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(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

"I pitched the idea of an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, 'Harley needs friends.'" That's what Margot Robbie said in May 2018, explaining how Harley Quinn's eventual 2020 spin-off film "Birds of Prey" came to be. "I wasn't seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space."

Warner Bros. was in a weird spot around this time. Marvel was running laps around DC in the cinematic universe space, with "Avengers: Infinity War" shattering records in 2018 and the MCU collectively generating billions upon billions of dollars globally. DC, meanwhile, was reeling from the commercial disaster that was "Justice League," while trying to build on the success of "Wonder Woman." As part of that plan, they leaned...

It's Charli Xcx's world, and we're all just living in it. Not only was she just nominated for a whopping seven Grammy nominations for her critically acclaimed album Brat, including album of the year, but the pop star is now garnering major Hollywood attention. Deadline reports that Charli will join the cast of The Gallerist, which stars Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega and will begin filming sometime at the end of this year.

The plot will follow a desperate gallerist who cooks up a scheme to sell a dead body at a famous art gallery. No word on who will play the lead, but we do know the rest of the cast, which is satisfactorily stacked. The film is also set to star Da’Vine Joy Randolph, winner of last year's best supporting actress Oscar for The Holdovers, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Daniel Brühl, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

The new...

This article briefly mentions sexual assault.

Action movies have been a cornerstone of cinema for its entire 100-year history: from the classic Buster Keaton films of the 1920s to the John Wick movies of the 2020s. Unfortunately, that history has often underrepresented female voices, who spent many years of film history in unsung roles behind the scenes.

Luckily, many female directors have emerged in recent years to deliver some of the most dynamic, interesting action films out there. Female voices behind the camera have added great dimensions to the action genre.

This Forgotten Dceu Film Deserves More Recognition Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)

Directed by:

Cathy Yan

Starring:

Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell

Released just at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, when movie theaters were shutting down around the world, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn...

After coming face-to-face with the Ghost With the Most in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Jenna Ortega will deal with another dead guy alongside Natalie Portman in Cathy Yan‘s upcoming film The Gallerist. Ortega and Portman are circling the project, which finds the Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn helmer back in the director’s chair. In addition to directing the picture, Yan co-wrote the screenplay with James Pedersen. In addition to her starring role, Portman produces the film alongside Jonathan King, Ash Sarohia, Tom McCarthy, Rae Baron, Sophie Mas, and Zola Elgart Glassman.

Details about The Gallerist are scarce. Still, Deadline says the film focuses on a desperate gallerist who conspires to sell a dead guy at Art Basel Miami. If Portman and Ortega join the movie, Yan’s next project could become one of the hottest tickets in Tinsel Town.

Dead Pigs...

It's been an interesting year for movies. Some big-budget franchises staged the comeback they needed to make while other studios unveiled long-awaited sequels that made box-office history. There were also some surprises, overperforming in certain markets and outdoing all expectations to bring their own franchises back to their glory days. And then there were the disappointing ones that struggled out of the gate and didn't quite make the mark they needed to.

Yes, 2024 had it all at the movies. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was probably the biggest surprise, outperforming expectations to deliver the MonsterVerse's best performance ever five movies in. Deadpool and Wolverine brought the Marvel Cinematic Universe back to its billion-dollar glory days, all while bringing Hugh Jackman's Logan and Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson into the MCU franchise for the first time. And then there is Disney's Inside Out 2, which has gone on to...

“I’m telling you, if you want boys to respect you, you have to show them that you’re serious. Blow something up. Shoot someone. Nothing gets a guy’s attention like violence.”

We’re told that behind every successful man is a badass woman, a partner in crime perhaps pulling the strings. But what if that man is a murderous psychopath? What do his actions say about the woman at his side? And who will she be when she steps out of his shadow? Harley Quinn was created to be a sidekick and romantic partner for the iconic criminal Joker known for terrorizing Gotham under Batman’s watchful eye. But Harley gets her own story in the 2020 film Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Cathy Yan’s girly-pop take on the superhero genre sees this iconic bad girl step into the spotlight and find...

Zack Snyder is very excited about the development of a fresh DC Universe. In response to Snyder's public approval, James Gunn explained that Zack Snyder has been supportive throughout the process of redeveloping the universe. Gunn says that he and Snyder have been in communication, and Snyder has been very positive.

