Birds of Prey gets a new title in theaters after box office disappointment

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Birds of Prey, Margot Robbie, DC

BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) was always a bit of a mouthful, but it would appear that we're about to witness a rare event — a title change after the film has been released in theaters. In a move which seems to be a reaction to the film's lackluster box-office, many theater chains, including AMC, Regal, and Cinemark, have changed the title to HARLEY QUINN: BIRDS OF PREY. Much shorter, and it puts Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) right up front, in case all the Harley Quinn-centric trailers and posters weren't enough for audiences to figure it out. According to Screenrant, this change apparently came at the behest of Warner Bros. themselves, but we haven't confirmed this yet.

While some are already calling BIRDS OF PREY, sorry, HARLEY QUINN: BIRDS OF PREY, a box-office bomb, that's hardly the case at the moment. While the film opened with $33 million, less than Warner Bros. was hoping for as well as the lowest opening for a DCEU film, its budget was also significantly less than many of its predecessors, and there's also the R-rating to consider. As the film has received largely positive reviews, word-of-mouth will likely give it a boost in the coming weeks as its only real competition is SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, THE INVISIBLE MAN, and BLOODSHOT, but the title change is certainly an interesting addition.

The official synopsis for BIRDS OF PREY:

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.

BIRDS OF PREY is slated now playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own JimmyO and let us know what you thought of the film as well!

Birds of Prey, poster

About the Author

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Based in Canada, Kevin Fraser has been a news editor with JoBlo since 2015. When not writing for the site, you can find him indulging in his passion for baking and adding to his increasingly large collection of movies that he can never find the time to watch.