Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), or simply Birds of Prey, is a 2020 American superhero film based on the DC Comics team Birds of Prey. It is the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe, and a follow-up to Suicide Squad (2016). It was directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, and stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, and Ewan McGregor. The film follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with Black Canary, Helena Bertinelli, and Renee Montoya to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord Black Mask.
Robbie, who also serves as producer, pitched the idea for Birds of Prey to Warner Bros. in 2015. The film was announced in May 2016, with Hodson being hired to write the script that November, while Yan signed on to direct in April 2018. The majority of the cast and crew were confirmed by December 2018. Principal photography lasted from January to April 2019 in Downtown Los Angeles, parts of the Arts District, Los Angeles, and soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Additional filming took place in September 2019.
Birds of Prey is the first DCEU film and the second DC Films production to be rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The film had its world premiere in Mexico City on January 25, 2020, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States in IMAX, Dolby Cinema and 4DX on February 7, 2020. The film received praise from critics for its visual style, humor, and the performances of Robbie and McGregor, but criticism for the perceived lack of depth
Some time after the Enchantress' defeat, the Joker and Harley Quinn have fled back to Gotham. In the midst of their abusive relationship, the Joker breaks up with Harley and kicks her out of their house. Eventually, Harley is taken in by an old man named Doc who owns a Chinese restaurant in the city.
After recovering emotionally, Harley goes out clubbing where she spends the night at a club owned by Roman Sionis, a sadistic gangster with cruel tendencies who masquerades as a bubbly nightclub owner. While at the club, Harley meets Dinah Lance, a burlesque singer who works for Roman. Harley becomes intoxicated and acts rowdy in the club, which results in her injuring Roman's driver. Roman's thugs drag Harley outside as a consequence, but Dinah saves her before violence can occur. Impressed by Dinah's skills, Roman appoints her as his new driver.
Dinah drops Harley off at the latter's house and Harley decides to remodel her life in many ways, including cutting her hair and adopting a hyena from an exotic pet shop (who she names after Bruce Wayne). Harley also destroys Ace Chemicals, the place where she had pledged herself to Joker before truly becoming Harley Quinn.
Meanwhile, Renee Montoya, a police detective in the GCPD, arrives at the scene of Ace Chemicals and determines that because Joker and Harley have broken up, the latter will be easy to arrest. At the same time, Cassandra Cain, a young orphan, pickpockets Zsasz and steals a diamond which has very important information. Cass is subsequently arrested and, out of desperation, swallows the diamond.
The following day, Harley is intercepted by Montoya as she walks through Gotham. Harley flees the scene before being captured by Roman's men. Zsasz and Dinah tell Roman about Cassandra's status. It is shown that Roman likes to wear a black mask – which is an art piece – while torturing people as an intimidation tactic. Dinah and Zsasz also inform him that they captured Harley, and as a result, they have decided to not anticipate retaliation from the Joker, citing Harley's destruction of Ace Chemicals as proof the two have parted ways.
Dinah texts Montoya about the situation with Cass, revealing in the process that she is a mole in Roman's organization. Breaking the fourth wall once more, Harley discloses to the audience that they are up-to-date on the events in the film. Harley overhears Roman talking about the diamond and offers to retrieve it from Cass if he spares her life. Roman agrees and allots Harley one day.
Later, he puts a bounty on Cass's head "to make it more 'fun'". Harley disguises herself and breaks into the GCPD to retrieve Cass. Harley breaks Cass out of the holding cells and the two flee to an abandoned warehouse. However, they are ambushed by armed goons who are motivated by the bounty on Cass. Harley proceeds to battle and kills them after inhaling cocaine from a damaged bag.
The bounty also attracts Helena Bertinelli, a vigilante known as the "crossbow killer". Helena targets mobsters in the hope of avenging her murdered family and also plans to use Cass with the intent to lure Roman out. Meanwhile, Dinah discovers that she has the metahuman ability to scream at a supersonic level. Dinah texts Montoya about the bounty on Cass, but the text is discovered by Zsasz, who informs Roman. Roman flies into a rage, as he strongly dislikes a subordinate not following orders, and he scratches and damages his face in the process.