James Gunn is speaking out about Zack Snyder's response to the new DC Universe. After Warner Bros. elected to move on from the DC Extended Universe, James Gunn and Peter Safran were tapped to serve as the co-heads of the universe. Since then, they have been working to develop a universe that will begin with the 2025 Superman movie. Dcu director Zack Snyder recently spoke about the new Dcu and his excitement for the franchise.

After Snyder's public comments, Gunn took to Threads to explain Snyder's private reaction to the Dcu. Gunn was prompted by a fellow Threads user to answer,...

Peacock has officially announced the second season of "Based on a True Story," a satirical show that parodies the true crime genre. The series focuses on a real estate agent, a former tennis star, and a plumber whose lives intersect due to a terrible crime, leading them to investigate using their obsession with true crime. The show features a talented cast including Kaley Cuoco, Chris Messina, and Tom Bateman, and the first season is currently available to stream on Peacock.

Three months have passed since Based on a True Story finished airing its first season, and all hopes of a renewal seemed lost, but Peacock has finally decided to continue the story and officially announces the second season of the show that satirizes the true crime genre. Documentaries about true crimes, as well as series focused on the stories of real murderers, are going through a very popular moment. Series...

Birds of Prey introduced DC's most underrated movie team, and sadly, it is impossible for the team to be saved by the upcoming DC Universe. James Gunn and Peter Safran will soon be refocusing the DC Universe, and while some characters will continue on from previous projects, others will remain in the past. A 10-year DC plan is already in place for the future, which will include movies, series, animation, and video games. Some actors and projects from the Dceu are set to return in the new DC Universe, and while not all of them have been made public, some have more chances than others.

There are still a few movies from the old DC management that have to be released. Those films include the highly-anticipated The Flash, newcomer Blue Beetle, and Jason Momoa's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. All three franchises have good chances of continuing on in the new DC Universe,...

Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a movie directed by , Cathy Yan. An action film with super héroes that is entertaining enough to be watched

Margot Robbie is Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey. She also has several friends to “shell out” justice and lots of kicks.

Storyline

The relationship between Harley Quinn and The Joker has ended, so the girl needs to find something to while away the tedium. Things look easy for this when half of Gotham is after you and you have unlimited chances for doing somersaults.

The Movie Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Somersaults, blows, shots, and every once in a while a joke. Not bad at all: this is like Girl Power in which the girls do the kicking and the foot always lands in the same place in the anatomy of the guy.

The HiFi Holiday Festival, hosted by Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (F.A.C.E) in collaboration with other HiFi organizations, took over L.A.’s Historic Filipinotown on Saturday for the second consecutive year.

Held at RideBack Ranch, the event raised toy donations to ship back to less fortunate families in the Philippines while spreading holiday cheer to L.A. locals through live music, complimentary meals and festive photo-ops.

“This is one of our favorite annual community engagement programs we offer to serve those less fortunate during the holiday season,” said Lyle Del Mundo, executive director of F.A.C.E. “It’s an opportunity for some of the many talented Filipinos in entertainment to donate their time and talent to connect, inspire, and this is their reason to celebrate the season.”

The celebration featured a line-up of celebrity meet and greets with special guests like Simu Liu, Patrick Starrr, Alex Wassabi, Paris Belrec, Vincent Rodriguez III,...

Ever since the earliest days of cinema, Hollywood has loved celebrating the romantic genre. Rom-coms are a quintessential part of film history; the "Golden Age of Hollywood" featured the sly, romantic classics "It Happened One Night," "Roman Holiday," and "The Apartment."

While it's fun to see an idealized couple enjoying each other's company on screen, movie fans have to recognize that what they're seeing doesn't reflect reality. There's a sense of escapism that we're looking for when we're seeing a romantic film. You shouldn't have to worry about romantic movies making you feel insecure if you are single; in fact, there are many great films, both dramatic and comedic, that celebrate independence.

While these films are often comedies, living a single life is also the subject of many dramas and coming-of-age stories. It's a versatile subject, and being single is different depending on what age you are. Here are the 20 best movies about being single,...

Jake Lacy's turn as real-life criminal Robert Berchtold in Peacock's A Friend of the Family has chilled audiences to the bone. Centered on the two-time kidnapping of Jan Broberg, the miniseries has received positive reviews for its strong cast, as they depict a harrowing story with the appropriate grace.

