200 million in global box office earnings after almost five weeks in theaters. Although it wasn’t as massive of a success as other Warner Bros films, it was made on a budget under $100 million and faced a hefty R-rating.

Next, Ewan McGregor may have a voice role in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio movie alongside Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz and Ron Perlman, he’ll return as Obi-Wan in Disney+ planned series and play a famed fashion designer in Ryan Murphy’s Halston.

It's been a few weeks since Birds of Prey hit theaters, and helped to further expand the DC Extended Universe. Cathy Yan's wild R-rated blockbuster fleshed out the DCEU's version of Gotham City, introducing some exciting femme fatales to the shared universe. Yan took inspiration from DC comics and video games for the adaptation, but it turns out ABC's popular dating show The Bachelor also factored into Birds of Prey's development.

Birds of Prey's journey towards theaters began shortly after Suicide Squad hit theaters, and introduced Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn to moviegoing audiences. Robbie helped to hand pick Cathy Yan to direct the blockbuster, based off her unique vision. That vision actually included a hat top to The Bachelor, which is currently riding on its massively popular 24th season. The director recently explained this, saying:

Talk about a plot twist. While some of Cathy Yan's inspiration came across clear in Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), I'm not sure any of us expected The Bachelor to factor in. That's showbiz, kid.

Cathy Yan's comments come from a recent interview she did with The New Yorker, breaking down her journey from a relatively unknown filmmaker to blockbuster director. Birds of Prey marks her debut to wider audiences, and she had a unique way at approaching the work for her own superhero movie. Her sizzle reel for the movie didn't include action and pages from the comic book, but current events that might inspire the femme fatales of Gotham to seek their own emancipation-- including reality dating shows.

While not an overtly political movie, Birds of Prey contains plenty of plot points and lines of dialogue that comment on the disparity between the genders, and misogyny/ the patriarchy. The film's villain Roman Sionis/Black Mask is the physical representation of this. He's an embodiment of privilege, toxic masculinity, and fragility; any perceived slight results in Roman taking his revenge in violent ways.

Ahead of its release, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey (as it was rebranded) was hyped up to be something wholly unique for the superhero genre. The movie definitely brings something new to the table for the DCEU, as well as the genre as a whole. Unfortunately, it failed to over perform at the box office when compared to other blockbusters like Wonder Woman or Aquaman. We'll just have to see if a sequel ends up being green lit, as Birds of Prey's ending surely sets up a few possible spinoffs for its cast of femme fatales.

Birds of Prey is still in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sure, more moviegoers in February 2020 went out to see Sonic the Hedgehog speed laps around Jim Carrey than witness the Birds of Prey come together in Warner Bros.’ latest comic book flick, but that doesn’t mean Harley Quinn's movie wasn’t still awesome. The DC movie was packed with fantabulous fight sequences we can’t get enough of. And director Cathy Yan has just revealed one badass detail.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead totally knocked down Birds of Prey’s director of photography during one scene and it totally made it to the final cut. Remember the funhouse moment when her Huntress wrestles one of Black Mask’s men down while they’re sliding down a tunnel? The actress and the stunt double actually ran into the cameraman there. Check out Cathy Yan’s reveal on Twitter:

Bad. Ass. As the director illustrates, Matty Libatique got “destroyed” by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and the stuntman in the sequence during this memorable shot during Birds of Prey’s finale. When the shot goes black there, that’s not editing… his camera is actually colliding with the action.

Cathy Yan’s reveal comes after a fan pointed out the technical brilliance of the sequence. It sounds like the director of photography wasn’t afraid to really get in there and get a gritty shot – even if a bruise or two came from it. Matthew Libatique has also been the DP on Venom, A Star Is Born, Iron Man 2 and so forth.

When the Birds of Prey cast sat down with CinemaBlend during the press day in London, Jurnee Smollett-Bell called the sequence “inhumane," remembering how she was downing high ball energy drinks to get through the funhouse sequence. Mary Elizabeth Winstead said they trained for months for the scene but not with the sets built yet. When they showed up on set, she was sliding down a tunnel and jumping on tongues for the first time. Check out the full interview below:

Birds of Prey really pushed the limits of a comic book team-up film. Along with allowing Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn to narrate the story in her own wacky way, the movie included some awesome choreographed fight sequences from John Wick’s Chad Stahelski and his stunt team at 87eleven. Plus, it’s unabashadley R-rated.

The DC film has performed below expectations with a $33 million domestic opening at the start of February, but it has racked up $155 million worldwide so far. It’s neither a huge hit nor a flop. Recently, fans of the film took to social media to get the film trending and talk through reasons it should be supported more by moviegoers.

You can check out this crazy tunnel shot in Birds of Prey in theaters now.

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey has been in theaters for nearly a week now, and expanding the DCEU in the process. The Suicide Squad spinoff was a star vehicle for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, and gave her a group of Gotham City gal pals along the way. But the titular Birds of Prey were only able to take flight due to a common enemy: Ewan McGregor's Black Mask. McGregor was a serious scene stealer as Roman Sionis, and it turns out that many of his best lines were actually improvised by the actor.

The script for Birds of Prey was written by Bumblebee's Christina Hodson. It was a quirky and zany adventure through Harley Quinn's psyche, and each member of the cast got some raucous lines that helped the movie get its R-rating. But when it came to Black Mask's myriad hilarious one-liners, some of them came from Ewan McGregor himself. Director Cathy Yan recently appeared on our very own ReelBlend podcast, where she explained the actor's penchant for ad-libs, saying:

Well, it certainly sounds like the Birds of Prey set was a live one, and one that fosters creativity. As Cathy Yan explained, she is a proponent of collaboration on set, allowing her actors and crew members to take ownership over their roles. And once writer Christina Hodson loosened the reigns on the movie's script, magic could be made.

Ewan McGregor was a very strong aspect of Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, which helped to buoy the movie with laughs while also give the blockbuster some real stakes. He may be one of the strongest villains in the DCEU, which is a bit sad considering his fate at the end of the movie. But McGregor's performance shines, and from the sound of it that's because he truly understood the character and brought ideas to the table.

It should be interesting to see how Birds of Prey performs in its second weekend at the box office. While Cathy Yan's big feature debut debuted at #1 and has been steadily making money, the opening fell short of past DCEU installments. Warner Bros. recently rebranded the movie Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey, in hopes that it would help drive folks to audiences. Critical and audience reviews were also positive, which may inspired moviegoers to check it out.

Birds of Prey is out in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

After a shaky beginning, the DC Extended Universe seems to have come into its own. The shared universe has largely strayed away from crossover-heavy titles, instead allowing each new release to be made with a unique director's POV. The new retitled Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is certainly no exception, as Cathy Yan's vision is exactly what landed her the job. And now Yan has explained the origin of the film's viral hair tie moment from the R-rated movie.

The titular Birds of Prey assemble in the movie's third act, when Black Mask's forces descend on the various femme fatales who are currently threatening his takeover of Gotham City. During the epic funhouse final fight, Black Canary gets frustrated with her hair obscuring her vision in battle. That's when Harley skates over and gives her a hair tie, in a moment that quickly went viral for its hilarious realism. Director Cathy Yan recently revealed the origin of Birds of Prey's hair tie toss, saying:

It looks like Cathy Yan enjoys action movies like the rest of us. Although when she was in the audience, Yan and her sister often joke about the perfect hair of female characters during action sequences. That's why she decided to address that very plot hole in her own blockbuster, Birds of Prey.