Harley and Cass decide to hide out at Harley's apartment. However, the apartment is bombed by people looking for Cass and it is revealed that Doc sold Harley out to Roman. Harley calls Roman and agrees to turn Cass over in exchange for protection from the bounty as a result of the lack of trust.
Roman sends Zsasz and Dinah to retrieve Cass. Zsasz drugs Harley, showing that Roman didn't honor their deal, and Dinah tries to free Cass. However, Zsasz, having already known about Dinah's treachery, attacks her but is unexpectedly killed by Helena, who arrives at the amusement park. The women are all placed under arrest by Montoya, who Dinah had texted with regard to the situation. Harley manages to convince the women to work together to fight off Roman, even though the others were initially reluctant.
The women use Harley's old gear and weapons to attack arriving hordes of Roman's goons, eventually emerging victorious. Cass is captured by Roman and Harley pursues them to a nearby pier. Once Harley catches up with them, Cassandra puts a grenade in Roman's suit, killing him. In the aftermath of destroying Roman's empire, Montoya, Dinah and Helena start the Birds of Prey with the money from the accounts of the diamond while Harley and Cassandra pawn it and start their own company together.
In a post-credits audio scene, Harley is about to revealed to the audience a secret about Batman but before she finished her sentence, the movie ends.
Cast
Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn:
A former psychiatrist who became a crazed criminal and Joker's accomplice and girlfriend, but has since broken up with him and become a solo vigilante. She is part of the Suicide Squad.[4] Screenwriter Christina Hodson sought to reinvent Harley, wanting to expand on the character following her departure from the Joker.[5] Hodson called Harley the character she enjoyed developing most due to her unpredictable personality.[6]
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli / Huntress:
A vigilante who is the orphaned daughter of mafia syndicate gangster, Franco Bertinelli.[7][8][9] Ella Mika portrays a young Helena Bertinelli, during flashback scenes.[10]
Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary[7][8][11]
A vigilante with the metahuman ability of hypersonic screams, who is also a singer in a club that Sionis owns.[12]
Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya[13][14]
A Gotham City Police Detective (GCPD), who is building a case against Sionis.
Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz:
A deranged serial killer and henchman of Sionis who carves a tally mark on his skin for each victim he claims.[15]
Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain:
A young girl who has a contract killing placed upon her head by Sionis, after she steals a valuable diamond from him.[13][16]
Ali Wong as Ellen Yee:
Montoya's ex-girlfriend and a district attorney.[17][15]
Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis / Black Mask:
A brutal and iron-fisted crime lord who threatens Cassandra.[18][19] McGregor described the character as "an absolute narcissist".[20]
Additionally, Steven Williams portrays Captain Patrick Erickson, Montoya's superior at the GCPD; Dana Lee portrays Doc, Quinn's friend who owns a Chinese restaurant; François Chau portrays Mr. Keo, a rival crime boss of Sionis; Derek Wilson portrays Tim Evans; Matt Willig portrays Happy; and Bojana Novakovic portrays as Erika, a night club patron who gets harrassed by Sionis. Charlene Amoia and Paul Lasa portray Maria and Franco Bertinelli, the mother and father of Helena, respectively, while Robert Catrini portrays Stefano Galante, the mob boss who killed the Bertinelli family.[9][21]. Talon Reid portrays one of Black Mask's henchmen.[22]
Production
Development
In May 2016, ahead of the release of Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. Pictures announced a spinoff film focusing on Harley Quinn and several other female DC Comics heroes and villains, such as Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Margot Robbie was attached to reprise her role as Harley Quinn, and would also serve as producer.[4][23] British screenwriter Christina Hodson was announced to be writing the film in November.[24] Robbie pitched the film to Warner Bros. in 2015 as "an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, 'Harley needs friends.' Harley loves interacting with people, so don't ever make her do a standalone film". Robbie felt it was important for the film to have a female director. While Warner Bros. and DC Films had various other Harley Quinn-oriented films in development, Birds of Prey was the only one in which Robbie was directly involved with its development.[25]
