Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
- The original script for Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was written over a decade before production finally began in 2020.
- During the filming of Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), Margot Robbie improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
- Cathy Yan originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a 2020 American superhero film directed by Cathy Yan and starring Margot Robbie reprising her role as Harley Quinn. Following her breakup with the Joker, Harley loses the protection his reputation provided and becomes a target for every criminal she has wronged in Gotham City, particularly the narcissistic crime lord Roman Sionis, played by Ewan McGregor. Harley's path intersects with three other women โ detective Renee Montoya, singer Black Canary played by Jurnee Smollett, and the mysterious Huntress played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead โ who are all pursuing a valuable diamond that Roman wants.
Cathy Yan brought a kinetic, neon-drenched visual style that reflected Harley's chaotic personality, with action sequences choreographed with a creativity and brutality that distinguished them from typical superhero fare โ the police station assault and the funhouse climax were standout sequences. Margot Robbie, who also produced the film, pushed for the R rating and the female-centric narrative, wanting to give Harley a story that explored her independence outside of her relationship with the Joker. Ewan McGregor's Roman Sionis was a memorably unhinged villain whose sadistic vanity made him genuinely threatening.
Birds of Prey earned $201 million worldwide on a $82 million budget, a modest return partly attributed to its R rating and the competitive February marketplace.
