BIRDS OF PREY Continues Harley Quinn's Story, But Isn't Actually A SUICIDE SQUAD Sequel

BIRDS OF PREY Continues Harley Quinn's Story, But Isn't Actually A SUICIDE SQUAD Sequel

Suicide Squad was a box office hit, but the movie ended up being a critical flop. Now, Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson has revealed that this adventure serves as a "standalone story" for Harley.

News
By JoshWilding - Aug 23, 2019 04:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Birds of Prey
Source: Total Film Magazine (via Screen Rant)
It's obvious from the title that Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) puts the spotlight on Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, but that doesn't mean it continues the story from David Ayer's Suicide Squad. 

In a new interview, Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson has described this as a "standalone story" rather than a direct follow-up to the big screen debut of Task Force X. However, she noted that her take on this movie does continue Harley's narrative without leaning too heavily on what came before. 

"Obviously, yes, it's a character we have met before, but it's really its own story, and that's kind of how I approached it," Hodson explains. "I just tried to take myself off-leash. I fell in love with this character, and then all of these other new characters. And I just created a brand new story that felt like its own thing, and that doesn't have to feel like it follows one or the other."

We've seen set photos pointing to a cameo from the Clown Prince of Crime, so it does appear as if Birds of Prey will tie into Suicide Squad in some capacity - but those of you expecting the movie to address her prison escape and the like may end up being disappointed. 

How do you guys feel about this news?

Hit the "View List" button to check out some
screenshots from the Birds of Prey teaser!



This is obviously Harley Quinn and it's good to see her trademark mallet here. I may be wrong about this, but have some of the tattoos on the back of her legs been removed since Suicide Squad?
 


Huntress has her crossbow here and that's obviously going to make a lot of comic book fans happy seeing as it's something she's always used in the source material. 
 


Is this Renee Montoya? If so, here's hoping Birds of Prey avoids taking us down the route of seeing a cop with a drinking problem because that's been done to death in countless movies over the years.
 


Well, Cassandra Cain certainly seems to have some issues as it really doesn't look like she's particularly popular if those insults were written by "friends."  She may have decorated it herself, though.
 


As good as it is to see Harley wielding that baseball bat, she's rocking a totally different costume here. This could be her new look throughout the movie or just one of many different outfits.
 


Based on what we see here, it definitely appears as if this version of Black Canary is going to be inspired by the New 52/Rebirth era versions but, as we see later, she does have fishnets...on her arms!
 


Well, Huntress definitely looks like a badass but her mask is nowhere to be seen and while there's a chance she'll suit up later on in the movie, Birds of Prey seems to be going for a grounded aesthetic.
 


This doesn't tell us much about Renee Montoya, but the character is expected to play a key role in the movie and it will be interesting to see how she's handled as there's a lot to pick from the comics.
 


Meet the Black Mask...minus the black mask! He certainly looks like a gangster and seeing as this is just a test video/cast reveal, there's nothing to say he won't don his skeletal visage at some point.
 


Huntress takes aim. Little is known about how this version of the character will differ from the source material, but she's unlikely to be Catwoman's daughter! 
 


This is Victor Zsasz, a classic Batman villain who covers his body with scars for every kill. We don't see any of those here but he definitely bears something of a resemblance to the comic book version.
 

 


Two more fairly unrevealing shots, but the second definitely gives us an idea of how Black Canary will be portrayed. After seeing so much of her on TV, I do wonder how her powers will differ visually.
 


A lot of fans are definitely going to be disappointed if Black Mask doesn't don his classic headpiece, as it really wouldn't be that hard to include. 
 


Cassandra Cain sounds like she will be the "MacGuffin" of Birds of Prey in the sense that the team will be trying to save her from Black Mask. Why she's so important hasn't been revealed yet, though. 
 


Well, he definitely looks like a psycho, right? 
 

 

 


This could prove to be a somewhat divisive take on Harley Quinn, especially among those hoping for a comic accurate costume. This is bound to be just one of many costumes in the movie, though!
 


What do you guys think about this first look at Birds of Prey? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
 
 
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GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/23/2019, 4:31 AM
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/23/2019, 4:33 AM
They have some real problems with language over there at DC.
WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 8/23/2019, 4:36 AM
It's a spin-off.
GhostDog
GhostDog - 8/23/2019, 4:39 AM
Lol what’s up with this film? It’s “a sequel but actually not really a sequel, but it does follow up from the first SS”

Shit sounds like a guy who is afraid to label a relationship a certain way. Like they’re afraid to have it be designated as one thing or the other.
Mando
Mando - 8/23/2019, 4:40 AM
Do we really need a birds of prey film like seriously

who the hell is asking for this movie
99OPTIMISTPRIME
99OPTIMISTPRIME - 8/23/2019, 4:40 AM
It's a spin-off, that was supposed to include Ivy and Catwoman.😾
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 8/23/2019, 5:00 AM
I was going to say that Suicide Squad ended with her back in jail, but now I vaguely remember some tacked-on scene where the Joker comes to bust her out.

If they were simply saying “we’re not concerned with connecting the dots between where the last film ended and where this one begins”, then I could understand what they mean by saying it’s not really a sequel, but it doesn’t seem like that’s really needed either way.
tmp3
tmp3 - 8/23/2019, 5:00 AM
Suicide Squad is so bad that even DC hates it to the point of labelling all sequels/spin-offs as "not sequels!" or "reboots!"
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/23/2019, 5:01 AM
@Bootyclapper - I have very much been asking for a Birds of Prey movie for years. It’s great team with great characters with great stories. This unfortunately isn’t Birds of Prey though.
Matador
Matador - 8/23/2019, 5:12 AM
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 8/23/2019, 5:22 AM
MCU has taught me and many that many dramatic events occur off screen. I’ve learned to just...go with it.
bkmeijer2
bkmeijer2 - 8/23/2019, 5:59 AM
Still convinced they should've made this a Gotham City Sirens movie, followed by a seperate Birds of Prey movie with Batgirl and eventually a Sirens vs Birds or Sirens and Birds vs Black Mask movie.

And although I understand jackshit of what he is trying to say, it looks to me the guy just wanted to make a Harley Quinn story
theFUZZ008
theFUZZ008 - 8/23/2019, 6:09 AM
TheUnworthyThor
TheUnworthyThor - 8/23/2019, 6:31 AM
@dethpillow - For the longest time actually they didn’t refer to themselves as the Birds of Prey in the comics but they have since. It’s hard for me to say why some people would have a problem with some all women groups and not others. Maybe here specifically it has to do with the Birds of Prey existing for longer than most of them have been reading comics. The heart of the team was always the friendship of Black Canary and Barbara Gordon and that’s how it started. There is a history of trying to rehabilitate and giving people a chance to prove themselves. There has been a male member though and males have often helped out on specific missions. Birds of Prey often has mission specific rosters.
TheRealMandarin
TheRealMandarin - 8/23/2019, 6:41 AM
Its a reboot without saying it.
OmegaDaGrodd
OmegaDaGrodd - 8/23/2019, 7:10 AM
Has there ever been another major studio film that was so financially successful that the studio kept milking it but was also simultaneously so obviously awful that the studio kinda had to kept pretending that milk just appeared out of thin air?
MrDandy
MrDandy - 8/23/2019, 7:44 AM
More distancing from the dceu.... what a shock
MotherGooseUPus
MotherGooseUPus - 8/23/2019, 7:46 AM
This movie is going to suck badly... too bad cuz a real Birds of Prey movie would be kinda great to see
blitzburgh
blitzburgh - 8/23/2019, 8:14 AM
For the love of God can you please fix this site, it has been five goddamn days
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