Thanks to A Friend of the Family’s popularity, fans have become interested in the actors’ previous films and TV credits. These include everything from Lacy’s similarly outrageous The White Lotus to McKenna Grace’s star-making role in The Haunting of Hill House. With quite a lot of quality work, viewers will find further material where they can appreciate the talents of A Friend of the Family’s cast.

Colin Hanks: Fargo (2014-Present) Stream On Hulu

Colin Hanks played one of the best characters in Fargo, appearing as the kindly officer Gus Grimly. Fargo is an anthology dark crime comedy,...

If this is a dream, please, don’t wake me up. Deadline reports that Cathy Yan is developing a live-action series inspired by Yasutaka Tsutsui’s mind-bending novel Paprika. The project is happening at Amazon Studios and Hivemind, with Yan directing and executive producing.

According to the novel’s official description, Paprika presents an imaginative narrative about a psychiatric institute that develops technology to invade people’s dreams.

“When prototype models of a dream-invading device go missing at the Institute for Psychiatric Research, it transpires that someone is using them to drive people insane. Threatened personally and professionally, brilliant psychotherapist Atsuko Chiba has to journey into the world of fantasy to fight her mysterious opponents. As she delves deeper into the imagination, the borderline between dream and reality becomes increasingly blurred, and nightmares begin to leak into the everyday realm. The scene is set for a final showdown between the dream detective and her enemies,...

Ella Jay Basco has been cast as a recurring character in Nick Antosca’s upcoming Peacock limited series “A Friend of the Family,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The crime series is based on the true story of the Broberg family, whose daughter Jan (Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times over a period of years by Robert “B” Berchtold (Jake Lacy), a charismatic, obsessed family “friend.” The Brobergs — devoted to their faith, family and community — were utterly unprepared for the sophisticated tactics their neighbor used to exploit their vulnerabilities, drive them apart and turn their daughter against them. “A Friend of the Family” follows how their lives were permanently altered and how they survived.

Details of Basco’s character have yet to be announced.

Basco is best known for starring as Cassandra Cain opposite Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in the 2020 DC movie “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of...

City Year Los Angeles celebrated 15 years of service at Spring Break: Destination Education, their annual star-studded benefit – a high-energy night of musical performances, food and games.

George Lopez speaks onstage during City Year Los Angeles' Spring Break: Destination Education

Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for City Year Los Angeles

This Spring Break they returned in-person and stronger than ever to celebrate their corps members, students, as well as those Angelenos who have taken action along with them to make a better city, state and country. The event featured a special performance by Cashmere Cat, as well as food, games and interactive booths sponsored by top brands including Amazon Studios, L.A. Rams, Comcast NBCUniversal, Jp Morgan Chase & Co, MarVista Entertainment, People, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Pez Cantina and more. City Year honored fifteen legacy champions at this event including Governor Gavin Newsom, Ben Goldhirsh (City Year Emeritus Board member), Stacey Snider...

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month arrives on Sunday, and Ella Jay Basco is celebrating with “Bubble Tea,” the latest single from her upcoming album.

Best known for her role as Cassandra Cain in the 2020 superhero film “Birds of Prey,” Basco got her start as a child actor in show’s like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Veep.” But after “Birds of Prey,” she began exploring music, releasing an EP “Middle School” when she was just 13. Half-Korean and half-Filipino, Basco often draws upon her heritage and culture when constructing her songs. One of her songs from her debut EP, “The Filipino Song,” describes the process of explaining her heritage to someone meeting her family for the first time. Another, “Nadu” (or “Me Too”) is sung entirely in Korean.

“I actually, unfortunately, don’t speak Korean, but I learned Korean for the song,” Basco tells Variety. “I love incorporating different pieces of my culture,...

Asian Musicians You Should Listen to Right Now

The world is changing. Now more than ever, the world of music and cinema is becoming increasingly open to international audiences, with fans consuming content from across the globe – despite language barriers. In addition, within the United States, there is a growing focus on elevating the voices of marginalized people – including queer people and people of color.

Looking for the next great bingo song? Click the link to read the list!

In this article, we will list some of our favorite Asian musicians – we will include artists with origins across a wide variety of countries in Asia who are making waves in every genre of music.