Robbie spent three years working on Birds of Prey and continued to present it to Warner Bros. until the studio felt the project was at the point it could be made.[25] By April 2018, Warner Bros. and DC Films had finalized a deal with Cathy Yan to direct, making her the first female Asian director to direct a superhero film.[26] Robbie was confirmed to be producing the film under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, as part of a first look deal she has with the studio; Sue Kroll and Bryan Unkless were also announced to serve as producers through their companies Kroll & Co. Entertainment and Clubhouse Pictures, respectively. Production was scheduled to begin by late 2018 or early 2019.[27] The Penguin was intended to appear in the script at one point, but was dropped to preserve his DC Extended Universe debut in The Batman.[28]
Pre-production
By July 2018, the film was entering pre-production.[29] Robbie confirmed the film would be titled Birds of Prey, describing it as "different" from the other DC films featuring Harley Quinn, and said it would be produced on a relatively small budget compared to other superhero films.[30][31] She also stated that Harley Quinn would receive a new costume, and teased the casting of diverse actors.[32] The line-up for the Birds of Prey team was revealed to include Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya, with the villain set to be a Batman adversary who had not yet been seen in film.[13] Casting began in August,[33] with Warner Bros. considering a number of actresses to be cast as Huntress and Black Canary. Alexandra Daddario, Jodie Comer, Blake Lively, and Vanessa Kirby expressed interest.[34][35] Roman Sionis / Black Mask was revealed to be the film's antagonist.[36] Janelle Monáe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jurnee Smollett-Bell were under consideration for Black Canary by September, while Sofia Boutella, Margaret Qualley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Cristin Milioti were being considered to play Huntress.[37] Justina Machado and Roberta Colindrez tested for Renee Montoya, while Warner Bros. began seeking a 12-year-old Asian actress to play Cassandra Cain.[38]
In late September, Smollett-Bell and Winstead were respectively cast as Black Canary and Huntress,[7] Warner Bros. scheduled a February 7, 2020 release date,[39] and Ewan McGregor and Sharlto Copley were under consideration for the role of Black Mask.[40] During the U.S.-China Entertainment Summit in October, Yan confirmed the cast and that the film would be R-rated. She said that she "could not put the script down, it had so much dark humor to it which a lot of my work does, and there are themes of female empowerment which are so strong and relateable".[41] Cinematographer Matthew Libatique joined the film that month,[42] as did Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya.[14] Stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and fight coordinator Jon Valera joined in November[43] along with McGregor as Black Mask[18] and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.[16] Robbie revealed that the full title would be Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),[44] and that the subtitle reflects the humorous and unserious tone of the film.[45] Production designer K. K. Barrett joined in December,[46] as did Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz.[15] Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, François Chau, Matthew Willig, Robert Catrini, and Ali Wong also joined the film's cast.[17][15]
Filming
Principal photography began in Los Angeles, California in January 2019 under the working title Fox Force Five.[47][48][49] Although filming was expected to also take place in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia,[50] the entire shoot took place in Los Angeles after the production received a tax credit from the state of California.[51] Filming was expected to be completed by mid-April 2019.[52] In February, Charlene Amoia joined the cast.[9] Filming wrapped on April 15, 2019.[53]
Post-production
Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff will serve as editors. Method Studios, Weta Digital, Luma Pictures, Image Engine and Crafty Apes will provide the visual effects for the film.[54][55][56][57] In August 2019, Chad Stahelski joined as a second unit director for reshoots.[58] Photography for the additional footage began on September 3, 2019.[59]
Music
Main article: Birds of Prey: The Album
In September 2019, Daniel Pemberton was announced to serve as composer for the film's score.[60] The Original Motion Picture Scores album will be released by WaterTower Music on February 7, to coincides with the film’s release.[61]
