One of the first SUICIDE SQUAD spin-off projects out of the gate will be BIRDS OF PREY, which will find Margot Robbie reprising the role of Harley Quinn as she's joined by several other female DC characters. When Robbie pitched Warner Bros. on the project, she envisioned it as "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. She’s got to be with other people, it should be a girl gang. I wasn’t seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space. So that was always a big part of it." Thanks to The Wrap, we have a good idea which DC characters will be joining Harley Quinn in BIRDS OF PREY.
According to The Wrap, BIRDS OF PREY will include Dinah Laurel Lance (Black Canary), Helena Bertinelli (Huntress), Cassandra Cain (a former Batgirl), and Renee Montoya (a Gotham detective who occasionally suits up as the Question). A few surprises in there based on what we had previously heard, but certainly an exciting group. In addition to that news, The Wrap also claims that the villain in BIRDS OF PREY will be a comic villain who has never appeared on the big-screen. I guess that counts The Penguin out. Any guesses? Margot Robbie has previously said the production on BIRDS OF PREY will get underway in January 2019, and that it will be "different" from the other Harley Quinn spin-offs as well as made with a "much smaller budget." We may hear more during Warner Bros.' panel at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con, which JoBlo will be attending, so keep an eye out for more news this weekend!
Cathy Yan (DEAD PIGS) will helm BIRDS OF PREY from a script by Christina Hodson (BUMBLEBEE), and Margot Robbie is thrilled that Yan will be directing the film. "Giving a female director the chance to do big budget stuff," Robbie said. "They always get ‘Here’s the tiny little film’… I was like, ‘I love action. I love action films. I’m a girl. What, are we meant to only like a specific thing’?” So it was a hugely important to find a female director for this, if possible. But at the end of the day — male, female — the best director gets the job and Cathy was the best director."