Cathy Yan's comments to THR show how much the filmmaker put her own experience into Birds of Prey. Her big DC debut is notable for having women working across all departments. It was directed, written, and produced by women. This allowed for the female perspective to truly have a voice, and small moments like the hair tie exchange bring a sense of subtle reality to an otherwise heightened world.

You can check out the quick moment from Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey below.

Birds of Prey's big final battle was super satisfying, with dizzying action and laughs along the way. Each member of the team had a vastly different fighting style, which was highlighted when battling Black Mask's countless thugs. The women worked well together with limited resources, with moments of collaboration showing how well they truly worked together. And as a result, the Birds of Prey took flight for the first time.

Unfortunately, Birds of Prey had a disappointing opening weekend in theaters. While it got the #1 spot, it was the worst DCEU opener yet. Warner Bros. since changed the film's name to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, believing that a marketing error might have contributed to its ticket sales. We'll just have to see how much money the blockbuster makes, and if a sequel hapens.

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Birds of Prey arrived in theaters last weekend, helping to further grow the DC Extended Universe in the process. Cathy Yan's blockbuster is a raucous R-rated romp through Gotham City, and served as as spinoff for Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn following Suicide Squad. The iconic villainess faced off against Gotham's worst, making a group of female friends in the process. Birds of Prey had plenty of action, although Yan had to take a very specific approach when approaching the movie's fights, especially considering Harley doesn't actually have any superpowers.

Most comic book movies feature superpowered protagonists, like with DC's last few releases Shazam! and Aquaman. The action in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is more grounded, and the stakes feel high as Harley and company dodged bullets and fought Black Mask's henchmen. Cath Yan recently appeared on our very own ReelBlend podcast, where she opened up about approaching the action in Birds of Prey. As she put it,

While Harley Quinn might be an agent of chaos within the DCEU, Cathy Yan's approach to her action scenes were much more methodical. She had to think how Harley's frame and skills would factor into a combat situation, especially as she battled men who were physically larger than her.

Birds of Prey features an awesome cast of femme fatales, including Harley, The Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya. Each possessed their own unique fighting style, which were on full display during the movie's final battle. Huntress is precise and lethal, Canary is a high kicking street fighter, and Montoya is a more scrappy combatant. Then there's Ms. Quinzel, who uses her gymnastic abilities and lack of self preservation to throw herself into a variety of deadly positions.

Later in her appearance with ReelBlend, Cathy Yan further spoke about how the action sequences were approached in Birds of Prey. As she put it,

Harley Quinn and company might not have any superpowers (well, except for Black Canary's cry), but that doesn't mean they don't have a particular set of skills that will lend themselves to combat. Margot Robbie's character has crazy gymnastic abilities, as well as a genius level intellect-- despite being crazier than a soup sandwich. She's shown using these "powers" throughout Birds of Prey's runtime, taking on the likes of Black Mask, his thugs, and the GCPD. And she did so with style and self-narration.

Margot Robbie's signature DC villain will be kicking more ass in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, although we should expect her in a smaller role than Birds of Prey. But clearly Warner Bros. is invested in the character, and she'll be sticking around.

Birds of Prey is out now, and having a hard time at the box office. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

It’s no easy task for a director to take on a blockbuster. Big-budget projects often come with massive expectations from audiences, and there’s a lot of studio money on the line too. With 2020 in particular, there’s a ton of filmmaking talent taking on these kinds of projects for the very first time. Bad Boys for Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah kicked things off in a big way with the record-breaking success of their action film, and there’s plenty of blockbuster debuts to go.

Get to know the directors helming giant movies for the first time in 2020. You might want to remember some of these folks:

Cathy Yan - Birds of Prey

Release Date: February 7

Back in 2017, Warner Bros took a chance on Patty Jenkins and she made history. The Wonder Woman director was the first woman ever to be given a project as big as the DCEU film was, and it became a phenomenon. Cathy Yan is following in Jenkins’ footsteps with Birds of Prey coming this weekend. She helmed her first feature just two years ago after writing and directing three of her own shorts. A little while after the Chinese-spoken Dead Pigs premiered at Sundance to positive buzz, Yan had coffee with Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson, and it resulted in her becoming the movie's director.

Jeff Fowler - Sonic the Hedgehog

Release Date: February 14

Taking on the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie as your directorial debut takes some serious fortitude, and Jeff Fowler was the man for the job. Back in 2004, his animated short Gopher Broke was nominated for an Oscar, and he worked on the animation for 2009’s Where the Wild Things Are. Other than that, he kind of came out of nowhere. Following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog’s first trailer, the design of Sonic was met with viral backlash. Fowler listened to fans and redesigned the character's features, and it looks like this will benefit Sonic’s success.

Dave Wilson - Bloodshot

Release Date: March 13

Another first-time director who comes from the visual side of moviemaking is the director of Bloodshot, Dave Wilson. He has long been the supervisor and director of creating trailers for video games at Blur Studios, including Mass Effect 2, various Star Wars games and Bioshock Infinite. Wilson also worked on Avengers: Age of Ultron as well and directed an episode of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots last year. His first movie stars Vin Diesel and is based on Valiant Comics’ Bloodshot. The superhero is a biotech killing machine with a tragic backstory.

Josh Boone - The New Mutants

Release Date: April 3

Josh Boone is no stranger to a high-profile project. He directed the adaptation of the beloved teen romance novel The Fault in Our Stars back in 2014, which starred Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley. Made on a reported budget of just $12 million, the movie went on to make $307 million worldwide. That helped launch the two actors careers who are popular for their work in Baby Driver and Big Little Lies, respectively. His next project has had a troublesome time reaching the big screen since it was filmed two years ago, but it’s finally coming this spring. The New Mutants is a horror take on the X-Men property with the same name.

Cary Joji Fukunaga - No Time To Die

Release Date: April 10

Following 1917’s Sam Mendes' two-film stint in the James Bond franchise for 2012’s Skyfall and 2015’s Spectre, Daniel Craig’s final hurrah as 007 will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. This filmmaker has shown promise to helm a big-budget movie for a few years. He had built up his resume as the filmmaker behind the latest adaptation of Jane Erye, the first season of HBO’s True Detective and one of Netflix’s first award contenders, Beasts of No Nation. Fukunaga was also the mind behind the script for 2017’s IT and Netflix’s Maniac. It’ll be exciting to see how he closes out Craig’s tenure as Bond.

Cate Shortland - Black Widow

Release Date: May 1

Believe it or not, the first Marvel movie to be directed solely by a woman is this summer's Black Widow. Captain Marvel technically was the first female director hire with Anna Boden, but she shared the responsibility with Ryan Fleck. Cate Shortland is an Australian filmmaker who started making her own short films in the late ‘90s. Throughout the years, she’s made a few critically-acclaimed small movies, including Somersault, Lore and Berlin Syndrome, but there’s no question that Black Widow is her most high-profile work to date.

Tony Cervone - Scoob!

Release Date: May 15

Another highly-anticipated feature-length animated feature to get a first-time director is Scoob! The Scooby-Doo property has been rebooted again and again, but it’s been some time since moviegoers could enjoy Shaggy, Velma and the gang on the big screen. Following a couple live-action films in the early ‘00s, Scoob! will take the franchise back to animation with a 3-D look. Tony Cervone has spent his career directing and producing television programs starring Tom & Jerry, Daffy Duck and Scooby-Doo. We’ll have to see how he does with Scoob!