A soundtrack album for the film, titled Birds of Prey: The Album, was announced in January 2020 and is also scheduled to be released on February 7 by Atlantic Records. To promote the album, a single was released every Friday before the film’s release.[62] "Diamonds" by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani was released on January 10,[63] "Joke's On You" by Charlotte Lawrence was released on January 17,[64], "Boss Bitch" by Doja Cat was released on January 24 and "Sway with Me" by Saweetie and GALXARA was released on January 31.[65]
Marketing
Marketing began on the January 21, 2019, when a first-look production video of the characters and costumes titled "See You Soon", was released by Warner Bros. via YouTube.[66] DC Comics published a promotional trade paperback anthology featuring stories based on the film on November 12, 2019.[67] The first teaser debuted exclusively in theatres on September 5, 2019, in front of screenings for It: Chapter Two, with Quinn stating that she is "over clowns" while popping a red balloon, in a collective reference to It / Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Joker.[68]
A short teaser was released on the film's social media pages, announcing the first official trailer would be released on October 1, 2019. A series of posters, which also announced the trailer debut, was released the same day.[69] On December 5, 2019, Birds of Prey held a panel at the annual CCXP in Brazil. They showed the first 5 minutes of the film and the second official trailer, which was released online on January 9, 2020.
A three-days pop-up events named Harleywood was also organized at the Hollywood and Highland Center with the presence of the cast on the launch day. Artists from the soundtrack where also present to promote the album, with Charlotte Lawrence and Doja Cat performing their songs.[70]
Release
Birds of Prey is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on February 7, 2020 in standard, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX and ScreenX formats.[39][71][72] The film had its world premiere on January 25, 2020 at the Proyecto Publico Prim in Mexico City.[73] It also screened on January 29 at the BFI IMAX in London, and on January 30 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes during a special event named Le Festival de Quinn (The Quinn's Festival) in reference to the Cannes Film Festival.[74][75]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Birds of Prey is projected to gross $50–55 million from 4,200 theaters in its opening weekend.[2]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 7.06/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn."[76] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews
Robbie, who also serves as producer, pitched the idea for Birds of Prey to Warner Bros. in 2015. The film was announced in May 2016, with Hodson being hired to write the script that November, while Yan signed on to direct in April 2018. The majority of the cast and crew were confirmed by December 2018. Principal photography lasted from January to April 2019 in Downtown Los Angeles, parts of the Arts District, Los Angeles, and soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Additional filming took place in September 2019.
Birds of Prey is the first DCEU film and the second DC Films production to be rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America. The film had its world premiere in Mexico City on January 25, 2020, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States in IMAX, Dolby Cinema and 4DX on February 7, 2020. The film received praise from critics for its visual style, humor, and the performances of Robbie and McGregor, but criticism for the perceived lack of depth
Some time after the Enchantress' defeat, the Joker and Harley Quinn have fled back to Gotham. In the midst of their abusive relationship, the Joker breaks up with Harley and kicks her out of their house. Eventually, Harley is taken in by an old man named Doc who owns a Chinese restaurant in the city.
After recovering emotionally, Harley goes out clubbing where she spends the night at a club owned by Roman Sionis, a sadistic gangster with cruel tendencies who masquerades as a bubbly nightclub owner. While at the club, Harley meets Dinah Lance, a burlesque singer who works for Roman. Harley becomes intoxicated and acts rowdy in the club, which results in her injuring Roman's driver. Roman's thugs drag Harley outside as a consequence, but Dinah saves her before violence can occur. Impressed by Dinah's skills, Roman appoints her as his new driver.
Dinah drops Harley off at the latter's house and Harley decides to remodel her life in many ways, including cutting her hair and adopting a hyena from an exotic pet shop (who she names after Bruce Wayne). Harley also destroys Ace Chemicals, the place where she had pledged herself to Joker before truly becoming Harley Quinn.