Our Picks Awkwafina

Awkwafina was born in New York to a Chinese-American father and a Korean-born mother. She has taken the rap community by storm – offending the delicate sensibilities of conservative America in the process, with...

Ahead of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Birds of Prey actress Ella Jay Basco and rapper Ruby Ibarra have released their Asian self-love music video “Gold.”

The video begins with Basco starring in a 1950’s black and white commercial advertising a “Brown Be Gone” skin whitening soap to “wash the brown away.” Midway through the commercial, the model played by Basco begins to panic when hearing the potential side effects of using the soap, such as “complicity” and “inauthenticity.”

As the commercial crew starts to pack up, Basco wipes her face to ...

Ahead of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Birds of Prey actress Ella Jay Basco and rapper Ruby Ibarra have released their Asian self-love music video “Gold.”

The video begins with Basco starring in a 1950’s black and white commercial advertising a “Brown Be Gone” skin whitening soap to “wash the brown away.” Midway through the commercial, the model played by Basco begins to panic when hearing the potential side effects of using the soap, such as “complicity” and “inauthenticity.”

As the commercial crew starts to pack up, Basco wipes her face to ...

The 46th annual Saturn Awards unveiled nominations Thursday by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, the nonprofit that honors the year’s best in genre films, TV, home entertainment and theater.

The wide-ranging list of nominees were led by Disney/Lucasfilm’s Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, which scored the most noms overall with 12 including for Best Science Fiction Release. It was one of several films from last year’s movie awards season that were eligible this year after the group extended its eligibility period to run July 15, 2019-November 15, 2020 and allowed streaming and VOD entrants in the film categories.

Other top nom-getters included Warner Bros’ Christopher Nolan move Tenet with nine and Doctor Sleep with eight across genres that span comics, sci-fi, horror, fantasy, thrillers and action-adventure. Other noms went to the likes of this year’s Mulan, Birds of Prey and The Old Guard...

Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.

To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective

Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season

2021 Oscars Predictions:

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

Updated: Mar. 4, 2021

Awards Prediction Commentary: This category ended up taking a different shape than we thought, especially with “Promising Young Woman” out of the race. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” remains the presumptive favorite but this is one of...

One of the most interesting entries in the Dceu is the 2020 movie Birds of Prey. The movie was hailed as a feminist superhero feature that saw Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn embark on a madcap adventure across Gotham with a group of badass women. Cathy Yan, who was hired to direct the feature after a strong showing by her critically acclaimed Sundance award-winning film, Dead Pigs, recently admitted in an interview with The Playlist that there was a lot of studio interference that she had to deal with while making Birds of Prey.

"It was definitely challenging [to work] on Birds of Prey. Dead Pigs was such a singular, pure version of myself. And I think when you're dealing with a budget like ['Birds of Prey' had] and the sort of pressures of a studio, especially a studio that is undergoing a lot of change, inevitably you end up having to compromise and fight for stuff.

Birds of Prey Review — Birds of Prey (2020) Film Review, directed by Cathy Yan, and starring Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Derek Wilson, Ewan McGregor, Matthew Willig, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Chris Messina, Rosie Perez, Steven Williams, Charlene Amoia, Ali Wong, Isabel Pakzad, François Chau, Ella Jay Basco, and Robert [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Birds Of Prey (2020): Visually-pleasing but Narratively-bereft, it misses its Social Justice & Empathy Targets...

Sony’s long-in-the-works “suite” of TV series based on Marvel characters controlled by the studio is getting closer to reality.

I hear Sony is in talks with Amazon to be the SVOD distributor of the high-profile package of shows, which includes multiple titles. The first, which was identified by Sony Pictures TV about a year ago and had been in development at the studio, is Silk. Lauren Moon, a writer on Sony TV’s Netflix series Atypical, wrote the TV adaptation based on the Korean-American comic book superhero, created by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos. Silk would mark one of the first comic book series led by an Asian-American character.

Sources close to the situation cautioned that the complex talks are still in early stages and there are major issues that need to be resolved. Some of them have to do with a complicated web of multi-platform rights for the various characters.

Stars: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, Ali Wong | Written by Christina Hodson | Directed by Cathy Yan

A little messy, a little all over the pace, but a lot of fun. The Dceu has had rough time of late. With films such as Suicide Squad, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League, all receiving scathing reviews. This put so much pressure on the shoulders of the latest installment of the universe, and on the shoulders of Margot Robbie.