Nia DaCosta - Candyman

Release Date: June 12

The horror genre has been finding a successful resurgence in recent years, especially with the help of Jordan Peele’s genius. Following Us, the acclaimed filmmaker has written a “spiritual sequel” to 1992’s Candyman. However, he’s stepping back from directing duties. In turn, Nia DaCosta gets to helm her first major feature film this summer. Last year, she was the director of the underrated crime-drama Little Woods, starring Lily James and Tessa Thompson. The upcoming Candyman will follow the eponymous character returning to the Chicago neighborhood from the original, but now it’s gentrified.

Chloé Zhao - The Eternals

Release Date: November 6

Not one, but two out of two Marvel movies in 2020 will feature the work of first time big-budget directors. Chloé Zhao is a Chinese filmmaker who also started making short films before moving to small indie films in Songs My Brother Taught Me and The Rider. The latter film was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, including a nod for her directing. Now she takes on one of Marvel Studios’ most ambitious projects yet with The Eternals. The movie stars including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Kit Harrington and follows immortal heroes over thousands of years.

Paul Briggs And Dean Wellins - Raya And The Last Dragon

Release Date: November 25

Closing out the year, are first-time directors Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, who will direct Disney’s next animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon. The animated movie will follow a re-imagined Earth inhabited by an ancient world. A warrior called Raya is on a quest to find the last dragon. Crazy Rich Asians’ writer Adele Lim is behind the script, and it will star Awkwafina and Cassie Steele. Both first-time directors have been working for Disney in the art and animation department for two decades. Briggs started on Hercules as an in-between artist, and Wellins was on the Gargoyles video game before working on the studio’s modern animated films.

Do you have faith in these new directors? Sound off in the comments!

We are days away from this Academy Awards, where the movies we have been speaking about incessantly will finally be rewarded with an Oscar… or not. Could Joker pull of an upset? Will Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman go home empty handed? Can Quentin Tarantino make history? Or will the night belong to 1917?

Unafraid to put up or shut up, the ReelBlend boys made their official Oscars picks on this week’s episode, and came up with a friendly wager that could get painful for the loser. Last year, they bet burgers. Listen to find out what this year’s Oscar bet is going to be all about.

It’s not all about the Oscars this week. Warner Bros. has a huge movie opening in theaters in Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, which brings Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn back to the big screen for the first time since Suicide Squad. And Yan was nice enough to join us during the London press day for Birds, discussing her collaboration with Robbie and the joy of bringing a new team of crimefighters to the DC universe.

Give that interview a listen, and then stick around for Jake and Sean’s spoiler-free review of the film.

Timestamps

1:52 - Weekly Poll: Which is Margot Robbie's Best Role?

4:30 - Cathy Yan Interview

30:18 - Final Oscars Predictions & Wager

1:14:02 - Birds of Prey Review

1:18:18 - #Underrated70sBlend

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Harley Quinn is a wonderful character. It was clear when she first debuted razzing the Caped Crusader on Batman: The Animated Series in the 1990s; it’s continued to be clear as she’s created all varieties of chaos on the pages of DC Comics for decades; and it was even true when Margot Robbie first brought the character to life in David Ayers’ otherwise unfortunate Suicide Squad back in 2016. She’s not only a hell of a lot of fun to watch in action, but it’s obvious that all of the people expressing themselves through her personality and crafting her stories are having a ball as well.

This in mind, it should come as no surprise that Harley is the best part of Cathy Yan’s Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn). She’s a captivating presence whenever she is on screen, particularly because of her fantastic unpredictability, and the results are wild every time we see the world from her off-kilter perspective – be it a wildly colorful and sparkly police station invasion, or a musical sequence that springs from her mind while she is being tuned up by a foe. What’s more, the film is fully cognizant of what it has with her, and takes every opening to put her front and center.

Great as this is, there is a problem – and you may notice it recognizing that “Harley” and “Quinn” are words 10 and 11 of an expansive title that is front-loaded with the name one of one of DC Comics’ most popular teams. Spotlighted as Harley is, this isn’t a solo film, and the film is built to have her share the stage with four other heroines. The trouble is that this proves to be a complicated task to pull off narratively, resulting in a fair bit of messiness.

Much like Harley herself, the movie has a bit of an identity crisis (which will be partially exemplified in me referring to it as Birds of Prey going forward), and while it does manage to stick the landing, it’s also hard not to recognize its unevenness.

Written by Christina Hodson, our story begins with the titular emancipation of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie)… though it isn’t so much an “emancipation” as it is Harley being almost literally thrown to the curb by her longtime beau, The Joker. It’s not a relationship status change that she takes well, at first being publically in denial of the whole thing, but things go from bad to worse when she tells the entire city of Gotham that she is done with Mr. J by blowing up the chemical plant where she was transformed from psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel into a pale-skinned psychotic.

She realizes far too late that this is also a message to Gotham’s underworld that she is no longer under the protection of the Clown Prince of Crime, and suddenly everybody with a grudge starts to come out of the woodwork. The most significant threat in this regard is pernicious club owner and crime lord Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), who has a laundry list of grievances and has been waiting for his chance at revenge.

Just when things seem to be at their darkest, though, an opportunity presents itself when Harley learns that her enemy has lost track of a diamond that could be his key to total control of the city. As it turns out, the stone was nicked by a young pickpocket named Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), and the situation is further complicated by Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), a detective trying to build a case against Sionis; Dinah Lance a.k.a. Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), a singer at the Black Mask club who turns witness against her employer; and Helena Bertinelli a.k.a. Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), an assassin who has been going around murdering gangsters with a crossbow.

Is it a Harley Quinn movie, or a Birds Of Prey movie? Both... and neither.

In its mission to introduce audiences to a fantastic collection of characters never adapted for the big screen before, Birds of Prey is very successful, as the personalities are strong and engaging – the issue is really just about how they are layered into the story. The movie goes above and beyond telling us about the life of Harley Quinn when she is going about her daily existence, and everyone else simply subsists in her story and only have a handful of scenes separate from her to get across their respective deals.

It feels like the film faced a tricky decision during development – whether to tell a story solely from the perspective of Harley Quinn, or build team movie – and never came up with a firm answer. The result is a broken structure that shortchanges what should be key players. By the end of Birds Of Prey you’ll definitely think Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress is fantastic, but you’ll also find yourself wishing the blockbuster didn’t wait until the third act to solidify her place in the narrative.

It's Margot Robbie's playground, but everyone is having fun.

Of course, the positive spin on this is that the reason you want more is because you enjoy the taste you get, and that’s absolutely true in this case. Each of the film’s stars, no matter the total size of their part, makes the most of their moments, and leave a wonderful impression. Mixing together rage and a shaky confidence, Winstead’s Helena Bertinelli has a seriously weird energy, and with a back story featuring a mom who was a costumed vigilante, Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Dinah Lance brings some interesting drama to the table. Ewan McGregor is also clearly loving every minute of acting as malicious and vile – creating some of the movie’s most surprising, but welcomed humor – and he is joined in doing so by Chris Messina’s Victor Zsasz, who seems to love getting the order to commit violence as much as he loves actually executing said violence.

Great as everyone is, however, this is Margot Robbie’s movie, and she totally owns every frame. It was made clear in Suicide Squad that the Australian actress had a strong beat on the role, and here she gets to crank things up 10,000% (think Deadpool’s journey from X-Men Origins: Wolverine to his solo film). She demonstrates excellent comedic timing and physicality, and even creates real empathy examining her broken psyche and the struggle between her loneliness and her emotionally dependency.

Birds Of Prey is at its best when at its most colorful and sparkly.

