Robbie, who also served as producer, pitched the idea forBirds of Prey toWarner Bros. in 2015. The film was announced in May 2016, with Hodson being hired to write the script that November, followed by Yan signing 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 inDowntown Los Angeles, parts of theLos Angeles Arts District, and soundstages atWarner Bros. Studios inBurbank, California. Additional filming took place in September 2019.
Birds of Prey had its world premiere inMexico City on January 25, 2020, and was released in the United States inIMAX,Dolby Cinema,ScreenX and4DX on February 7. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, but was abox-office disappointment, grossing $205.5 million worldwide, falling short of its reportedbreak-even point of $250–300 million.[3][8][9]
Four years after the defeat of theEnchantress,[a] theJoker breaks up withHarley Quinn, throwing her out on theGotham City streets. She is taken in by Doc, the owner of a Taiwanese restaurant, and recovers from her relationship by cutting her hair, adopting aspotted hyena, and taking uproller derby.
Harley gets drunk at a nightclub owned by ruthless crime lordRoman Sionis, and cripples his driver after he insults her. She meets burlesque singerDinah Lance, who later rescues an intoxicated Harley from an attempted abduction. Impressed by Dinah's fighting skills, Roman appoints her as his new driver. The next night, Harley gets drunk again, and, overhearing some of her drinking buddies debating over whether she has actually broken up with the Joker, blows up theAce Chemicals plant to publicly announce their breakup. When everyone finds out she is not under the Joker's protection anymore, Harley starts getting attacked by every criminal that holds a grudge against her.
Meanwhile,GCPD DetectiveRenee Montoya investigates a series of mob killings carried out by a crossbow-wielding vigilante. She tries to recruit Dinah as an informant, but she rejects the offer, as the GCPD wasn't there to prevent her mother's death. Roman sends Dinah and his sadistic right-hand-manVictor Zsasz to retrieve a diamond embedded with the account numbers to the fortune of the Bertinelli crime family, who were massacred years ago. Young pickpocketCassandra "Cass" Cain steals the diamond from Zsasz and swallows it after she is arrested.
Harley, fleeing from Montoya and several others, is captured by Roman's men. Roman sends Harley to recover the diamond for him, under the threat of death, and also places a bounty on Cass. Breaking into the GCPD with a grenade launcher filled with paint and sparkle rounds, Harley frees Cass and the pair escape. While hiding out at Harley's apartment, they bond. Doc is approached for information by the "crossbow killer", who is revealed to beHelena Bertinelli. Having survived her family's massacre and becoming trained as an assassin, Helena has been targeting each of the gangsters responsible for her family's murders, preferring the moniker "Huntress". Harley's place is later bombed by criminals looking for Cass, and Doc admits that he sold Harley out. Harley calls Roman and offers to turn her over in exchange for his protection, agreeing to meet at an abandoned amusement park. Dinah notifies Montoya of the rendezvous, but her betrayal is noticed by Zsasz, who informs Roman. A devastated Roman dons his ritualistic mask from which he gets his nickname, "Black Mask".
At the park, Montoya confronts Harley, but is kicked out of a window. Zsasz arrives and tranquilizes Harley before holding Dinah at gunpoint, but he is killed by Helena, who reveals he was the last of her family's killers. Montoya returns and reveals that Roman was the true mastermind behind the Bertinellis’ massacre. He had them killed trying to get the diamond. A stand-off ensues until they realize Roman has arrived with a small army of masked criminals. Using Harley's old gear, the makeshift team of five women withstand and repel the attack. During the battle, Cass is captured by Roman, while Dinah reveals hermetahuman ability of supersonic-level screaming, defeating several of the mobsters. Harley gives chase on roller skates, and with assistance from Helena, the pair pursue Roman. At a nearby pier, Roman prepares to kill Cass, who pulls the ring from a grenade that she took from Harley's weapons chest. Harley throws him off the pier just before the grenade detonates, tearing him apart and killing him.
In the aftermath of destroying Roman's criminal empire, Montoya quits the GCPD. Using the money from the accounts hidden inside the diamond, Helena joins Dinah and Montoya in establishing a team of vigilantes called theBirds of Prey. Harley and Cass escape, selling the diamond itself to a pawn shop and starting their own business.