As one of the only shinning lights to come out of Suicide Squad, it was easy to see that she was perfectly cast as Harley Quinn, so much so, that I’m convinced she should just be given the rights that that character now. It’s hard to imagine that anyone else could possibly play Harley Quinn and in Birds of Prey,...

The new lead of the CW’s Batwoman will not be Kate Kane. The show has opted to go with a new character in the title role following the exit of star Ruby Rose, sources confirm to Deadline. The show was expected to go for a new identity of Batwoman, which is a far more elegant way of replacing a lead than straight-out recasting, especially given the fact that comic book canon is built on superheroes having multiple alter egos.

In a casting notice, a copy of which was obtained by Deadline, the new lead character is named Ryan Wilder and is younger than Katy Kane — she is in her mid-to late 20s. It is unclear whether Ryan is a newly created character or a code name for an existing DC character, but Season 2 of the CW show will chronicle how she becomes Batwoman.

Per the casting notice, first reported by Decider,...

Sneak Peek more new footage from director Cathy Yan's 2-fisted, R-rated, $85 million budgeted "Birds of Prey" feature, based on the psycho DC Comics character 'Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, available May 12, 2020 on DVD and Blu-ray:

Notwithstanding actress Robbie's bubbly personality, babydoll beauty and recent Oscar-nominated turn in the anti-Fox News box office loser "Bombshell", "Birds of Prey" was also a box office disappointment, released just before the pandemic, as fanboys seemed to prefer their super females as 'companions' rather than 'competitors' in the brains and brawn department. 

"...since the events of 'Suicide Squad', 'Batman' has disappeared, leaving 'Gotham City' unprotected from crime...

"...while 'Harley Quinn' has left the 'Joker'. Then when young 'Cassandra Cain comes across a diamond belonging to crime lord 'Black Mask'...

"...Harley joins forces with 'Black Canary', 'Huntress'...

"....and 'Renee Montoya' to help protect her..."

Cast also includes Ella Jay Basco,...

I pity Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn for not being able to find its audience, having the misfortune of opening just as the pandemic entered the news. Shunted to streaming, it’s languished and honestly, it’s entertaining and fun.

It’s not as good as anticipated.

Long in development, the movie was the brainchild of Margot Robbie, who immortalized the live-action version in 2016’s Suicide Squad misfire. Her role was largely inspired on the New 52/Rebirth take on the character, more Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti than Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. She was certainly the best thing about the movie so a spinoff featuring her and some of DC Comics’ other heroines sounded great.

She bonded with screenwriter Christina Hodson, best known for her solid work on Bumblebee (and credited as the writer of the still unfilmed Flash), and they crafted a...

Sneak Peek the first 10 minutes, plus more new footage from director Cathy Yan's 2-fisted, R-rated, $85 million budgeted "Birds of Prey" feature, based on the psycho DC Comics character 'Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, available on DVD and Blu-ray:

Notwithstanding actress Robbie's bubbly personality, babydoll beauty and recent Oscar-nominated turn in the anti-Fox News box office loser "Bombshell", it seems fanboys still prefer their super-powered females as 'companions' rather than 'competitors' in the brains and brawn department. 

"...since the events of 'Suicide Squad', 'Batman' has disappeared, leaving 'Gotham City' unprotected from crime...

"...while 'Harley Quinn' has left the 'Joker'. Then when young 'Cassandra Cain comes across a diamond belonging to crime lord 'Black Mask'...

"...Harley joins forces with 'Black Canary', 'Huntress'...

"....and 'Renee Montoya' to help protect her..."

Cast also includes Ella Jay Basco, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina and Ewan McGregor.

...Charlene Amoia as 'Maria Bertinelli',...

It is said that Sir Isaac Newton used his time at home during the 1655 pandemic to discover gravity and invent calculus. Fellow scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson took a different path today with his Covid-19 downtown – he examined the improbabilities of Marvel and DC superheroes.

Today’s tweetstorm from deGrasse covered Superman, Thor, and the Hulk, among others. They’re no strangers to the TV host and astrophysicist. In fact, Superman once visited him in his role as the head of the Hayden Planetarium.

