Birds of Prey (2020 film)
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Birds of Prey
(and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Harley standing on a giant clamshell, surrounded by the other characters, in a spoof of Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Cathy Yan
Written by Christina Hodson
Based on Characters
from DC
Produced by
Margot Robbie
Bryan Unkeless
Sue Kroll
Starring
Margot Robbie
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Jurnee Smollett-Bell
Rosie Perez
Chris Messina
Ella Jay Basco
Ali Wong
Ewan McGregor
Cinematography Matthew Libatique
Edited by
Jay Cassidy
Evan Schiff
Music by Daniel Pemberton
Production
companies
Warner Bros. Pictures[1]
DC Films
LuckyChap Entertainment[1]
Clubhouse Pictures[1]
Kroll & Co. Entertainment[1]
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
January 25, 2020 (Mexico City)
February 7, 2020 (United States)
Running time
109 minutes[2]
Country United States[1]
Language English
Budget $82–100 million[3]
Box office $205.3 million[4][5]
Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)[a] is a 2020 American superhero film directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, based on the DC Comics team, the Birds of Prey. Produced by Warner Bros., DC Films, LuckyChap Entertainment, Clubhouse Pictures, and Kroll & Co. Entertainment, it is the eighth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), and serves as a spin-off and sequel to Suicide Squad (2016). It stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, and Ewan McGregor. The film follows Harley Quinn, who, after breaking up with the Joker, is threatened by Gotham City crime lord Roman Sionis, and joins forces with Helena Bertinelli, Dinah Lance and Renee Montoya (who go on to form the Birds of Prey) to save Cassandra Cain.
Robbie, who also served as producer, pitched the idea for Birds of Prey to Warner 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 in Downtown Los Angeles, parts of the Los Angeles Arts District, and soundstages at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Additional filming took place in September 2019.
The film had its world premiere in Mexico City on January 25, 2020, and was released in the United States in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, ScreenX and 4DX on February 7, 2020. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $205.3 million worldwide, falling short of its reported break-even point of $250–300 million.[3][8][9]
Plot
Four years after the defeat of the Enchantress, the Joker breaks up with Harley Quinn, throwing her out on the Gotham City streets. She is taken in by Doc, the owner of a Taiwanese restaurant, and recovers from her relationship by cutting her hair, adopting a spotted hyena, and taking up roller derby.
Harley gets drunk at a nightclub owned by ruthless crime lord Roman Sionis, and cripples his driver after he insults her. She meets burlesque singer Dinah Lance, who later rescues an intoxicated Harley from an attempted abduction. Impressed by Dinah's fighting skills, Sionis 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 the Ace 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 had previously held a grudge against her.
Meanwhile, GCPD Detective Renee 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. Sionis sends Dinah and his sadistic right-hand-man Victor Zsasz to retrieve a diamond embedded with the account numbers to the fortune of the Bertinelli crime family, who were massacred years ago. Young pickpocket Cassandra "Cass" Cain steals the diamond from Zsasz and swallows it after she is arrested.
Harley, fleeing from Montoya and several others, is captured by Sionis' men. Sionis sends Harley to recover the diamond for him, under the threat of death, and also places a bounty on Cassandra. Breaking into the GCPD with a grenade launcher filled with paint and sparkle rounds, Harley frees Cassandra 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 be Helena 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 Cassandra, and Doc admits that he sold Harley out. Harley calls Sionis 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 Sionis. A devastated Sionis 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 Sionis was the true mastermind behind the Bertinellis's massacre. He had them killed trying to get the diamond. A stand-off ensues until they realize Sionis 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, Cassandra is captured by Sionis, while Dinah reveals her metahuman ability of supersonic-level screaming, defeating several of the mobsters. Harley gives chase on roller skates, and with assistance from Helena, the pair pursue Sionis. At a nearby pier, Sionis prepares to kill Cassandra, 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.
In the aftermath of destroying Sionis' criminal empire, Montoya quits the GCPD. Using the money from the accounts hidden inside the diamond, Helena joins with Dinah and Montoya in establishing a team of vigilantes called the Birds of Prey. Harley and Cassandra escape, selling the diamond itself to a pawn shop and starting their own business.
Cast
Further information: List of DC Extended Universe cast members and Characters of the DC Extended Universe
Margot Robbie as Dr. Harleen Quinzel / Harley Quinn: A former certified psychiatrist, who became a crazed criminal and the Joker's accomplice/girlfriend, and later a part of the Suicide Squad. She has since cut ties with the Joker after the pair broke up.[10] Screenwriter Christina Hodson sought to reinvent Harley, wanting to expand on the character following her departure from the Joker's company.[11] Hodson called Harley the character she enjoyed developing most due to her unpredictable personality.[12]
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertinelli / The Huntress: A vigilante who is the orphaned daughter of gangster Franco Bertinelli.[13][14][15] Ella Mika portrays a young Helena during flashback scenes.[16]
Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah 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 game Injustice 2,[21] which also influenced how she physically portrayed the hypersonic screams.[22]
Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya:[23][24] An alcoholic, cynical detective in the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD), who is building a case against Sionis.