Meanwhile, Renee Montoya, a police detective in the GCPD, arrives at the scene of Ace Chemicals and determines that because Joker and Harley have broken up, the latter will be easy to arrest. At the same time, Cassandra Cain, a young orphan, pickpockets Zsasz and steals a diamond which has very important information. Cass is subsequently arrested and, out of desperation, swallows the diamond.
The following day, Harley is intercepted by Montoya as she walks through Gotham. Harley flees the scene before being captured by Roman's men. Zsasz and Dinah tell Roman about Cassandra's status. It is shown that Roman likes to wear a black mask – which is an art piece – while torturing people as an intimidation tactic. Dinah and Zsasz also inform him that they captured Harley, and as a result, they have decided to not anticipate retaliation from the Joker, citing Harley's destruction of Ace Chemicals as proof the two have parted ways.
Dinah texts Montoya about the situation with Cass, revealing in the process that she is a mole in Roman's organization. Breaking the fourth wall once more, Harley discloses to the audience that they are up-to-date on the events in the film. Harley overhears Roman talking about the diamond and offers to retrieve it from Cass if he spares her life. Roman agrees and allots Harley one day.
Later, he puts a bounty on Cass's head "to make it more 'fun'". Harley disguises herself and breaks into the GCPD to retrieve Cass. Harley breaks Cass out of the holding cells and the two flee to an abandoned warehouse. However, they are ambushed by armed goons who are motivated by the bounty on Cass. Harley proceeds to battle and kills them after inhaling cocaine from a damaged bag.
The bounty also attracts Helena Bertinelli, a vigilante known as the "crossbow killer". Helena targets mobsters in the hope of avenging her murdered family and also plans to use Cass with the intent to lure Roman out. Meanwhile, Dinah discovers that she has the metahuman ability to scream at a supersonic level. Dinah texts Montoya about the bounty on Cass, but the text is discovered by Zsasz, who informs Roman. Roman flies into a rage, as he strongly dislikes a subordinate not following orders, and he scratches and damages his face in the process.
Harley and Cass decide to hide out at Harley's apartment. However, the apartment is bombed by people looking for Cass and it is revealed that Doc sold Harley out to Roman. Harley calls Roman and agrees to turn Cass over in exchange for protection from the bounty as a result of the lack of trust.
Roman sends Zsasz and Dinah to retrieve Cass. Zsasz drugs Harley, showing that Roman didn't honor their deal, and Dinah tries to free Cass. However, Zsasz, having already known about Dinah's treachery, attacks her but is unexpectedly killed by Helena, who arrives at the amusement park. The women are all placed under arrest by Montoya, who Dinah had texted with regard to the situation. Harley manages to convince the women to work together to fight off Roman, even though the others were initially reluctant.
The women use Harley's old gear and weapons to attack arriving hordes of Roman's goons, eventually emerging victorious. Cass is captured by Roman and Harley pursues them to a nearby pier. Once Harley catches up with them, Cassandra puts a grenade in Roman's suit, killing him. In the aftermath of destroying Roman's empire, Montoya, Dinah and Helena start the Birds of Prey with the money from the accounts of the diamond while Harley and Cassandra pawn it and start their own company together.
In a post-credits audio scene, Harley is about to revealed to the audience a secret about Batman but before she finished her sentence, the movie ends.
Cast
Margot Robbie as Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn:
A former psychiatrist who became a crazed criminal and Joker's accomplice and girlfriend, but has since broken up with him and become a solo vigilante. She is part of the Suicide Squad.[4] Screenwriter Christina Hodson sought to reinvent Harley, wanting to expand on the character following her departure from the Joker.[5] Hodson called Harley the character she enjoyed developing most due to her unpredictable personality.[6]
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli / Huntress:
A vigilante who is the orphaned daughter of mafia syndicate gangster, Franco Bertinelli.[7][8][9] Ella Mika portrays a young Helena Bertinelli, during flashback scenes.[10]
Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Laurel Lance / Black Canary[7][8][11]
A vigilante with the metahuman ability of hypersonic screams, who is also a singer in a club that Sionis owns.[12]
Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya[13][14]
A Gotham City Police Detective (GCPD), who is building a case against Sionis.
Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz:
A deranged serial killer and henchman of Sionis who carves a tally mark on his skin for each victim he claims.[15]
Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain:
A young girl who has a contract killing placed upon her head by Sionis, after she steals a valuable diamond from him.[13][16]
Ali Wong as Ellen Yee:
Montoya's ex-girlfriend and a district attorney.[17][15]
Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis / Black Mask:
A brutal and iron-fisted crime lord who threatens Cassandra.[18][19] McGregor described the character as "an absolute narcissist".[20]
Additionally, Steven Williams portrays Captain Patrick Erickson, Montoya's superior at the GCPD; Dana Lee portrays Doc, Quinn's friend who owns a Chinese restaurant; François Chau portrays Mr. Keo, a rival crime boss of Sionis; Derek Wilson portrays Tim Evans; Matt Willig portrays Happy; and Bojana Novakovic portrays as Erika, a night club patron who gets harrassed by Sionis. Charlene Amoia and Paul Lasa portray Maria and Franco Bertinelli, the mother and father of Helena, respectively, while Robert Catrini portrays Stefano Galante, the mob boss who killed the Bertinelli family.[9][21]. Talon Reid portrays one of Black Mask's henchmen.[22]
Production
Development
In May 2016, ahead of the release of Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. Pictures announced a spinoff film focusing on Harley Quinn and several other female DC Comics heroes and villains, such as Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Margot Robbie was attached to reprise her role as Harley Quinn, and would also serve as producer.[4][23] British screenwriter Christina Hodson was announced to be writing the film in November.[24] Robbie pitched the film to Warner Bros. in 2015 as "an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, 'Harley needs friends.' Harley loves interacting with people, so don't ever make her do a standalone film". Robbie felt it was important for the film to have a female director. While Warner Bros. and DC Films had various other Harley Quinn-oriented films in development, Birds of Prey was the only one in which Robbie was directly involved with its development.[25]
Robbie spent three years working on Birds of Prey and continued to present it to Warner Bros. until the studio felt the project was at the point it could be made.[25] By April 2018, Warner Bros. and DC Films had finalized a deal with Cathy Yan to direct, making her the first female Asian director to direct a superhero film.[26] Robbie was confirmed to be producing the film under her LuckyChap Entertainment banner, as part of a first look deal she has with the studio; Sue Kroll and Bryan Unkless were also announced to serve as producers through their companies Kroll & Co. Entertainment and Clubhouse Pictures, respectively. Production was scheduled to begin by late 2018 or early 2019.[27] The Penguin was intended to appear in the script at one point, but was dropped to preserve his DC Extended Universe debut in The Batman.[28]
Pre-production
By July 2018, the film was entering pre-production.[29] Robbie confirmed the film would be titled Birds of Prey, describing it as "different" from the other DC films featuring Harley Quinn, and said it would be produced on a relatively small budget compared to other superhero films.[30][31] She also stated that Harley Quinn would receive a new costume, and teased the casting of diverse actors.[32] The line-up for the Birds of Prey team was revealed to include Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya, with the villain set to be a Batman adversary who had not yet been seen in film.[13] Casting began in August,[33] with Warner Bros. considering a number of actresses to be cast as Huntress and Black Canary. Alexandra Daddario, Jodie Comer, Blake Lively, and Vanessa Kirby expressed interest.[34][35] Roman Sionis / Black Mask was revealed to be the film's antagonist.[36] Janelle Monáe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Jurnee Smollett-Bell were under consideration for Black Canary by September, while Sofia Boutella, Margaret Qualley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Cristin Milioti were being considered to play Huntress.[37] Justina Machado and Roberta Colindrez tested for Renee Montoya, while Warner Bros. began seeking a 12-year-old Asian actress to play Cassandra Cain.[38]
