As Warner Bros. looks to finally put the DC Extended Universe on the right track, the studio is planning a very interesting slate of movies, most of which may not end up connecting to the world of the Justice League in a direct way as the focus on a shared universe is made less of a priority. Among those is the Harley Quinn led Birds of Prey, a release which looks set to start shooting as soon as next January.
With the casting process heating up and more details about the DC Comics adaptation starting to surface, we're now breaking down all the confirmed facts and rumours about the female-led ensemble.
The cast may not have been put in place as of yet but we know an awful lot about them, while a lot of very interesting rumours shed some light on the villains, surprise cameos, and the plot. So, to check out this list in its entirety, all you guys have to do is click on the "View List" button to check them out.
It's Going To Boast An R-Rating
In a number of interviews, Margot Robbie has confirmed that Birds of Prey will boast an R-Rating, a pretty unexpected move for a movie which would probably clean up at the box office if it were to be PG-13 (just look at Wonder Woman). The likes of Deadpool and Logan have proved that adult orientated superhero movies can succeed, so that's no doubt what Warner Bros. is banking on here!
What's The Story?
There are a lot of directions Birds of Prey could head in but a brief synopsis has been doing the rounds which lines up with a lot of other things we've been hearing about the movie in recent months. Apparently, we'll pick up with Harley Quinn shortly after she's broken up with The Joker and this team of female superheroes will come together to save Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) from an evil crime boss...
The Birds Of Prey Roster
According to The Wrap, Harley Quinn will be joined by Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain, and Renee Montoya. That's a solid enough roster but one which is bound to disappoint some fans, especially as there's no sign of Batgirl. Understandably, there have been reports that Warner Bros. would rather keep that character in a PG-13 setting which means we can forget about Oracle too.
Production Begins Next Year...With An All-Female Crew?!
This is very much a rumour but one report claims that Warner Bros. and director Cathy Yan are hoping to secure an all-female crew to work on the movie. That's unheard of and one which would obviously give women in those jobs opportunities they might otherwise miss out on. However, it also feels a tad like a gimmick and you just know that trolls will have a field day if this ultimately proves to be correct.
Black Mask Will Be The Movie's Big Bad
Multiple sites have now "confirmed" that Black Mask will be Birds of Prey's lead villain and while it would have been cool to see him square off with Batman, he definitely feels like a good choice for this movie. A powerful and bloodthirsty crime boss, he'll make a great foil for these women and given his horrific appearance, chances are he'll fit in well in this R-Rated adventure for Harley and company.
Harley Quinn Will (Probably) Be The Lead
In the comic books, the Birds of Prey are a pretty heroic group but Margot Robbie describing it as a movie which features a "girl gang" has pointed to us seeing them operate in a space that's not necessarily black or white. It also sounds like Harley Quinn will be the lead and that much of the story will revolve around her finding some new friends and allies who can back her up when she needs help.
We May End Up Seeing The DCEU's First Openly LGBTQ Superhero
I mentioned Renee Montoya a little earlier on in this post and if she does make an appearance (and audition tapes point to that most definitely being the case), then that means we'll see the first opening gay superhero in the DCEU which is a big step forward for the genre. What we don't know is whether or not she'll end up suiting up as The Question or will remain a regular detective throughout this film.
The Studio Is Looking For A Multiracial Black Canary
Looking at the comics, the Birds of Prey crew is pretty...white? It's understandable then that Warner Bros. will look to bring a little more diversity to the team and that's set to start with Black Canary according to a number of reports. It was never specified which race the studio is leaning toward but there's really no reason why fans should take issue with this as Marvel Studios does it all the time.
Peyton Elizabeth Lee Could Be Playing Cassandra Cain
As we noted, Birds of Prey is expected to revolve around Cassandra Cain to a large extent and one name which has come up in regards to who will play her is Peyton Elizabeth Lee. The star of the Disney Channel original series Andi Mack, she seems like a perfect choice to play the character (on the surface at least) and it could actually prove to be a breakout role which then puts the youngster on the map.
