The DC live-action universe has had an interesting tenure in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. After a rocky start, Warner Bros. seems to have found its stride recently, with successful projects like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Joker. The latter is a serious contender this Award Season, and provided something wholly unique to the superhero genre while being set outside of the DCEU. The next movie that is actually apart of that shared universe is Cathy Yan's Birds of Prey, produced by and starring Margot Robbie. And now the actress has revealed what will make that blockbuster so different than Joker.
Harley Quinn has become a beloved DC villain over the years, although her story is inherently related to The Joker. As such, it makes sense that moviegoers might want to make a connection between Joker and Birds of Prey (even though Jared Leto was the actor who played him in Suicide Squad). Margot Robbie recently praised Todd Phillips' dark psychological drama, while also explaining what will make the upcoming female-focused DC movie so different. As she put it,
I feel like the Joker film was much more grounded. Ours is different. It’s heightened.
We may have to wait until February for Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of Harley Quinn) to arrive in theaters, but even the limited footage we've seen backs this up. Harley's second big screen appearance will be colorful and out of this world, while Joker was a movie that based in realism.
Margot Robbie's comments to Variety is the just the latest conversation about Birds of Prey's unique, out of this world, tone. While it's an ensemble film, Cathy Yan's upcoming blockbuster will be largely told through Harley Quinn's perspective. This allows things to feel "heightened", as she's an unreliable narrator who is prone to delusions. The first trailer looks bonkers, and its a vision that was teased back when test footage was revealed ahead of filming.
Related: Margot Robbie Explains How Birds Of Prey’s Director Got The Job
Considering how unpredictable and quirky Margot Robbie's character is, it seems like Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) could go seemingly anywhere when it arrives in theaters next month. While Jared Leto's Joker won't be present, the movie will follow Harley after she and Mr. J break things off. Her journey towards emancipation will mix her up with some of Gotham's most iconic characters, both heroes and villains.
Birds Of Prey's trailers have teased how heightened Gotham City will be once the highly anticipated movie is finally released. The movie looks bright and colorful, with modern costumes representing the comic book characters. It looks like there will even be a musical number, with Harley dressed up like Marilyn Monroe. There's no telling what out of this world adventures the movie will include, but clearly DC is allowing its directors to have more creative control.
Birds of Prey will hit theaters on February 7th. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