In late September, Smollett-Bell and Winstead were respectively cast as Black Canary and Huntress,[7] Warner Bros. scheduled a February 7, 2020 release date,[39] and Ewan McGregor and Sharlto Copley were under consideration for the role of Black Mask.[40] During the U.S.-China Entertainment Summit in October, Yan confirmed the cast and that the film would be R-rated. She said that she "could not put the script down, it had so much dark humor to it which a lot of my work does, and there are themes of female empowerment which are so strong and relateable".[41] Cinematographer Matthew Libatique joined the film that month,[42] as did Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya.[14] Stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and fight coordinator Jon Valera joined in November[43] along with McGregor as Black Mask[18] and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.[16] Robbie revealed that the full title would be Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),[44] and that the subtitle reflects the humorous and unserious tone of the film.[45] Production designer K. K. Barrett joined in December,[46] as did Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz.[15] Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, François Chau, Matthew Willig, Robert Catrini, and Ali Wong also joined the film's cast.[17][15]
Filming
Principal photography began in Los Angeles, California in January 2019 under the working title Fox Force Five.[47][48][49] Although filming was expected to also take place in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia,[50] the entire shoot took place in Los Angeles after the production received a tax credit from the state of California.[51] Filming was expected to be completed by mid-April 2019.[52] In February, Charlene Amoia joined the cast.[9] Filming wrapped on April 15, 2019.[53]
Post-production
Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff will serve as editors. Method Studios, Weta Digital, Luma Pictures, Image Engine and Crafty Apes will provide the visual effects for the film.[54][55][56][57] In August 2019, Chad Stahelski joined as a second unit director for reshoots.[58] Photography for the additional footage began on September 3, 2019.[59]
Music
Main article: Birds of Prey: The Album
In September 2019, Daniel Pemberton was announced to serve as composer for the film's score.[60] The Original Motion Picture Scores album will be released by WaterTower Music on February 7, to coincides with the film’s release.[61]
A soundtrack album for the film, titled Birds of Prey: The Album, was announced in January 2020 and is also scheduled to be released on February 7 by Atlantic Records. To promote the album, a single was released every Friday before the film’s release.[62] "Diamonds" by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani was released on January 10,[63] "Joke's On You" by Charlotte Lawrence was released on January 17,[64], "Boss Bitch" by Doja Cat was released on January 24 and "Sway with Me" by Saweetie and GALXARA was released on January 31.[65]
Marketing
Marketing began on the January 21, 2019, when a first-look production video of the characters and costumes titled "See You Soon", was released by Warner Bros. via YouTube.[66] DC Comics published a promotional trade paperback anthology featuring stories based on the film on November 12, 2019.[67] The first teaser debuted exclusively in theatres on September 5, 2019, in front of screenings for It: Chapter Two, with Quinn stating that she is "over clowns" while popping a red balloon, in a collective reference to It / Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Joker.[68]
A short teaser was released on the film's social media pages, announcing the first official trailer would be released on October 1, 2019. A series of posters, which also announced the trailer debut, was released the same day.[69] On December 5, 2019, Birds of Prey held a panel at the annual CCXP in Brazil. They showed the first 5 minutes of the film and the second official trailer, which was released online on January 9, 2020.
A three-days pop-up events named Harleywood was also organized at the Hollywood and Highland Center with the presence of the cast on the launch day. Artists from the soundtrack where also present to promote the album, with Charlotte Lawrence and Doja Cat performing their songs.[70]
Release
Birds of Prey is scheduled to be theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on February 7, 2020 in standard, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, 4DX and ScreenX formats.[39][71][72] The film had its world premiere on January 25, 2020 at the Proyecto Publico Prim in Mexico City.[73] It also screened on January 29 at the BFI IMAX in London, and on January 30 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes during a special event named Le Festival de Quinn (The Quinn's Festival) in reference to the Cannes Film Festival.[74][75]
Reception
Box office
In the United States and Canada, Birds of Prey is projected to gross $50–55 million from 4,200 theaters in its opening weekend.[2]
Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 7.06/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn."[76] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews
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