Margot Robbie asDr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn: A former certifiedpsychiatrist, who became a crazed criminal and theJoker's accomplice/girlfriend, and later a part of theSuicide Squad. She has since cut ties with the Joker after the pairbroke up.[10] ScreenwriterChristina Hodson sought to reinvent Harley, wanting to expand on the character following her departure from the Joker's circle of friends.[11] Hodson called Harley the character she enjoyed developing most due to her unpredictable personality.[12]
Jurnee Smollett-Bell asDinah Lance / Black Canary:[13][14][17] A vigilante with the metahuman ability of hypersonic screams, which she inherited genetically from her mother.[18][19] She is a singer in a club that Sionis owns.[20] Smollett-Bell described Dinah as "disenfranchised and disconnected from the world" and someone who "doesn't really want to have anything to do with crime fighting or being a good-doer, which is so against her nature because we know Dinah to be all heart." The actress added she became a fan of Black Canary by playing with the character in the video gameInjustice 2,[21] which also influenced how she physically portrayed the hypersonic screams.[22]
Chris Messina asVictor Zsasz: A deranged mob killer and dedicated henchman of Sionis who carves a tally mark on his skin for each victim he claims.[25]
Ella Jay Basco asCassandra Cain: A young pickpocket who has a bounty placed upon her head by Sionis after she steals a valuable diamond from him.[23][26]
Ali Wong as Ellen Yee: Montoya's ex-girlfriend and Gotham City district attorney.[25][27]
Ewan McGregor asRoman Sionis / Black Mask: A brutal, self-obsessed crime lord and head of the Sionis Crime Family who threatens Cassandra and Harley.[28][29] McGregor described the character as "an absolute narcissist".[30]
Additionally,Steven Williams portrays Captain Patrick Erickson, Montoya's superior at the GCPD; Dana Lee portrays Doc, Quinn's friend who owns a Taiwanese restaurant;François Chau portrays Mr. Keo, a rival crime boss of Sionis;Derek Wilson portrays Tim Munroe, a GCPD detective;Matt Willig portrays Happy, previously a henchman who worked for the Joker and Stefano Galante and whose face was tattooed by Quinn and the Joker; andBojana Novakovic portrays Erika, a night club patron who is the victim of sexual violence[31][32] by Sionis.Charlene Amoia and Paul Lasa respectively portray Maria and Franco Bertinelli, the mother and father of Helena; Robert Catrini portrays Stefano Galante, the mob boss who killed the Bertinelli family;[15][33]Daniel Bernhardt portrays Sionis' chauffeur.
In May 2016, ahead of the release ofSuicide Squad,Warner Bros. Pictures announced a spin-off film focusing onHarley Quinn and several other femaleDC Comics heroes and villains, such asBatgirl and theBirds of Prey.Margot Robbie was attached to reprise her role as Harley Quinn and would also serve as producer.[10][36] British screenwriterChristina Hodson was announced to be writing the film in November.[37] Robbie hadpitched the film to Warner Bros. in 2015 as "anR-rated girlgang 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. andDC Films had various other Harley Quinn-oriented films in development,Birds of Prey was the only one in whose development Robbie was directly involved.[38]
Robbie spent three years working onBirds of Prey and continued to present it to Warner Bros. until the studio felt the project was at the point it could be made.[38] By April 2018, Warner Bros. and DC Films had finalized a deal withCathy Yan to direct, making her the first female Asian director to direct a superhero film.[39] Yan pitched for the job as "wanting to smash the patriarchy."[40] Robbie was confirmed to be producing the film under herLuckyChap Entertainment banner as part of a first-look deal 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.[41] ThePenguin was intended to appear in the script at one point but was dropped to preserve his appearance inThe Batman.[42] Barbara Gordon (also known as Batgirl), is founding member of the team in the comics, but was removed fromBirds of Prey due to the then planned Batgirl film, also written by Christina Hodson.[43]
In late September, Smollett-Bell and Winstead were respectively cast as Black Canary and Huntress,[13] Warner Bros. scheduled a February 7, 2020, release date,[54] andEwan McGregor andSharlto Copley were under consideration for the role of Black Mask.[55] During the U.S.-China Entertainment Summit in October, Yan confirmed the cast and that the film would be R-rated. She said, "[I] 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 relatable."[56] CinematographerMatthew Libatique joined the film that month,[57] as didRosie Perez as Renee Montoya.[24] Stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and fight coordinator Jon Valera joined in November,[58] and McGregor as Black Mask[28] andElla Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.[26] Robbie revealed the full title,[59] and said the subtitle reflects the film's humorous tone.[60] Production designerK. K. Barrett joined in December,[61] as didChris Messina asVictor Zsasz.[25]Steven Williams,Derek Wilson, Dana Lee,François Chau,Matthew Willig, Robert Catrini, andAli Wong were also cast.[25][27]
Principal photography began inLos Angeles,California, in January 2019 under theworking titleFox Force Five, a reference to a fictional television show of the same name mentioned inPulp Fiction.[62][63][64] Although filming had been expected to also take place inAtlanta andSavannah, Georgia,[65] the entire shoot took place in Los Angeles after the production received atax credit from California.[66][44] Filming was expected to be completed by mid-April 2019.[67] In February,Charlene Amoia joined the cast.[15] Filming wrapped on April 15, 2019.[68]
