Birds of Prey (The Emancipation of the Fabulous Harley Quinn) is the next DC female-led project coming from Warner Bros., with the movie about Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and her super-friends going before cameras early next year. After that, writer Chistina Hodson is returning to pen the script for a solo film featuring Batgirl, and while speaking with Collider, she was asked what it was like to write for an established character such as the DC heroine.
In response, the scribe argued that Babs isn’t that established to wider audiences. On the big screen, she’s only appeared in 1997’s infamous Batman & Robin, for example. This left Hodson free to practically do what she wanted with Batgirl, as she told Collider the following:
I actually don’t think it is that established. A few people remember Alicia Silverstone doing that, but that movie was not one that is seminal. So, I do feel very free doing that one, and the studio is being super supportive, in letting me dream up whatever I want to dream up.
The outlet then asked her what she was most excited about in terms of bringing the heroine to life. Hodson replied that there are many things, but it seems that the opportunity to write many multi-layered, nuanced roles for women is what she’s most proud of with both Birds of Prey and Batgirl.
“Many things, but I’m not allowed to talk about that, at all. She’s cool. With all of these characters – the ones that I’m creating and that are original, like Charlie [in Bumblebee], and the ones I’m getting to inherit and play with – they’re independent, intelligent, capable, interesting and nuanced, and nuanced really is the main thing. They’re not one thing or another. They are flawed, complex, beautiful, wonderful, weird, and fully rounded and fully fleshed out characters. We’ve got so many great actresses out there, that are ready to play these roles, that it’s fun to be writing roles for them.”
Back in the day, Justice League‘s Joss Whedon was hired to write and direct Batgirl, but he ultimately pulled out of the project when, in his words, he failed to come up with a great story. It’s been reported that WB may also have wanted to pass the character to a female filmmaker instead, following fans’ call for more diversity in their movies after Patty Jenkins proved the perfect choice for Wonder Woman.
It’s too early to say when Batgirl might reach the next stage of production, but if things go smoothly on Birds of Prey, then WB will likely fast-track it. As always, watch this space for more.