Chris Messina as Victor 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 as Cassandra 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 as Roman 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; and Bojana 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 the beginning of the movie.
The Joker appears in the film through animated special effects during a flashback sequence, and the combined use of an archived back shot of Jared Leto from Suicide Squad and rock musician Johnny Goth doubling for Leto in a brief flashback sequence. These techniques were used because Leto was not available during filming.[34] A still photograph of Jai Courtney as George "Digger" Harkness / Captain Boomerang also appears on a wall in the Gotham City Police Department.[35]
Production
Development
In May 2016, ahead of the release of Suicide Squad, Warner Bros. Pictures announced a spin-off film focusing on Harley Quinn and several other female DC Comics heroes and villains, such as Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Margot Robbie was attached to reprise her role as Harley Quinn and would also serve as producer.[10][36] British screenwriter Christina Hodson was announced to be writing the film in November.[37] Robbie had pitched the film to Warner Bros. in 2015 as "an 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." Robbie felt it was important for the film to have a female director. While Warner Bros. and DC 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 on Birds 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 with Cathy 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 her LuckyChap 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] The Penguin was intended to appear in the script at one point but was dropped to preserve his appearance in The Batman.[42] Barbara Gordon / Batgirl, a founding member of the team in the comics, was removed from Birds of Prey due to her planned standalone film, which Christina Hodson also wrote.[43]
Pre-production
Margot Robbie in 2019
By July 2018, the film was entering pre-production.[44] Robbie confirmed the film would be titled Birds of Prey, describing it as "different" from the other DC films featuring Harley Quinn, and said it would be produced on a relatively small budget compared to other superhero films.[45][46] She also stated Harley Quinn would receive a new costume and teased the casting of diverse actors.[47] The line-up for the Birds of Prey team was revealed to include Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya, with the villain set to be a Batman adversary who had not yet been seen in the films.[23] Casting began in August,[48] with Warner Bros. considering several actresses for Huntress and Black Canary. Alexandra Daddario, Jodie Comer, Blake Lively, and Vanessa Kirby expressed interest.[49][50] In August, Roman Sionis / Black Mask was revealed to be the film's antagonist.[51] Janelle Monáe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell were under consideration for Black Canary by September, while Sofia Boutella, Margaret Qualley, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Cristin Milioti were being considered to play Huntress.[52] Justina Machado and Roberta Colindrez tested for Renee Montoya, while Warner Bros. began seeking a 12-year-old Asian actress to play Cassandra Cain.[53]
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] and Ewan McGregor and Sharlto 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, " 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] Cinematographer Matthew Libatique joined the film that month,[57] as did Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya.[24] Stunt coordinator Jonathan Eusebio and fight coordinator Jon Valera joined in November,[58] and McGregor as Black Mask[28] and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.[26] Robbie revealed the full title,[59] and said the subtitle reflects the film's humorous tone.[60] Production designer K. K. Barrett joined in December,[61] as did Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz.[25] Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, François Chau, Matthew Willig, Robert Catrini, and Ali Wong were also cast.[25][27]
Filming
Principal photography began in Los Angeles, California, in January 2019 under the working title Fox Force Five, a reference to a fictional TV show of the same name mentioned in Pulp Fiction.[62][63][64] Although filming had been expected to also take place in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia,[65] the entire shoot took place in Los Angeles after the production received a tax 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]
Post-production
Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff served as editors, while Method Studios, Weta Digital, Luma Pictures, Image Engine, and Crafty Apes provided the visual effects for the film.[69][70][71][72] In August 2019, Chad Stahelski served as a second unit director for reshoots, his company 87eleven having been already involved in developing the action scenes.[73] Photography for the additional footage began on September 3, 2019.[74][75]
Costume concept artist Greg Hopwood released an exclusive look at Costume production art at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019.[76]
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]
Music
Doja Cat (pictured) was featured on the soundtrack with "Boss b***h", which received critical acclaim.
Main article: Birds of Prey (soundtrack)
In September 2019, Daniel Pemberton was announced to serve as the composer for the film's score.[78] The Original Motion Picture Score album was released by WaterTower Music on February 14, 2020.[79]
A soundtrack album for the film, titled Birds of Prey: The Album, was announced in January 2020 and was released on February 7 by Atlantic 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" by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani was released on January 10,[81] "Joke's On You" by Charlotte Lawrence was released on January 17,[82] "Boss b***h" by Doja Cat was released on January 24. In June 2020, the song was listed as the 27th best song of 2020 so far by Billboard.[83] In December of that same year, NME named it the 12th best song of 2020.[84] "Sway with Me" by Saweetie and GALXARA was released on January 31[85] and "Experiment on Me" by Halsey, 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]
The movie also includes songs that are not featured on the album, such as Spiderbait's "Black Betty", which plays during the fight scene at the police impound, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts' "I Hate Myself For Loving You", which plays during the montage of Harley trying to move on from the Joker, Heart's "Barracuda", which plays for the first part of the fight sequence inside the Booby Trap, and Kesha's "Woman", which plays during the final scene. The film also features a rendition of Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend", performed by Robbie in a reimagining of Marilyn's performance of the song in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer
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