Talking about the post-production process, Cathy Yan indicated that she "would have loved to have more control over the edit, but that's just kind of how it is. I don't know if there's a Cathy Yan cut out there, but I think for any filmmaker, all of us are in it because we want to express ourselves as wholly as possible. And to match what you ultimately see on screen with what's in our head".[77]
In September 2019,Daniel Pemberton was announced to serve as the composer for the film's score.[78] TheOriginal Motion Picture Score album was released byWaterTower Music on February 14, 2020.[79]
A soundtrack album for the film, titledBirds of Prey: The Album, was announced in January 2020 and was released on February 7 byAtlantic Records to coincide with the film's release. To promote the album, a single was released every Friday before the film's release.[80] "Diamonds" byMegan Thee Stallion andNormani was released on January 10,[81] "Joke's On You" byCharlotte Lawrence was released on January 17,[82] "Boss Bitch" byDoja Cat was released on January 24. In June 2020, the song was listed as the 27th best song of 2020 so far byBillboard.[83] In December of that same year,NME named it the 12th best song of 2020.[84] "Sway with Me" bySaweetie and GALXARA was released on January 31[85] and "Experiment on Me" byHalsey, was released the same day as the album.[86] A solo version of "Sway with Me" by GALXARA was released as a standalone single on May 1, 2020.[87]
Marketing began on January 21, 2019, when a first-look production video of the characters and costumes titled "See You Soon" was released by Warner Bros. viaYouTube.[90] DC Comics published a promotionaltrade paperback anthology featuring stories based on the film on November 12, 2019.[91] The first teaser debuted exclusively in theatres on September 5, 2019, in front of screenings forIt: Chapter Two; it begins with a shot of a red balloon, deceiving viewers into thinking said film had started, before Quinn walks into the scene and declares that she is "so fucking over clowns" after popping the balloon by smashing it with her mallet, in a collective reference toIt / Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Joker.[92]
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.[93] On December 5, 2019,Birds of Prey held a panel at the annualCCXP in Brazil, showing the first five minutes of the film, and the second official trailer, which was released online on January 9, 2020.
Warner Bros. Pictures theatrically releasedBirds of Prey in the United States on February 7, 2020, in standard,IMAX,Dolby Cinema,4DX, andScreenX formats.[54][95][96] The film had its world premiere on January 25, 2020, at the Proyecto Publico Prim inMexico City.[97] It also screened at theBFI IMAX inLondon on January 29 and at thePalais des Festivals inCannes on January 30, during a special event namedLe Festival de Quinn (The Quinn Festival) in reference to theCannes Film Festival.[98][99] On February 10, 2020, it was reported that the film was being displayed under the titleHarley Quinn: Birds of Prey on the websites forAMC Theatres,Cinemark Theatres, andRegal Cinemas.[6][7] According toScreen Rant, the name change was mandated by Warner Bros.[6][100] However,TheWrap subsequently reported that "an individual with knowledge at the studio" denied that Warner Bros. had revised the title and quotedAtom Tickets' Alisha Grauso's explanation that the new listing was "apparently for display/search purposes only for vendors and theaters, not an official title change."[101]
On March 19, Warner Bros. Pictures announced the film would be availabledigitally in the United States and Canada throughPremium VOD on March 24 due tomovie theaters closures because of theCOVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This was just over one month after the film's theatrical debut and before the end of the usual 90-day theatrical run.[102] Another film distributed by the studio,The Way Back, was also released earlier than expected for the same reason.[103]In the United Kingdom, it was released digitally and on video on demand on April 24, 2020.[104] TheBlu-ray,4K Ultra HD, andDVD were released in North America on May 12, 2020.[105][106] The film debuted onHBO Max on August 15, 2020. Sometime in November 2021, HBO Max accidentally replacedBirds of Prey with a modified censored version.[107]
As of November 2020,Birds of Prey earned $31.2 million in total domestic video sales.[108]
Birds of Prey grossed $84.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $121.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $205.5 million.[4][5] According toVariety, the film needed to gross $250–300 million worldwide tobreak even.[3]
In the United States and Canada,Birds of Prey was initially projected to gross $50–55 million from 4,236 theaters in its opening weekend.[109] However, after making $13 million on its first day, including $4 million from Thursday night previews, estimates were lowered, and it went on to debut at $33 million. The film finished first at the box office but marked the lowest opening for a DC film sinceJonah Hex in 2010 ($5.3 million) and was 75% smaller thanSuicide Squad's $133.4 million openings in 2016. The low start was blamed on the possible lack of demand for a solo film surrounding the character of Harley Quinn, as well as the confusing title and the R rating limiting the appeal and demographics for ticket sales.[110] In its second weekend, the film fell 48% to $17.1 million, finishing second, behindSonic the Hedgehog, and then made $7 million in its third, dropping another 59%.[111][112][113]
