As Birds of Prey’s second weekend in theaters comes to a close, many film fans are wondering what the ultimate takeaway will be about the movie’s box office performance. While some are ready to call the Harley Quinn movie a disappointment, others aren’t ready to give up on it. And fans on Twitter are so committed to promoting the comic book film, they started trending a hashtag about all the reasons it should be supported.
On February 15, Twitter users began to use the hashtag #ReasonsToSupportBoP. The hashtag, designed to promote Birds of Prey And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn (worth pointing out the Harley Quinn-centric title change is allegedly due to theaters and not the studio) and show that it has a passionate fanbase, has earned more than 10,000 tweets and has become a trending topic in the United States.
Though a few people used the hashtag to say negative things about Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, most of the tweets using the hashtag have been extremely positive. Fans used it to hype the movie up for a plethora of reasons. One Twitter user lauded the film’s diverse cast and crew:
Another fan also reminded Twitter that supporting the film means there could be more chances for women to direct comic book movies in the future, and praised the film for being both unique and exciting:
Listing out the film’s many strengths was a common theme for those using the #ReasonsToSupportBoP hashtag:
And the hashtag also turned into an excuse for fans to note Margot Robbie’s passion and commitment to making Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey happen:
The hashtag even got the attention of Cathy Yan, the movie’s director, who was delighted and surprised by the outpouring of support:
All in all, the hashtag trended for several hours on Twitter and is still getting more tweets, which means Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey’s supporters did their job -- at least online. And trying to change the narrative surrounding the film isn’t a bad idea. When news broke last week that the movie had underperformed at the box office, Warner Bros. quickly changed the title of the film to try to capture interest by promoting the film’s most popular character. Detractors have been quick to point out the film’s failings. However, others were quick to point out that relative to the film’s lower budget in comparison to its comic book counterparts -- $85 million -- it’s not a total disaster from a financial standpoint.
It’s hard to guess what Warner Bros. will do next with Harley Quinn and her friends. She’ll appear in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, but Warner Bros. may not think there’s enough demand for her to get another film of her own. But if fans keep showing their support, maybe she’ll have a shot.