More from DeadlineDC Co-Publisher Dan Didio ExitsRobert Pattinson Is 'The Batman' In Moody New Matt Reeves Camera Test'Birds Of Prey' Breakout Ella Jay Basco Carries Torch For New Generation Of Asian American Representation

Here’s a sampling of what was explored:

In 1991 Marvel introduced a Thor’s Hammer trading card declaring Mjölnir to be made of the Asgardian metal Uru, weighing 42.3 lbs — but they didn’t specify where in the universe.

Chicago – Comic book fatigue is real, and not just because there is an embarrassment of riches in screened content but because more than a few of them take the predictable approach. That’s what sank films like “Justice League” and “Suicide Squad”, and used to threaten the future of the DC cinematic universe, but no longer. I’m happy to report that “Birds of Prey” is no lame duck.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

“Birds of Prey”, or if you’re feeling extra confident in your lung capacity, “Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn”, almost feels like DC’s response to the success of Marvel’s R-rated “Deadpool”, but while similar to “Deadpool 2”, they are still each extremely different. The cotton candy color palette with the carnival funhouse narrative structure bombards our senses, leaving us adequately whelmed. In a story full of backstories and tangential tales, everything...

Amid a nationwide shutdown of movie theaters as part of the effort to limit the spread of coronavirus, Warner Bros. is speeding up the video on demand release of its superhero action-comedy “Birds of Prey.”

The film, which stars Margot Robbie as DC Comics antihero Harley Quinn, will be available March 24 for both sale and rentals, a representative for Warner Bros. told TheWrap. Further details about the early VOD release, including platform and costs, are expected to be made public on Tuesday.

The decision comes as yet another coronavirus-related blow to the theatrical industry over the last week. “Birds of Prey” is still under its theatrical release window, and exhibitors have long resisted early VOD which they see as an infringement on their business.

But as Americans self-isolate and closures make any discussion of seeing films in theaters moot, studios have been getting in front of the expected ding to...

Stars: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, Ali Wong | Written by Christina Hodson | Directed by Cathy Yan

A little messy, a little all over the pace, but a lot of fun. The Dceu has had rough time of late. With films such as Suicide Squad, Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League, all receiving scathing reviews. This put so much pressure on the shoulders of the latest instalment of the universe, and on the shoulders of Margot Robbie.

As one of the only shinning lights to come out of Suicide Squad, it was easy to see that she was perfectly cast as Harley Quinn, so much so, that I’m convinced she should just be given the rights that that character now. It’s hard to imagine that anyone else could possibly play Harley Quinn and in Birds of Prey,...

[This story contains spoilers for Birds of Prey.]

When Margot Robbie first picked up Harley Quinn’s baseball bat in 2016’s Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey star Ella Jay Basco wasn’t allowed to see the movie since she was just 9 years old. Now, three and a half years later, Basco is Harley Quinn’s sidekick in Birds of Prey, which still feels like a dream to the 13-year-old actor.

Much like Harley Quinn, Basco’s Cassandra Cain finds herself in the cross hairs of Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) after she pickpockets a diamond of great importance to him....

[This story contains spoilers for Birds of Prey.]

When Margot Robbie first picked up Harley Quinn’s baseball bat in 2016’s Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey star Ella Jay Basco wasn’t allowed to see the movie since she was just 9 years old. Now, three and a half years later, Basco is Harley Quinn’s sidekick in Birds of Prey, which still feels like a dream to the 13-year-old actor.

Much like Harley Quinn, Basco’s Cassandra Cain finds herself in the cross hairs of Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) after she pickpockets a diamond of great importance to him....

In the latest edition of Hollywood Insider's ‘Behind The Scenes’ - we focus on 'Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey'. Watch the team that brough the film to life with Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Cathy Yan, Ella Jay Basco, Erin Benach, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Bryan Unkeless, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Messina, Sue Kroll, etc. DC Universe told through Harley Quinn's eyes and fantabulous viewpoint.

Ewan McGregor was able to improvise some of Black Mask's best lines in Birds of Prey. McGregor has been praised for his portrayal of the villain in the team-up movie. Margot Robbie is clearly the lead star in the movie as she plays Harley Quinn, but she has an excellent supporting cast propping her up. Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Ella Jay Basco also star in the comic book movie.

