‘Joker’ opens next week, but that’s a self-contained movie. The next movie set within the DC cinematic universe is ‘Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)’, which arrives in February. Perhaps due to the DCEU’s status being… let’s say, “in flux,” no one really knows what to expect. But that may not be simply due to the fact that the movie is still several months away. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who stars in the picture as The Huntress a.k.a. mob assassin Helena Bertinelli, ‘Birds of Prey’, directed by Cathy Yan, says this movie is different than any other comic book movie.
In an excerpt from a preview in Total Film magazine, Winstead is quoted as saying:
“You can expect something really fun and a bit wild and totally unique. Every day we were there, we were doing something that just felt really weird and funny and unlike anything else I’ve seen before in this genre. It was incredibly exciting to get to do that. We really got to work. We just played, and we had fun.”
Considering how diverse comic book movies and TV shows are, it should be interesting to see just what Winstead means by that statement. It’s hard to imagine something completely new. But even if it isn’t a complete reinvention of the superhero movie genre, here’s hoping that it is at least fun.
In May, Winstead stated, “It’s all women and genuinely funny and weird. It feels from the ’90s, in the best way.” (Here’s hoping it’s better than the last woman superhero movie “from the ’90s.”)
She may be referring to the fact that this is the first project that showcases several female characters working together. (Well, not counting the brief “A-Force” gathering in ‘Avengers: Endgame’.) Margot Robbie‘s Harley Quinn was the breakout star of ‘Suicide Squad’, and she returns for ‘Birds of Prey’. Jurnee Smollett-Bell co-stars as Black Canary, with Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, who works for the Gotham Police Department, and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, a young girl that the others must protect from the film’s villain, Black Mask, portrayed by Ewan McGregor. Chris Messina‘s Victor Zsasz also plays a part.
What may also help us get a better idea of what to expect is a full trailer. Next weekend happens to be when ‘Joker’ opens AND it’s New York Comic Con, so Warner Brothers HAS to release a new ‘Birds of Prey’ trailer, right?
‘Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is set to open on February 7, 2020.