The film was expected to debut to $60–70 million from 76 countries in other territories, for a worldwide total of $110–125 million.[109] It made $7.8 million after two days of overseas release in 51 countries and $18.1 million from the full 76 after three. The film went on to make $46 million from international play in its opening weekend and $79 million worldwide. Its highest-grossing territories were Mexico ($4.6 million), Russia ($4 million), the United Kingdom ($3.9 million), Brazil ($2.8 million) and France ($2.7 million). The low opening was blamed on similar audience hesitation as in the United States and theCOVID-19 pandemic in Asia closing some theaters.[114]
Yan acknowledged the film's unsatisfactory box office performance and reflected, "There were also [undue] expectations on a female-led movie, and what I was most disappointed in was this idea that perhaps it proved that we weren't ready for this yet. That was an extra burden that, as a woman-of-color director, I already had on me anyway. So, yes, I think there were certainly different ways you could interpret the success or lack of success of the movie, and everyone has a right to do that. But, I definitely do feel that everyone was pretty quick to jump on a certain angle."[115]
Birds of Prey garnered generally positive reviews from critics.[116][117][118] OnRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 78% based on 445 reviews and an average rating of 6.8/10. 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."[119] OnMetacritic, it has a weighted average score of 60 out of 100, based on 59 critic reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[120] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, andPostTrak reported it received an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars, with 61% of people surveyed saying they would definitely recommend it.[110][111]
Richard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and said that "Robbie turns in a much richer and funnier and layered performance as Harley this time around, thanks in large part to the stiletto-sharp screenplay by Christina Hodson."[121]Joe Morgenstern, writing forThe Wall Street Journal, stated, "Much of this R-rated movie is chaotic, yet it's a richly hued, madly inventive, gleefully violent and happily slapdash contraption with a formidable female at its center."[122] Matthew Monagle ofThe Austin Chronicle gave it 4 out of 5 stars and said that "Yan and Robbie lean into both sides of Quinn's personality throughout the film. This allowsBirds of Prey to earn every bit of its R-rating while still feeling like aLooney Tunes cartoon."[123]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times explained that "the mood of antic, playful obnoxiousness feels forced rather than liberated, the result of careful note-taking during repeated viewings ofDeadpool."[124]The Arizona Republic's Nicole Ludden praised Yan's direction, saying that it "carries a visually distinct style throughout the film that makes the layering of several chaotic scenes feel cohesive."[125]
John DeFore ofThe Hollywood Reporter called the film: "action-packed, but more rule-following than its bonkers protagonist.... Yan finds plenty of opportunities for exciting set pieces: Extravagant action choreography makes the most of colorful set design, unlikely gimmicks and wrasslin'-style brutality. But Hodson's script offers far less diverting banter than it might've between the fight scenes."[126] Writing forVariety,Owen Gleiberman said the film was "thin but lively" and praised the performance of Robbie, as well as Yan's direction, although noted the script as having "attitude to spare, but in a rather bare-bones way."[127] Calling it "DC's first good action movie", Joshua Rivera ofThe Verge offered a mixed review while praising the film's relation tobreakups, writing: "That manic energy is all that's holdingBirds of Prey together at times, and the fact that all of its characters seem to thrive in it makes it all the more disappointing that the movie doesn't really take any time to get to know them better."[128]
In a scathing review,Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is more than horrible. It should not exist. Money should never have been raised for it. The screenplay should never have been filmed. Margot Robbie shouldn't have produced it. She certainly shouldn't have starred in it."[129]
Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn returned inThe Suicide Squad (2021).[154][155] In April 2020, Cathy Yan said that she would be interested in directing a sequel that would explore Harley Quinn's relationship withPoison Ivy.[156][157] In February 2021, Robbie discussed working on another project featuring Quinn withThe Suicide Squad directorJames Gunn,[158] and both she andLeslie Grace expressed interest in a crossover between Quinn andBarbara Gordon / Batgirl, whom Grace was originally set to play in the 2022 unreleased filmBatgirl and is a prominent Birds of Prey member in the comics.[159][160] Gunn indicated in September 2022 to be involved in a future project involving Robbie's Quinn.[161]
By August 2021, a Black Canary solo spin-off film was in development with Smollett returning as Lance withMisha Green writing the film forHBO Max.[162][163] Set photos reveal that visual references to the character was set to be made in the 2022 filmBatgirl, before its cancellation.[164]
^Alexandra Schwartz (March 2, 2020)."Cathy Yan's Accidental Movie Career".The New Yorker.Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. RetrievedMarch 10, 2020.it was not your typical sizzle reel." To a homemade remix of "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Yan set a collage of clips that embodied the worst of modern womanhood: [...] —stuff that might make a girl want to smash the patriarchy.
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