When it came down to shooting Birds of Prey, it seems like the attitude was pretty relaxed when it comes to the dialogue. The action scenes were choreographed out perfectly, but the actors were allowed to take liberty with their lines. According to director Cathy Yan, Ewan McGregor especially took advantage of this. She explains.

"He also added lines. I like to work to a point where it's a real collaboration between the actors, and we'll have fun on set,...

The new Harley Quinn movie Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), is stacked with A-list actors, but one of the biggest roles in the movie is actually played by a relatively unknown actress. 13-year-old Korean-Filipino actress Ella Jay Basco plays Cassandra Cain (aka Batgirl), who must be protected from the evil Black Mask by Harley Quinn and her new girl gang. Cassandra Cain definitely marks Ella's biggest role to date, but the young actress has made several TV appearances before, and we have a feeling this major film role is just the start for her. Here's everything you should know about the up-and-coming actress before Birds of Prey hits theaters on Feb. 7.

Related: The New Birds of Prey Trailer Has the Chaotic Girl Gang Energy We've Been Looking For...

Ever since she stole the show in Suicide Squad, Margot Robbie seems like she’s fully immersed herself into the role of Harley Quinn. Her ever-developing love of this character, led to her actually pitching an adult-aimed, all-female, ensemble action film, inspired by Jordan B. Garfinkel and Chuck Dixon’s “Birds of Prey” comic books, to Warner Brothers. This pitch became Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn and the dedication that has gone into creating Cathy Yan’s film was most certainly worth it!

Released to great reviews, Birds of Prey has sadly underperformed (though has made back its budget already worldwide) compared to industry expectations, which has recently led to a Warner Brothers-approved title change to “Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey”. Whatever title you prefer, Birds of Prey is a joy from start to finish. The film sees Harley (Robbie) break up with The Joker,...

The awards season ended with a bang as Hollywood celebrated Lulu Wang’s The Farewell winning Best Feature and Zhao Shuzhen nabbing Best Supporting Actress at the Independent Spirit Awards while Bong Joon-ho’s peachy dark comedy masterpiece about social class made history at the Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English speaking film to win Best Picture. The South Korean film also made strides, winning Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film. The huge wins for The Farewell and Parasite were benchmarks for Asians and Asian Americans, but just a week prior, Birds of Prey was released in theaters. On the surface, the Warner Bros. pic may seem like an action-packed, candy-coated mind trip of comic book movie, but the movie is a nuanced touchstone of Asian American representation — and even though it focuses on Harley Quinn’s narrative, the story would be nothing without Cassandra Cain,...

Margot Robbie‘s Birds of Prey is reportedly flying off with a new name.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the comic book film’s official title — Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) — has been changed in some movie theaters to place the iconic main character front and center. The outlet reports that theaters are now listing the movie as Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey.

Theater websites including Regal, Cinemark and AMC all reflect the change.

Warner Bros., which distributed the film, did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.

It remains unclear what prompted the reported change,...

Ranked as the lowest opening weekend gross for any 'DC Extended Universe' film, director Cathy Yan's R-rated, $85 million budgeted "Birds of Prey" feature, based on the DC Comics characters, earned $33 million domestic and $46 million international for a worldwide total of $79 million, prompting Warners to retitle the film as "Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey", banking on the star power of actress Margot Robbie:

Notwithstanding Robbie's bubbly personality, obvious beauty and recent Oscar-nominated turn in the anti-Fox News box office loser "Bombshell", it seems fanboys prefer their super-powered females as 'companions' rather than 'competitors' in the brains and brawn department. 

"...since the events of 'Suicide Squad', 'Batman' has disappeared, leaving 'Gotham City' unprotected from crime...

"...while 'Harley Quinn' has left the 'Joker'. Then when young 'Cassandra Cain comes across a diamond belonging to crime lord 'Black Mask'...

"...Harley joins forces with 'Black Canary', 'Huntress'...

"....and 'Renee Montoya' to help protect her.

Birds of Prey is in theaters now, and the film's performance at the box-office has been underwhelming to say the least. It has had the lowest opening for a DC film since Jonah Hex, and while critics have been praising the movie's action and characters, many fans of the comics which form the basis for the characters have been less enthused. Recently, Gail Simone, who penned the Birds Of Prey DC comic series for many successful years expanded upon her issues with the film in a series of tweets.

