If you’re looking forward to the Birds of Prey movie as much as I am, then the past few months have given you much cause to geek out.
To briefly recap, the Cathy Yan-directed flick has finally been dealt a release date, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell were both confirmed as Huntress and Black Canary, respectively and, on top of that, Ewan McGregor has been cast as the villainous Black Mask. If you were to ask me, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is being given a great group to work with.
Speaking of Ms. Robbie, she was granted the honor of disclosing the film’s full title today – and it’s much longer than one would expect. You see, Warner Bros. themselves posted the front page to Christina Hodson’s script currently being read over by Margot on Twitter, and it’s revealed to be – deep breath – Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Make no mistake, this isn’t a joke because even The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed it as being official.
Of course, most of us will refer it it simply as “Birds of Prey” in conversation – and because that whopper of a title is nightmarish when it comes to concocting headlines. If anything, this further illustrates Harley’s influence and her muscling Barbara Gordon out of the spotlight.
Something else that can be inferred by the title is how the Clown Princess of Crime is likely to break free of Joker’s influence, something that probably would’ve happened in Suicide Squad if the studio hadn’t ordered reshoots painting the Ace of Knaves as a heroic loverboy.
As a fan of Harley myself, I think she actually works best separate from the Joker, just as she’s done in the comics for the past few years. Granted, we may never see her relocate to Coney Island and go on zany adventures with the likes of Big Tony and Sy Borgman on the big screen, but one can hope.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) arrives in theaters on February 7th, 2020.