Being more focused on character and tone, Birds of Prey doesn’t go as massive as your typical comic book adaptation, but it is still peppered with many memorable set pieces, and up-and-coming director Cathy Yan leaves a stylistic stamp. Never before have you seen so much color and sparkle in a DC Comics film, often paired with some fantastic fight choreography, and only further supplementing the high energy is a well-utilized soundtrack filled with sick beats and clever remixes. It’s strong work for a filmmaker’s first high-profile project.

DC Comics fans have been waiting years and years for a great Harley Quinn solo movie, and here they get it… albeit it’s packaged inside a more so-so Birds of Prey movie. It’s a mixed bag, with both its strengths and flaws showing clearly, but it’s definitely an enjoyable one.

Action films are deceptively hard to pull off. You have to find a way to incorporate intense sequences that feel both original and believable, within the context of the story. And what’s happening in the moments of explosive action have to match the tone of the rest of the film. Luckily, Birds of Prey’s team had some experts on hand to help make sure they accomplished all that and more.

In an exclusive interview with ReelBlend, Birds of Prey’s director Cathy Yan revealed that she had the John Wick series in mind when she began to plan the film’s action sequences. And she reached out to Chad Stahelski, the franchise’s director, to help her realize her vision:

Cathy Yan also worked closely with other members of the 87eleven team, both during initial production and in the reshoots that followed:

Birds of Prey’s director had nothing but praise for Chad Stahelski, who’s had a storied career in Hollywood -- first as a stunt double for actors like Keanu Reeves, and now as a successful director in his own right:

Ultimately, it seems as though the whole cast and crew of Birds of Prey were on board to take the action in the film to the limit. By all accounts, the actresses that make up Harley Quinn’s motley crew put their all into bringing the film’s most exciting sequences to life.

The collaboration at the heart of Birds of Prey’s action sequences paid off big time. The film has been praised for its no-holds-barred approach to Harley Quinn’s vengeance-fueled story. And if it becomes a hit, and spawns a franchise, Cathy Yan and the 87eleven team may end up working together more in the future. Birds of Prey opens in theaters Friday, February 7. Check out ReelBlend's interview with Cathy Yan when the podcast goes live Wednesday, February 5.

Mild SPOILER ahead for Birds of Prey.

Fans who’ve already seen Birds of Prey may have felt like they had a little bit of deja vu. Though the film can be seen more or less as a standalone apart from its predecessor, Suicide Squad, there is a moment early on in which Harley Quinn returns to a key location from the first film. And it turns out there was a reason it was familiar -- the footage was taken from David Ayer’s Suicide Squad.

At the beginning of Birds of Prey, we see Harley Quinn going into the chemicals at the ACE Chemical Plant. And it’s reminscent of a pivotal scene in Suicide Squad -- and with good reason. In an exclusive interview with the film’s director Cathy Yan, ReelBlend asked if she had shot the scene herself, or used footage from the original Suicide Squad film for that sequence:

That significance, of course, is that the ACE Chemicals Plant is the place at which Harley Quinn really gave herself over to the Joker in Suicide Squad. After asking her to pledge an oath of loyalty to him, Harley happily dove into a vat of chemicals -- which ended up changing the pigment of her skin -- before the Joker jumped in to fish her out. In this moment, Harley both literally and figuratively proved she had descended into madness. And as should be obvious by now, her loyalty and love for the Joker didn’t exactly end in a happily ever after.

Some fans initially questioned whether or not leaving the Joker out of the Suicide Squad follow-up was the right call. After all, he is still a crucial part of Harley Quinn’s origin story -- and fans are used to seeing them together. But both Cathy Yan and Margot Robbie made it clear that Birds of Prey didn’t need to bring the Joker back to tell an exciting story. So it makes sense that Cathy Yan would want to ground the audience in footage from the film in which that story took place. But it’s also in a way that cleverly avoids bringing him directly into the film, so the film can stay focused on her and her perspective.

Thus far, that seems to have been the right decision. Reviews for Birds of Prey have been mostly positive, and have praised the film for being a fun, action-packed story of empowerment and revenge. The movie officially opens this coming Friday, February 7. ReelBlend's interview with Cathy Yan goes live Wednesday, February 5. In the meantime, check out CinemaBlend's interviews with the cast right here:

Back in 2017, Patty Jenkins made Hollywood history when Wonder Woman became the first woman to make a $100 million-plus movie. The DCEU installment is not only a favorite among superhero fans, but it paved the way for more female-helmed projects. This year, the four major comic book movies hitting theaters are directed by women. It kicks off with Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey.

The upcoming return of Harley Quinn is only the second project Cathy Yan has directed – and certainly her first action-packed, high-profile movie. Yan recalls looking to Patty for advice with these words:

It couldn’t have been easy to take on the mantle of Birds of Prey without having any opportunity like it beforehand. Cathy Yan had only just found some positive buzz for her first full-length film Dead Pigs back in 2018 when Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson approached her about taking on the flick. She looked to Patty Jenkins for some inspiration.

It sounds like the Wonder Woman helmer gave Cathy Yan a confidence boost about leading the huge cast and crew of Birds of Prey. She told her to remember her role in the movie and not let other opinions get the best of process. Yan came in with a solid pitch and she saw it through from beginning to end.

Cathy Yan told Variety that she envisioned Birds of Prey mirroring her own personal growth into owning her identity as a major director. The movie follows Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn after breaking up with Jared Leto’s Joker. She finds her own strength without the Clown Prince of Crime holding her back and finds a group of badass women to join her, including Huntress, Black Canary, Cassandra Cain and Detective Renee Montoya.

Margot Robbie, who is also a producer on Birds of Prey recently explained why Cathy Yan was the perfect director for the job. Here’s what she said:

The director will also introduce a more “heightened” and “colorful” Gotham City seen through the eyes of Harley Quinn. Birds of Prey was set to be R-rated from the start, due to Harley Quinn’s inability to hold back. It allowed Yan to shoot more unabashed fighting sequences and the cast was given the freedom to improv curse words into the dialogue.

Birds of Prey hits theaters on February 7. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend to see if it shakes out to be a success.

At this stage of the game in the world of comic book movies, going for an R-rating is no guarantee. Sure, the Deadpool films and Logan did a lot to demonstrate viability and potential for the creative direction, and Joker was a billion-dollar success last year, but still PG-13 rules the day, as there is the logical expectation that a blockbuster with a less restrictive rating has the potential to sell more tickets worldwide.

Even with this philosophy firmly in place, however, it evidently wasn’t any kind of issue for the upcoming Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn). The movie is technically a spin-off from 2016’s Suicide Squad – a PG-13 film itself – and you’d think that might determine a particular direction for the project, but according to director Cathy Yan, getting the permission to be more adult was never the behind-the-scenes argument you might think it would be.

In the filmmaker’s own words:

It was back in December that we first reported about Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) was going for an R-rating, having spent time on the set of the movie when it was still in production. During that set visit, all varieties of curse words were being thrown around, and it seemed like it was clear that the film was going for an 18-plus audience… but at the same time nobody would 100% confirm it for sure.

That was months before the aforementioned massive success of Joker, though, and now the conversation around the idea of R-rated comic book movies has shifted once again. While there once seemed to be some hesitance towards the idea, this past weekend at a special “Harleywood” event in Los Angeles Cathy Yan explained that the 18-and-over approach was a part of the initial concept for the project from the very beginning, pitched as part of the package initially imagined by star/producer Margot Robbie. Said the filmmaker,

Written by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) picks up shortly after the events of Suicide Squad, and finds Harley Quinn out on her own after having been kicked to the curb by the Joker. Heartbroken and angry, she is determined to make it on her own as a supervillain operating in Gotham, but this is easier said than done. Her relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime provided a certain amount of protection for her, with nobody wanting to mess with the city’s most terrifying, psychopathic villain – but now that shield is gone.

With Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) leading the charge, Harley must find a way to survive, and she ultimately finds an avenue working alongside some other women in trouble looking to do a little bit of fighting back.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) co-stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smolett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ali Wong, and Ella Jay Basco, and will be in theaters everywhere on February 7th. Be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for a whole lot more of our coverage of the film as we get closer to the big release day!

The DC live-action universe has really hit its stride recently. Warner Bros. has seen great success with Aquaman and Shazam!, while Joker was set place outside of the shared universe, and is gearing up for the Oscars. The next blockbuster within the DCEU is Cathy Yan's Birds Of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which will see Margot Robbie reprise her role as the psychopathic title character. A new trailer just dropped, and teased way more of the action and group dynamic that'll happen when Harley meets a group of girl friends.

Cathy Yan's vision for Birds of Prey is colorful and zany, and the movie's trailers have teased just that. While the highly anticipated blockbuster will be told largely from Harley's perspective, the new trailer gave the rest of the team more airtime and backstory. Plus, we finally witness Black Canary's signature Canary Cry. Check it out below.

I mean, how cool is that? Cathy Yan's DC movie feels almost like the polar opposite of Zack Snyder's first outings in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. It's colorful, quirky, and feels much more faithful to the adventures on the comic pages. Let's break down what we're being shown.

Like the first trailer, Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn is narrating, and helping to guide the audience through her wild adventures. We learn that her life has a seismic change when she and the Joker break up. Or more specifically, when Mr. J. dumped her. Not that she took it lying down, cutting off her hair and blowing up the Ace Chemicals Plant where he transformed her into Harley Quinn.

I have to wonder if Harley will be narrating the entirety of Birds of Prey. This sounds like a great way to really flesh out the character, and provide an unreliable narrator. And given Ms. Quinzel's penchant for delusions and psychopathy, there don't seem to be narrative limits to Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster. Cue the Marilyn Monroe number.

Without Joker's protection, Harley soon learns that she had a ton of enemies in Gotham City. This includes Ewan McGregor's Black Mask. The mask itself makes its debut in this trailer, as McGregor wears a comic book accurate white suit. But Black Mask has plenty of enemies, like all of the other femme fatales that make up Birds of Prey's cast.

Related: Margot Robbie Explains Why Birds Of Prey Will Be So Different From Joker

We learn in this new Birds of Prey trailer why each member of the team has a common enemy in Black Mask, which will ultimately bring them together as friends. Renee Montoya has been assembling a cast against the Gotham City mobster, while Black Canary betrayed her former employer. Huntress got in bad by killing one of his best friends, while Cassie Cain seemingly stole from him. The women are in deep, and must unite if they're going to get out of the situation alive.

There is a ton more action in this new trailer, and Harley Quinn gets to show off just how deadly she is. Her action was cool in Suicide Squad, but things are really stepped up in her sophomore run in theaters. We also get to see Black Canary's signature ability: her Canary Cry. Huntress also does a fair amount of ass kicking, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead looks like she might be a scene stealer as the DC hero.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will arrive in theaters on February 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Over the last few years there has been a lot more talk about ladies leading movies both in front of and behind the cameras. In 2019, women actually directed more of the popular movies that came out in any year prior, tackling 12 of the top 100-grossing films. The next year will keep pushing into that territory, with five of the biggest budget movies being helmed by ladies.

At the tail end of 2019, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women beat box office estimations and has already earned a whopping $60 million domestically and $80 million worldwide in its first couple of weekends in theaters. Heading into 2020, though, there are some even bigger female-directed movies that should be on your radar. You can take a look at 5 of the most anticipated movies of 2020 that will be directed by women, below.

Birds Of Prey Directed By Cathy Yan

Release Date: February 7, 2020

Birds of Prey, more formally titled Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn, will be DC’s first venture in 2020 and the first movie from the studio to come after Todd Phillips’ heavily screened Joker movie. The movie stars Margot Robbie reprising her popular character, and brings in a few other new leading ladies like Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Rosie Perez.

Everything You Need To Know About The Birds Of Prey Movie

Mulan Directed By Niki Caro

Release Date: March 27, 2020

Let’s get down to business, to… talk about Disney’s next live action remake, which will neither be a musical and is missing the indestructible Mushu in its first trailer. That said, don’t fret because at least this version of Mulan from Niki Caro is doing its own thing and not trying to straight up mimic the 1998 animated classic.

Everything You Need To Know About Disney’s Live Action Mulan

Eternals Directed By Chloe Zhao

Release Date: November 6, 2020

Chloe Zhao’s Eternals may not be the most well-known Marvel property, but it does have a huge leg up thanks to its intriguing cast. We’re talking Angelina Jolie, first and foremost, but the flick also has Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjiani, who has been in everything over the past couple of years. The Eternals are immortal aliens who should bring a lot to the cosmic side of Marvel’s Phase Four.

Everything You Need To Know About Kevin Feige’s Eternals Confirmation

Black Widow Directed By Cate Shortland

Release Date: May 1, 2020

Another of Marvel’s big outings this year will follow some leading ladies and feature a female director in Cate Shortland. Black Widow’s solo movie has been a long time coming, as Scarlett Johansson’s character has long been a popular figure in the MCU. Given what happened in Avengers: Endgame, this prequel story should give us a real chance to see Natasha Romanova in action and outside the realm of an ensemble movie at least once before she forever lives on in our memories.

Everything You Need To Know About Black Widow’s Solo Movie

Wonder Woman 1984 Directed By Patty Jenkins

Release Date: June 5, 2020

As a sequel starring a popular DC comics character, it’s no real surprise that Patty Jenkins’ WW1984 is topping this list of anticipated 2020 movies. Gal Gadot will also be back reprising the character and unlike the other non-sequel movies on this list Patty Jenkins also helmed the first flick, so this is her second round at bat on a superheroine film. There’s lots to look forward to, including the mysterious return of Steve Trevor, and thanks to cool marketing so far, fans have been pumped.

Everything You Need To Know About Wonder Woman 1984

Of the 10 most anticipated movies of 2020, according to a list by Fandango, half will be led by women. It’s also worth pointing out that the top four movies on the list of 10 were female-directed and include everything on the list above except for Birds of Prey, which landed in 7th place.

Leading the sea change were the two major superhero studios at Disney/Marvel and Warner Bros./DC. Two Marvel flicks and two DC flicks are being led by female directors just this year.

The full list was 10. Fast and Furious 9. 9. Pixar’s Soul, 8. In The Heights, 7.Birds of Prey, 6. A Quiet Place Part II, 5. No Time To Die (the new Bond film), 4.Mulan, 3. Eternals, 2.Black Widow, 1. Wonder Woman 1984. Some other big movies, like Jungle Cruise and Halloween Kills didn’t make this list but popped up on lists like “Most Anticipated Horror Films” or “Most Anticipated Family Films.”

Obviously, there are plenty of other movies being directed by ladies that don’t have the leg up a bigger budget brings them. You can take a look at all of the upcoming films, whether or not they be big or small or directed by women, with our full 2020 movies schedule.

