For a while, it seemed that the Harley Quinn movie wasn't really going anywhere. Whilst she will be starring in the upcoming Suicide Squad 2 (2019, Gavin O'Connor) her other projects don't seem to have made any progression. But yesterday the project took a huge stride as it was announced that unknown director Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs, According To My Mother) has been hired to direct a DC movie starring Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and to feature the Superhero team Birds Of Prey. With the script being written by Christina Hodson (Shut in, Bumblebee). This news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
First Thoughts
I'm very intrigued by this idea. I'm not entirely on board with it, as there are things that I have issues with, but I'm very intrigued. I think Cathy Yen is an interesting choice for Harley Quinn, I'm very happy to see Margot Robbie (Wolf Of Wall Street, I, Tonya) come back to the role, as she was very good in Suicide Squad (2016, David Ayer) and I think this speaks a lot to the direction that the DCEU is taking.
Margot Robbie
As I said, I'm very happy to see Margot Robbie come back to this role. She did a really good job in Suicide Squad and was one of that film's saving graces. However, like I said in my Review of that film, Robbie could only go as far as the script would let her. So, whilst she was good in Suicide Squad there is definitely room for Robbie and Harley to grow! Robbie has recently been nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in I, Tonya (2017, Craig Gillespie) so I can't wait to see her in return to this role.
Cathy Yan
I don't really have strong opinions on Cathy Yan. In all honesty, I only heard about her with this announcement. Which makes it more surprising why DC would hire her. But I have been doing some quick research. Her biggest work is a foreign Indie film called Dead Pigs which came out January this year and won an award at the Sundance Festival, which is good to have on your resume! I haven't seen the film but I have taken a look at a couple of stills and some clips from the film. And I noticed that Yan has a keen eye for colour, something that'll help her with directing Harley.
According to Deadline Hollywood, Yan mainly got the job because of her presentation for the film, which Warner Bros. and Walter Hamada (DCEU President) were impressed with. Whilst this isn't a lot to go on in terms of where Yan will take Harley and the Birds Of Prey, I'm semi-confident in her capability to direct this film. Besides, hiring unknown directors has worked well for Marvel! So it could also work for DC!
Christina Hodson
Now, this is where things get really interesting! Recently it was announced that Christina Hodson will be writing the script for the Batgirl movie after Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Serenity) left the project. I wasn't entirely sure about this, as her earlier work doesn't really show high-quality. But apparently, she got that gig because of the quality of her Birds Of Prey script. And now it seems that Walter Hamada is backing that claim by green-lighting the film! So now I have a lot more faith in both projects since DC seems to be investing in her with two very important films! This also speaks to how Hodson writes Batgirl since she's part of the Birds Of Prey. Suggesting that she's very well-written in the script. Hopefully, Hamada's trust is well-founded. Either way, I'm now more confident in Hodson's qualifications to write Batgirl.
Birds Of Prey
Unfortunately, this is where I start to have doubts. For those who are unaware, the Birds Of Prey are a Superhero team primarily made up of female Superheroes. Mainly run by Batgirl/Oracle and Black Canary. Now, Whilst I'm happy to see Harley Quinn come back in the films, and I'm glad that the Birds Of Prey are getting the cinematic treatment, I'm not too sure on whether it's good to have them in the same film. Primarily because Harley has never been a member of the Birds Of Prey. So those characters could be pushed to the sidelines in favour of Harley. It's possible that Batgirl will be a big part of it, as the writing of that character is what got Christina Hodson the Solo film gig. But other characters may suffer because of it. Perhaps Yan and Hodson will try and keep the team small as to give characters more time to shine. But overall I'm on the fence about this idea.
Gotham City Sirens
And this is where I get confused. Instead of putting her with the Birds Of Prey why not put Harley in a group that she's always been part of? The Gotham City Sirens! Made up of Harley Quinn, Catwoman and Poison Ivy. Now there was a film based on that group already in the works, planned to be directed by David Ayer. But that film seems to have vanished off the radar. With this announcement, there's a chance that it's no longer in the works. Which is a shame because I think Harley is a better suit to those characters than she is to the Birds Of Prey. Hopefully, we'll get some more news on whether that project is still in the works or not.
Walter Hamada/DC's New Angle
I think that this announcement doesn't just speak for where Harley Quinn is going in the future but for the whole DCEU. With this announcement and the announcement of Ava Duvernay (Selma, A Wrinkle In Time) directing the New Gods film, it suggests that DC is going for a more feminist angle. When you look back at the DCEU films the only film that's been successful both financially and critically was Wonder Woman (2017, Patty Jenkins) and fans praised Margot Robbie as one of the best things in Suicide Squad. So perhaps Walter Hamada is pushing DC into the more feminist territory by hiring female directors and writers, such as Patty Jenkins (Wonder Woman, Monster), Ava Duvernay, Christina Hodson and now Cathy Yan. And greenlighting female-centred superhero films. Such as Wonder Woman 2 (2019, Patty Jenkins), Batgirl (Christina Hodson writing), and now this Harley Quinn/Birds Of Prey film. This would definitely separate them from their competition. For example, Marvel only has one film with a female lead and director, the upcoming Captain Marvel (2019, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck). So it could push them ahead in that area.
Conclusion
This is a very intriguing announcement. It has its positives, like a new Harley Movie and a strong female presence behind the camera. But it also has its negatives, such as putting Harley with a group that she's never been a part of and possibly taking her away from the group that she's always been a part of. But what's really interesting here is how it seems that the DC is going for a more feminist angle to separate it from its competition.
So those are my thoughts on the new Harley Quinn/Birds Of Prey film. What do you think of the news? Was there anything I missed? Do you disagree with me? Please leave a comment down below. And, if you liked this post then you can follow this blog for more content. Thank you for reading. :)
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