Margot Robbie Reveals the Incredible Full Title to Birds of Prey
Having just seen Margot Robbie in a press screening for Mary Queen of Scots, my excitement for Birds of Prey, already quite robust, is now a full-fledged fever. Robbie has proven in role after role, from stealing every The Wolf of Wall Street scene she was in, to her hilarious yet empathetic take on Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, that she’s a major star. In Mary Queen of Scots, she’s all but unrecognizable as Queen Elizabeth, whose battle of will and wits with her northern “sister” and fellow queen are made all the more dangerous when Elizabeth is stricken with a deforming, nearly fatal bout of smallpox. Robbie is phenomenal, and you forget about how different she looks because of how surpassingly subtle and ultimately moving her performance is.
For Birds of Prey, Robbie is taking on a similar role that she had for I, Tonya; that of the producer-star. She’s reprising her turn as everyone’s favorite psychopath, Harley Quinn, and is the main driving force for getting the ensemble film made. Birds of Prey will see Harley’s team up with a group of equally strong female superheroes, including the future Batgirl (Ella Jay Basco), the Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell). Make no mistake, as much as a showpiece as this film will be for the hugely talented female cast, director Cathy Yan, and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee); this is a Harley Quinn film. How can we be so sure? Just check out the full title for Birds of Prey, which Robbie shared on her Instagram feed:
In case you were wondering whether the penned subtitle was just Robbie having fun, both Warner Bros. and The Hollywood Reporter‘s Aaron Couch confirmed:
? @MargotRobbie #BirdsofPrey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) hits theaters 2.7.20. pic.twitter.com/TDFRgwmPJA
— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) November 20, 2018
I’ve confirmed this is the real title and not just Robbie having fun with fans: Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) https://t.co/YwFKLztTCJ
— Aaron Couch (@AaronCouch) November 20, 2018
The full title seems to be a playful nod at another wild film starring a superhero (of sorts) with a bird in the title—Alejandro González Iñárritu‘s Birdman. The full title of that film, if you remember, was Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). It seems very likely that the Birds of Prey team is having a little fun with the parallel, yet they must know that, unless that parallel is pointed out, more than a few people are going to miss it.
Perhaps the “Emancipation” in the title means that Robbie’s Quinn will be freeing herself from her equally psychotic beau, the Joker? One can hope—in Suicide Squad, where we met Harley and Jared Leto’s version of Gotham’s most iconic supervillain, it was the former who was, by a wide margin, the more interesting character. Now she’s got a movie of her own, and the perfect person not only playing her but making sure others get to play as well.
Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) hits theaters on February 7, 2020
Featured image: Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Courtesy: Warner Bros Pictures