Okay, I want to have a talk about one aspect of the @birdsofpreywb movie that I was withholding judgment on, that did bug me. I think it’s pretty obvious I loved it, but I do have a sizable gripe.

However, that is only meaningful in a larger context.

So mute this, maybe. :)

— Gail Simone (@GailSimone) February 7, 2020

Right off the bat,...

1917 approaching $300m worldwide; Dolittle crosses $150m at global box office.

February 10 Update: Boding well for a year that will see five comic-book tentpoles directed by women, Margot Robbie action vehicle Birds Of Prey directed by Cathy Yan dominated the global box office in its maiden session, earning a confirmed $79.5m including a $33m number one launch in North America.

Meanwhile, 1917 is approaching $300m worldwide box office, while Dolittle crossed $150m, and Little Women stands at the cusp of $75m, internationally.

Warner Bros Pictures International

Updated: The Suicide Squad spin-off featuring Robbie as Harley Quinn earned $46.5m from 78 markets and performed...

1917 approaching $300m worldwide; Dolittle crosses $150m at global box office.

Boding well for a year that will see five comic-book tentpoles directed by women, Margot Robbie action vehicle Birds Of Prey directed by Cathy Yan dominated the global box office in its maiden session, earning an estimated $81.3m including a $33.3m number one launch in North America.

Meanwhile, 1917 is approaching $300m worldwide box office, while Dolittle crossed $150m, and Little Women stands at the cusp of $75m, internationally.

Warner Bros Pictures International

The Suicide Squad spin-off featuring Robbie as Harley Quinn earned $48m from 78 markets and performed strongly in traditionally...

The good-natured, yet hyper-violent Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is amusing enough to get by, a sort-of Deadpool-lite strung together with a wink, a pagan’s prayer and a lot of chicken wire, and absent the Ryan Reynolds picture’s impudent, gruesome, genuinely transgressive and hugely entertaining impulses. But Bop is a distinct upgrade over the Oscar-winning-epic-that-shall-not-be-named from whose befouled loins it sprang came, and it allows Ewan McGregor, as the unctuous and evil villain Black Mask, the most fun he’s probably ever had on screen. Margot Robbie, of course, chews it up in grand style too as our bubblegum-snapping “heroine,” the admittedly insane but magnetically likable Harley Quinn, the Joker’s ex-girlfriend, whose mismatched wardrobe reflects the bells and whistles constantly jangling about inside her head but is also a continuing act of found fashion art, like what might happen if...

Copyright: © 2019 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Photo Credit: Claudette Barius/ & © DC Comics

Caption: (L-r) Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain and Jurnee Smollett-bell as Black Canary in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn),” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

By Marc Butterfield

Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) tells the tale of Harley Quinn’s break up with The Joker, and how she comes to work alongside four other female characters to take down a common enemy, The Black Mask.

As a long-time fan of DC Comics, I’d say that director Cathy Yan kept the characters pretty close to their comic roots; Harley has gone from villain to anti-hero, Huntress’ origin is spot on, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead has her portrayal nailed,...

Margot Robbie’s superheroine spinoff “Birds of Prey” is landing with a somewhat disappointing $34 million opening weekend at 4,236 North American sites, estimates showed Saturday.

The figure deflates hopes that “Birds of Prey” will become a hit. It’s significantly below Warner Bros.’ pre-release forecast of $45 million while rivals had “Birds of Prey” pegged for a $55 million launch. Friday’s take totaled $13 million (including $4 million in Thursday previews) with opening day audiences giving the film a B+ Cinemascore, with audiences under 25 awarding it an A-.

“Birds of Prey,” which carries a reported $80 million price tag, centers on Robbie’s vigilante Harley Quinn teaming up with superheroes Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) from the crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). Reviews were generally favorable and led to an 82% “fresh” Rotten Tomatoes score.

“Birds of Prey,” the eighth...

Warner Bros. is facing a major setback this weekend as its latest release, the Dceu flick Birds of Prey, has failed to make an impression at the box office. Well, technically it's making an impression, but it's not the one the studio was likely hoping for. The Cathy Yan-directed film, based on the characters in the DC Comics Birds of Prey franchise, stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor, and Chris Messina. All the star power plus Robbie's return as the charming hellion Harley Quinn should have …...