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating tenure in theaters, full of both peaks and valleys. But following a rocky start, Warner Bros. seems to have found its stride with its recent blockbusters. David Ayer's Suicide Squad was a critical failure when it arrived in 2016, but it made a ton of money and even won an Oscar. The villain-centric movie also introduced Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn to audiences, with the actress reprising her role for two more upcoming DC movies. The first is Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and Robbie recently explained how filmmaker Cathy Yan got the coveted director gig.

After stealing the show with Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. and Margot Robbie got especially invested in the character's future on the big screen. Robbie is producing Birds of Prey, and will also play the part in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. As a producer, Robbie had a say in who would direct Birds of Prey and she just revealed how Cathy Yan managed to stand out and get the job. As she put it,

It looks like Cathy Yan wanted to bring something unique to the superhero genre. And it was her visual language that stood out the most prior to being hired. So it sounds like Birds of Prey is going to have a brand new look, which is evident in the movie's first trailers.

Margot Robbie's comments to Variety are sure to excite DC fans, who can't wait to see Harley Quinn in another big screen adventure. While she was one of the biggest characters in Suicide Squad, audiences should get a much more intimate peak into Harley's POV with Birds of Prey. As the long subtitle suggests, the most is very much from her point of view, giving the Batman villain some girlfriends to collaborate with following a break up with Joker.

Related: Birds Of Prey’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead Teases The Director’s Unique Vision

As such, we should expect Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to be a totally different movie than David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Cathy Yan is clearly particular about establishing the movie's unique visuals, which are influenced by the motley crew of characters, and Harley's fractured psyche. Her specificity with comics was evident from the first test footage, which showed the cast glad in colorful costumes that meld together a comic book sensibility and realism.

Birds of Prey has the chance to be a star making moment for Cathy Yan, as its her first major studio movie. The upcoming blockbuster is also notable for having female writers, and producers and crew members, breaking new ground for the DC Extended Universe. And we'll see more of Margot Robbie's Harley in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, which is filming now.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will arrive in theaters on February 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Cathy Yan’s Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) is aiming to come together unlike any comic book movie you’ve ever seen. Because the driving perspective of the film belongs to a spunky psychopath, reality is portrayed with a special distortion that only the mind of Harley Quinn can provide. It should make for a unique cinematic experience when the feature arrives in theaters in a couple months, and part of that will be because of the way in which the production drew from an eclectic assembly of inspirations.

Even when working to craft something wholly original it makes sense to take lessons from the greats, and that’s precisely what director Cathy Yan, writer Christina Hodson, and star/producer Margot Robbie aimed for in the making of Birds of Prey. Yan and Robbie both explained as much earlier this year when members of the press were invited to the set of the film while it was still in production.

Going back to the movie operating with an unreliable narrator, evidence suggests that Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) won’t be delivering a totally straight-forward narrative, and in that venture Cathy Yan looked to some of the best non-linear films ever made: Quentin Tarantino’s scrambled anthology Pulp Fiction, and Akira Kurosawa's perspective-shifting Rashomon. The director explained,

Continuing the trend of discussing crime movies, both Cathy Yan and Margot Robbie also namechecked a particular film that is specifically influencing one of Birds of Prey’s key relationships. A significant part of the narrative finds the seriously irresponsible Harley Quinn trying to protect young Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from the evil forces at the disposal of crime kingpin Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask (Ewan McGregor), and cinephiles will hopefully note that their bond has a bond similar to the one between Jean Reno's Leon and Natalie Portman's Mathilda in Luc Besson’s classic Leon: The Professional.

Based on our interviews, this came about because of a discussion that Margot Robbie had with Christina Hodson during the development of the script, and became a part of the work when they discovered their shared appreciation for the film. Said the actress/producer,

Clearly Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) looked to some fantastic works when determining the best way to structure the film’s story, but Cathy Yan noted that outside influence didn’t stop there. Again, because of the perspective of the story, this is going to be a Gotham City unlike any we’ve ever seen before on the big screen, and part of that comes from particular cinematic inspiration.

Discussing the special aesthetic Birds of Prey is playing with, the director highlighted the work done with production designer K.K. Barrett in the creation of the Black Mask Club, owned and operated by Roman Sionis. For that particular interior, Yan had Stanley Kubrick’s legendary A Clockwork Orange in mind – specifically the Korova Milk Bar that is featured throughout the movie:

The aim is to take ingredients from all those titles mentioned and throw them in a blender to create something special and different. We’re tremendously excited to see what that means in the case of Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn).

Co-starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Chris Messina, and Ella Jay Basco, the film will be arriving in theaters on February 7, 2020, and keep checking in here on CinemaBlend for all the latest updates about the movie between now and then.

The world of DC Comics adaptations is in an interesting place at present when it comes to the subject of ratings. Traditionally the biggest releases based on the material are created with PG-13 in mind, which is by itself an attempt to target the highest number of demographics, but in recent years there has been some very successful experimentation with more adult-centric projects. On the DC Universe streaming service boundaries are being pushed with language and violence on Titans, Doom Patrol, and the Harley Quinn animated series, and there is also, of course, the billion dollar success that is Todd Phillips’ Joker.

That leaves the next big DC Comics movie, director Cathy Yan’s Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), in a very interesting situation. Does it follow in the footsteps of Margot Robbie’s previous Harley Quinn performance in the PG-13 Suicide Squad, or does it try to go with the new flow? Based on what we know about the film, it looks like it too is going to be released with an R-rating when it hits theaters in the early months of next year.

Earlier this year I was invited along with a group of other journalists for a journey to the set of Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) while it was filming on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, California, and it was during this trip that we learned about the movie’s path towards becoming a more adult-centric affair. The filmmakers that we spoke to on set at the time wouldn’t go as far as to confirm that the film is going to be edited with an R-rating in mind, but the totality of what was witnessed on set suggests that will be the ultimate direction.

To start, there’s the scene that we watched the production actually film while we were on set. There was no bloody violence involved in the sequence – which featured a gathering of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, Jurnee Smollett Bell’s Canary, Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya, and Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain – but it’s a well-known rule that movies only get one or two uses of the word “fuck” before automatically getting an R-rating from the MPAA, and that count was far exceeded in just the one bit of back-and-forth dialogue.

Furthermore, we kept waiting for the production to do a censored version of the scene – which is to say a take where none of the characters cursed so that the post-production team would have material to work with for a PG-13 cut – but that version was never filmed while we were on set.

Beyond that, the adult language isn’t even just limited to the dialogue in Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn). The white top that Margot Robbie is wearing in the image at the top of this page (which is what she was wearing while we were on set) doesn’t just say “Harley Quinn” all over it, but instead “Harley Fucking Quinn.” There is a touch of fashionable distortion done, but not nearly enough that you can’t read exactly what the message says.

While nobody on set would fully confirm that Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) will have an R-rating, the language being employed by the filmmakers and actors also most definitely suggested that the production is leaning in that direction. This includes Margot Robbie, who is not just one of the leads of the feature, but also one of the producers.

Sitting down with us in between takes, Margot Robbie was asked about getting to be a bit more “adult” playing Harley Quinn in Birds Of Prey, and she discussed the particular freedom that she has been given on the film compared to the work that she got to do with the character while starring in Suicide Squad. According to the actress/producer, it not only allows for a bit more audacious fun, but it also allows the storytelling to more authentically dig into characters that have a legitimately dark edge to them. Said Robbie,

This set visit took place in March, a.k.a. more than half-a-year before the aforementioned billion dollar success of Joker, and it’s easy to believe that the folks at Warner Bros. will feel much more comfortable about releasing Birds Of Prey with an R-rating now that they know that it won’t necessarily kill the profit potential. Still, while there was some obvious reticence on display during the press day on the production, it was still very much made clear that it’s the film’s intention to aim for fresh perspective.

