The DC live-action universe has had an interesting run in theaters, and continues to surprise the moviegoing public. Following Zack Snyder's tenure as the architect of the DCEU, Warner Bros. has allowed directors to take more ownership over projects like Aquaman, Shazam!, and Birds of Prey. The latter blockbuster was directed by Cathy Yan, and was an R-rated romp through the Harley Quinn's twisted psyche. One highlight of the movie saw Harley breaking into the Gotham City Police Department with some non-lethal projectiles, although it looks like she could have had a NSFW weapon during that sequence.
Around halfway through Birds of Prey, Harley arrives at the GCPD in a trench coat to "report a crime." She promptly whips out a gun that shoots glitter and other objects at her enemies, as she attempts to find Cassie Caine before Black Mask's thugs. Cathy Yan recently opened up about that iconic sequence, and it turns out that writer Christina Hodson had some alternate weapons for Margot Robbie's character. Namely, a sex toy and a shady stuffed animal.
Cathy Yan recently spoke to Empire Magazine (via ScreenRant), revealing more information about Birds of Prey's development. This includes some of the scrapped ideas, including Harley's primary weapon during the GCPD confrontation. As Yan explained, Christina Hodson originally "wanted a giant double-ended dildo that (Harley) had to fend off." Another choice was "a big fluffy bear stuffed with drugs that she used as a pillow to fight with." Although ultimately, Yan and company had to use some restraint (despite the movie's tone and rating.)
This restraint seemingly worked out well for Birds of Prey, as Harley's scene in GCPD is definitely a fan-favorite sequence from the blockbuster. While Margot Robbie's femme fatale didn't get to wield a sex toy as a weapon, her glitter gun allowed for the sequence to be especially visually appealing. She also gets to set a man's beard on fire, which got a huge laugh in theaters when I saw the movie in theaters. As for the teddy bear with drugs... Harley got her fix in another way.
When it appeared Black Mask's men were going to shoot and kill Harley from within the police department, fate was on her side. She uses a huge sum of confiscated cocaine to shield herself from some bullets, which results in the drug flying, and Harley ingesting it. This gives her the extra kick she needs, as she lays some pain on the thugs and cements her relationship with Cassie Caine.
As a reminder, you can check out the latter half of that sequence below.
Clearly there were some really fun concepts being played with for Birds of Prey, with Cathy Yan creating a collaborative environment with writer Christina Hodson. Margot Robbie was also a producer on the project, and contributed heavily to its vision. We'll just have to see if a sequel happens, given the movie's somewhat disappointing box office performance.
Birds of Prey is available on video on demand now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