The Penguin Was Supposed To Be The Movie's Villain
Thinking about it, you could just as easily have had The Penguin as the man the Birds of Prey come up against as Black Mask, right? Well, that was the original plan until Matt Reeves told Warner Bros. that he wants Oswald Cobblepot for The Batman. While it would have been smart to include an A-List villain here, the studio is probably banking on the popularity of the heroes to sell this movie over the bad guy.
Harley Quinn Is Getting A New Look
Margot Robbie has confirmed that Harley Quinn will get a new costume in Birds of Prey, so that presumably means we'll be saying goodbye to the tiny shorts and t-shirt and something a little more practical for the villain (which hopefully has something in common with her comic book counterpart). Given the female talent involved with the movie, a sexualised costume is likely off the table. Sorry!
Lady Gaga Is Wanted For Black Canary
When it was first revealed that Lady Gaga had turned down the role of Black Canary in Birds of Prey, many fans claimed to be glad that the singer wouldn't be given the opportunity to play a superhero. Well, she's since been unanimously praised for her performance in Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born and new reports claim that Warner Bros. is doing everything they can to get her to play the superhero.
There's A Chance We'll See Barbara Gordon
Batgirl may not be making an appearance in this R-Rated adventure but according to one report, that doesn't mean we won't see Barbara Gordon! That's a pretty unexpected decision but one which totally makes sense if it lays the groundwork for her to then take the spotlight in her own movie. However, with Warner Bros. moving away from a shared universe, this Barbara may be a different version.
Jodie Comer And Vanessa Kirby Are Also On The Black Canary Shortlist
If Lady Gaga doesn't wind up playing Black Canary (and it certainly doesn't appear as if she will at this point), then there are two actresses seemingly waiting in the wings and on Warner Bros.' radar. Jodie Comer is best known in the UK for her work in Doctor Foster, while Vanessa Kirby has starred in The Crown and recently delivered a breakout performance in this year's Mission: Impossible - Fallout.
Alexandra Daddario Could Be Huntress
We haven't heard a lot of names in regards to who will play Huntress but one which keeps coming up is Alexandra Daddario, the True Detective and Baywatch star comic book fans have been hoping will play a superhero for quite some time now. There's no denying she has the right look for the character and while her track record isn't overly impressive, she's a big enough name to draw some interest.
There Are No Plans For Catwoman
While David Ayer's Gotham City Sirens was reportedly set to revolve around Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Poison Ivy, the latter two characters aren't expected to play a role here and it's been reported by a number of sites that Selina Kyle won't be making an appearance. Whether or not that means there are other plans in place for her isn't clear but chances are Catwoman could appear in The Batman instead.
The Director And Writers
Warner Bros. is putting a lot of faith in female filmmakers (as they should) and that's why Cathy Yan is in charge of Birds of Prey. Meanwhile, Christina Hodson is penning the screenplay and her focus is said to be on making Harley Quinn her own character rather than just The Joker's ex-girlfriend. With that in mind, we should probably forget about lots of references to the villainous Clown Prince of Crime.
Katana Could End Up Returning
Harley Quinn struck up an unlikely "friendship" with Katana in Suicide Squad and that might explain why we've heard rumours about the character returning here. That would be an interesting way of setting up the Suicide Squad sequel anyway, especially as it's a movie which has actually been pushed back to give Margot Robbie time to shoot Birds of Prey first. Nothing has been confirmed just yet.
Plans For Green Arrow
One of the audition tapes for Birds of Prey saw Renee Montoya mention finding a perp who had been taken down with an arrow and while we thought that was a reference to Huntress, there's a lot of talk about it relating to Green Arrow too. One Redditor claims that he'll be mentioned a lot in this movie because one of the ideas Warner Bros. is mulling over is a team-up movie with him and Black Canary.
What do you guys think about these Birds of Prey rumours and details? Are you excited for the movie or has your interest in the DCEU waned? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below.