At the start of our Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) set visit, producers Bryan Unkeless and Sue Kroll were asked about the possibility of seeing the film released with an R-rating, and Unkeless explained,

We don’t fully know what’s been going on behind the scenes with Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) in the months since our set visit, and the MPAA doesn’t make its final rating decisions until the movie is just about ready to lock picture, so the question about the film’s rating is one that remains up in the air to this day. Still, based on what we saw and heard on set, it looks like anyone under the age of 17 is going to need an adult to purchase their ticket.

Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), which also co-stars Ewan McGregor and Chris Messina, will be in theaters everywhere on February 7th – and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more stories from my time on the film’s set during production.

The DC live-action universe has hit its stride with the last few releases. Warner Bros.' shared universe may have stumbled at the start with movies like Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, but the last three releases have been critical and box office successes. Todd Phillips' Joker is making tons of money at theaters, but it set outside of the greater DCEU. Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey will pick things back up, introducing plenty of Gotham City favorites in the process. Ewan McGregor is playing the villainous Black Mask, and recently raved about the film's script, and described it as a 'feminist film'.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will bring Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn back to theaters, and give her some real friends. Director Cathy Yan filled the highly anticipated movie with beloved femme fatales from the page. Victor Zsasz and Black Mask are the exceptions to this female-focused blockbuster, with the latter played by Ewan McGregor. McGregor recently spoke to Birds of Prey's script and message, saying:

Is it February yet? Ewan McGregor has had a long successful career in film, accruing generations of fans who appreciate his work. So such high praise carries weight, especially going so far as to cal the script "brilliant." Birds of Prey has been teased to be something wholly unique to the superhero genre, and it seems the movie's villain echoes this passionate feelings.

Ewan McGregor's comments to Premiere will likely be music to the ears of DC fans, as well as moviegoers who are advocating for inclusion and representation in the media. DC fans first and foremost want a good film, after a bevy of disappointments previously hit theaters. But Aquaman and Shazam! both resonated with audiences, bringing hope and life into the DC Extended Universe. And while Joker isn't set within the DCEU, Warner Bros. is still behind the controversial Oscar hopeful.

Related: Birds Of Prey’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead Teases The Director’s Unique Vision

Over the past few years, there's been a conscious effort for movies to become more inclusive, featuring diverse stories and characters. While the MCU focused on stories about white men for the first two phases, its since become a more diverse place when it comes to race and sex. The DCEU has had a shorter tenure in theaters, but made history with Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman.

Birds of Prey will not only feature a cast of actresses who make up the titular team, but it was also written and directed by women. This influence seems to be sewed into the fabric of the movie, at least according to Ewan McGregor. The first trailer recently teased at the feminist angle of the film, as Harley laments about how the purpose of a harlequin is simply to serve. The movie looks like a quirky and wild ride in theaters, and it should be interesting to see what information arrives ahead of its debut in theaters.

It should be interesting to see exactly how the feminist issues are presented in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Cathy Yan will have to put real-world issues into the otherwise over the top blockbuster romp. So while there may be metahuman powers and the occasional Marilyn Monroe-inspired musical number, but the movie still has a specific message to tell. At least, according to Ewan McGregor's comments. Since he's the main villain of the highly anticipated movie, he would know.

The trailer for Birds of Prey is voiced over by Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, who reveals that her character's motivation is at least partly inspired by a breakup with Jared Leto's Joker. Harley's relationship with Mr. J. an unhealthy one, with the femme fatale typically suffering some abuse by her partner's hands. This search for emancipation will find her teaming up with other Gotham women, who seem similarly taken advantage of, and in need of companionship.

Unfortunately, the movie's first trailer didn't have all that much footage of the other titular Birds of Prey, instead focusing on Harley's psychotic perspective. Jurnee Smollett-Bell recently revealed that Black Canary is working as a singer in Black Mask's club, rather than solving crime and using her signature metahuman abilities. But we'll see her transform into the epic street fighter we know and love from the comics.

I'm eager to see how Huntress factors into the story, and how the character is being adapted for live-action. Not much about the character has been revealed thus far, but she looks thoroughly badass rocking her signature crossbow. Huntress is typically a member of the Bat-family, but it's currently unclear if she's got a connection to Ben Affleck's iteration of the character.

Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya will bring the Gotham City Police Department into the story. The Birds of Prey trailer makes her look like she's struggling with the job a bit. She's going to kick some ass with brass knuckles, and somehow get involved with vigilantes of the city. Hey, it worked for Commissioner Gordon. Additionally, there's Ella Jay Basco's Cassandra Cain, a young girl who is destined to become Batgirl in the comics.

Our questions will be answered when Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will be released February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The DC live-action universe has been on a roll lately, with Shazam! and Aquaman performing well in theaters. Warner Bros. is currently riding on the success of Todd Phillips' Joker, although that movie isn't connected to the shared universe. The DCEU will kick back up with Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), starring a strong cast of femme fatales. Chief among them is Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress, and the actress recently teased what Yan brought to the highly anticipated blockbuster

On top of a female-led cast, Birds of Prey has been getting some serious hype for also having women behind the camera. Cathy Yan is the filmmaker behind the upcoming blockbuster, and its first trailer recently broke the internet and teased something unique for the genre. Mary Elizabeth Winstead recently spoke to Yan's ability to take creative risks, while speaking about how exciting it was to be on a set full of women. As she put it:

Well, this is certainly exciting. While studio interference has been known to sink a DCEU movie or two, Cathy Yan looks like she got full control of the ship for Birds of Prey. And the upcoming movie seems like it could just about anywhere.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead's comments to Collider are sure to excite both casual moviegoers and hardcore DC fans out there. The superhero movies have become the most profitable and popular genre in film over the past few years, with certain critics fearing it may become too oversaturated. Hero fatigue is what filmmakers are trying to avoid, and it seems like Cathy Yan did just that with Birds of Prey.

Related: Birds Of Prey’s Mary Elizabeth Winstead Says It’s ‘Unlike Anything’ In The Superhero Genre

The first full trailer for Birds of Prey finally arrived last week, and it was a bonkers one. Margot Robbie was a producer in addition to starring as Harley Quinn, and the first footage hints that the story will be very much told through Harley's POV. Her voice over was used all throughout the trailer, likely serving as an unreliable narrator. There's also a Marilyn Monroe-inspired musical number, and some very unique dialogue. Clearly Yan was happy to take risks, and they hopefully pay off in a big way once the movie finally hits theaters in a few months.

In the meantime, Joker will be in theaters to satiate the hardcore DC fans out there. While Todd Phillips' movie is set outside of the DCEU (Jared Leto is still technically that Joker), the psychological origin story is breaking box office records. Let's see if Birds of Prey manages to accrue the same hype.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) will hit theaters on February 7th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Set to be directed by Cathy Yan, the DC Extended Universe's Birds of Prey movie is really starting to move its gears. There have been rumors circling about the actors who might join the project, and earlier this week it even got a release date. Now it seems as though the project has taken yet another big step forward by picking two new names to join Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn in the film, specifically Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary.

We learned about a bunch of the actors in contention for the lead roles in Birds of Prey at the end of last week - with both Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell both mentioned - and now it looks like they are prepping to close their deals. This news comes to us from a Variety report, though their wording makes it sounds like the deals aren't 100 percent completed just yet.

