Jurnee Smollet Confirms Inspiration Behind Fight Scene In Birds Of Prey

Birds of Prey truly introduced us to Jurnee Smollet's Dinah Lance/Black Canary during a now-famous [...]

By Kofi Outlaw

Birds of Prey truly introduced us to Jurnee Smollet's Dinah Lance/Black Canary during a now-famous fight scene against some goons in an alleyway. The scene was cool and badass in the way that DC fans expect from Dinah Lance - but it was also a direct pull from the pages of DC Comics! Specifically the Black Canary sequence in Birds of Prey was a direct pull from the Birds of Prey comic (vol. 1) by Check Dixon - a fact that Jurnee Smollet has now confirmed for fans! As the Lovecraft Country star posted to Twitter, "#BlackCanary beating the ass of the dudes was a big inspiration."

A Birds of Prey fan got the conversation sparked by posting some scene analysis of the Black Canary alley fight: "this scene felt like it came right of a black canary comic, so imagine if we get a 10 episodes show full of scenes like this i would literally cry #BlackCanaryHBOSeries"

That fan's call for a full Black Canary series on HBO(Max) wound up getting Jurnee Smollet's attention. The actress posted a response, confirming the DC Comics references in the sequence:

"It did come from the comics. Chuck Dixon's Vol 1, original #BirdsofPrey...the scene with #BlackCanary beating the ass of the dudes was a big inspiration. Then add in Harley...you get our scene in the movie." --Jurnee Smollet

If you want more evidence of just how deep director Cathy Yan went with Birds of Prey's Black Canary comic book references, check out this thread one fan put together:

Birds of Prey just seems to keep on climbing through the movie industry rubble, inching toward cult-hit status. The film is now getting renewed buzz thanks to its HBO Max debut - not to mention the spotlight currently on Jurnee Smollet thanks to her starring role in HBO's Lovecraft Country. So: how about that Black Canary series? Any interest?

Birds of Prey (and Lovecraft Country) is streaming on HBO Max.

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