'Birds Of Prey' To Reportedly Wrap In April

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is expected to wrap principal photography in April, according to HN Entertainment.

The film, which will be released in 2020, sees Margot Robbie returning to the role of Harley Quinn for the first time since Suicide Squad, a movie that was financially successful but critically reviled and which shares an aesthetic with Zack Snyder, whose vision for the DC movie universe has fallen out of favor with Warner Bros. higher-ups.

Cathy Yan is directing Birds of Prey for Warner Bros.

Robbie will be a producer on Birds of Prey, which is just one of up to five films in development featuring Harley Quinn. Harley is also reportedly set for her own solo movie, plus Harley Quinn vs. the Joker focusing on on Harley's twisted relationship with DC's Clown Prince of Crime, a Gotham City Sirens movie alongside Catwoman and Poison Ivy, which is being helmed by Suicide Squad director David Ayer, plus the sequel to Suicide Squad, which is in the works with Gavin O'Connor set to direct.

The Birds of Prey concept was created by Jordan B. Gorfinkel and Chuck Dixon for DC Comics in 1995, first appearing in Black Canary/Oracle: Birds of Prey. The team originated as a partnership between Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon, eventually growing into a small vigilante team and then a larger organization of bird-themed heroes, primarily women. DC Comics and launched and relaunched a number of Birds of Prey ongoing series, with Gail Simone being recognized as the team's authoritative authorial voice.

While details about Birds of Prey are still unknown, the concept was fleshed out as an R-rated girl gang movie with Harley Quinn at the center of the group. Actress and producer Margot Robbie further explained the idea during an interview with Collider.

"I pitched the idea of an R-rated girl gang film including Harley, because I was like, 'Harley needs friends.' Harley loves interacting with people, so don't ever make her do a standalone film," said Robbie. "She's got to be with other people, it should be a girl gang. I wasn't seeing enough girl gangs on screen, especially in the action space. So that was always a big part of it."

Are you excited for the Birds of Prey movie to hit theaters in 2020? Let us know in the comments!

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is scheduled to premiere in theaters on February 7, 2020.