In the DCEU film we will see a similar version to the Helena Bertinelli a.k.a. Huntress that was featured in the CW's Arrowverse - where the character was played by Jessica Elise De Gouw. She has an interesting backstory as a heroine, as she is a former mob princess who lost her family at a young age, ultimately turning to a life led as a masked vigilante. Black Canary, meanwhile (who was also featured in the Arrowverse, played by Katie Cassidy) is a crimefighter best known for her ultrasonic scream - which at full capacity is powerful enough to potentially shatter planet Earth. It's not clear exactly how they will link up with Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey, but at the very least they are connected by the fact that they have all been are Gotham residents.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead has a bit of experience in the realm of comic book movies, having previously starred in Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but over the years we have also seen her name listed among those in contention for some interesting superhero movie roles. Specifically, she was on the shortlist to play Domino in Deadpool 2 (a role that eventually went to Zazie Beetz), and there was some buzz about her years ago potentially playing Sharon Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. In summation, it's about time she got a chance to play in this genre, and Huntress is a great fit for her.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell, meanwhile, is better known for her work on the small-screen, and has been performing for most of her life. She got her start with recurring roles on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Full House, and Cosby in the 1990s, but since 2009 she has had busy with series like Friday Night Lights, The Defenders, The Mob Doctor, Do No Harm, Parenthood, True Blood, Underground, and most recently Sofia The First and Lovecraft Country (which will be coming next year). She does have a few features on her filmmography, including the boxing drama Hands of Stone with Edgar Ramirez and Robert De Niro, but Birds of Prey will be her biggest film to date.

There was a long stretch of time when we didn't know what DC Extended Universe film would come after Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984, but now their upcoming schedule is starting to solidify. With a script written by Christina Hodson, the movie will be moving into production early next year, and is currently scheduled to be released on February 7, 2020. Not much is known about the plot of the film, though the new trade reports offers that there will be a showdown with a "Gotham crime lord who has yet to be unveiled."

After making numerous appearances in the comics and other (including a 13-episode live action TV series), it appears that the Birds of Prey are finally gearing up to make their cinematic debut. A Birds of Prey movie has been in development since late 2016, with Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson penning the script. Then last week, it was reported that Cathy Yan had been selected to direct the project, and it would see Margot Robbie reprising Harley Quinn. Production is also expected to commence towards the end of 2018, meaning that this could come out sometime in 2020.

Until now, Suicide Squad 2 had been rumored to be the next DC Extended Universe movie following Wonder Woman 2, but with this latest update, it looks like that honor now belongs to Birds of Prey. While we have a long way to go until learning what this Birds of Prey movie will be about and who will comprise the cast, making this a priority is a good idea on DC and Warner Bros' part for several reasons. Starting off, let's look at the lineup that the movie will likely feature.

It Brings More Superheroines Into The DCEU Quickly

So far the only prominent superheroine that's running around in the DCEU is Wonder Woman, but assuming that the core lineup of the cinematic Birds of Prey is anything like it is in the comics, that means we'll be introduced to Batgirl, Huntress and Black Canary at minimum. Batgirl has already received some cinematic attention (more on that later) alongside her other numerous media appearances, and while Huntress and Black Canary have also appeared in projects like Justice League Unlimited and Arrow, I suspect that this movie would be the first time folks who don't follow the comic book lore are seeing them. And those three may just be the tip of the proverbial iceberg, as other Birds of Prey in the comics have included Katana (who we've already met in Suicide Squad), Lady Blackhawk, Hawkgirl, Vixen, the list goes on. In any case, looking at how well Wonder Woman performed, DC and Warner Bros are wise to start bringing in more superheroines sooner rather than later, both to offer more variety in DC's heroic lineup and to work towards that same kind of success.

It Gives Harley Quinn A Different Opportunity To Shine

Harley Quinn was introduced to the DCEU in 2016's Suicide Squad, and while the movie received a lot of criticism, Margot Robbie's portrayal of The Joker's girlfriend/Task Force X member was among the praiseworthy elements. Since then, a number of Harley Quinn-centric projects have been announced, and it looks like Birds of Prey will be the first of this bunch to move forward. Given that nowadays in the comics Harley is serving more as an antihero than a villain, it's unclear if she would be Birds of Prey's main antagonist or if she would fight alongside the protagonists, potentially even joining the team. Either way, this is a good opportunity to see what Robbie can do with Harley both away from her Suicide Squad teammates and hopefully far away from The Joker. As a bonus, Birds of Prey can also set up whatever Harley's next DCEU appearance is, whether that's Suicide Squad 2, Gotham City Sirens or even her "rom-com" with Joker.

It Doesn't Need To Closely Tie Into The Rest Of The DCEU

Before going further, let me clarify that of course Birds of Prey will have some ties to the rest of the DCEU. Batgirl and Harley Quinn's presence alone guarantees that, and don't be surprised if the movie drops in a reference or two to Superman, the battle in Metropolis, etc. That being said, much like Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey can be made in a way so that those who haven't kept up with the DCEU can still enjoy it as a standalone story. Yes, Harley Quinn has history from Suicide Squad, but with the right exposition and potentially even a flashback or two, this can be quickly covered. The same goes for Batgirl; just touch briefly upon her partnership with Batman (assuming that Birds of Prey doesn't mark the beginning of Barbara Gordon's heroic journey), and we can move on. Just because something exists in a shared universe doesn't mean it needs to have close connections with all the other movies. Similar to Shazam! coming up, Birds of Prey can carve out its own little corner of the DCEU and still walk a fine line with ties to this wider superhero world.

It May Set The Stage For The Batgirl Movie

Shortly after the announcement that Cathy Yan (more on her soon) was tapped to direct Birds of Prey, it was reported that the reasons DC and Warner Bros are supposedly prioritizing Birds of Prey over Suicide Squad 2 is because of Christina Hodson's script and because they want to set Batgirl up before her solo movie, similar to how Black Panther was introduced in Captain America: Civil War and then starred in his own adventure. Originally attached to write and direct Batgirl, Joss Whedon departed the project last month due to being unable to come up with a good story. Hodson has since taken over scripting duties from Whedon, but a new director hasn't been found yet. Regardless, considering how well this approach worked for Black Panther, it might be cool to see Batgirl fighting alongside other crimefighters before jumping into her own story. Live action-wise, Batgirl's only movie appearance so far was in 1997's Batman & Robin, and needless to say that didn't go well. Here's hoping Birds of Prey can not only do a better job of introducing her (which, admittedly, shouldn't be too tough), but also ensure that audiences are invested in her enough to want to check out the Batgirl movie later on.

It Spotlights New Directing Talent

James Wan and David F. Sandberg, two of the biggest horror directors in recent years, are helming Aquaman and Shazam!, respectively, and Patty Jenkins, whose fame skyrocketed thanks to Wonder Woman and was already known for her work on Monster, is returning to oversee Wonder Woman 2. Cathy Yan, however, is a newcomer to the world of filmmaking. Originally a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, she pivoted to making short films and made her feature-length debut earlier this year with Dead Pigs. Frequently with superhero movies, directors who are already well-established in the business are handed the reins, but every now and then someone who doesn't have a big resume is given the opportunity to prove themself. Look at what Jon Watts did with Spider-Man: Homecoming. Yan could follow a similar path with Birds of Prey, and in an industry where men are predominantly directors, it's good to see Warner Bros giving her the opportunity to direct a movie centered on some of DC's most famous heroines (this also makes her the first Asian-American woman to direct a superhero movie).