This year brings with it another slate of comic book adaptations, with the famous Batman villain and Joker paramour, Harley Quinn finally getting her very own movie in 2020. Birds of Prey - or, to give it it’s full title, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) - will follow on from 2016’s bad guy team up film, Suicide Squad. After the likes of Shazam’s goofy high school story, Aquaman’s hallucinatory epic and Joker’s broody drama, Birds of Prey will continue DC’s attempt to push its cinematic universe into all sorts of different directions. Here’s everything you need to know about the new movie. Birds of Prey will see Harley Quinn will facing off against Black Mask. Picture: Warner Bros What is Birds of Prey about? This time around, rather than joining forces with a bunch of wanted criminals to take on a pair of mystical siblings, Harley will be joining forces with a bunch of vigilantes to take on a local crime boss named Black Mask. Having left the Joker on read, Harley is a reformed character who is now looking to turn her talents for violence towards more justified ends. She is called into action once more when Black Mask orders a hit on a young girl named Cassandra Cain. With the whole of Gotham gunning for the girl’s head, Harley will need some help to protect her. Who stars in the film? Harley Quinn will once again be played by Oscar-nominated actor Margot Robbie. The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Bombshell star has been integral in getting the film made as part of her push to re-balance the gender inequality in the film industry. She will be joined by Mary Elizabeth Winstead of Scott Pilgrim vs The World and 10 Cloverfield Lane fame. Winstead plays a character named Huntress – the orphaned daughter of a local mobster who becomes a vigilante. Jurnee Smollet-Bell will portray Black Canary, a clubroom singer who can produce hypersonic screams. Smollet-Bell is mostly known for her roles in Friday Night Lights and True Blood. The characters will be joined on their quest to take down Black Mask by Police Detective Renee Montoya - otherwise known as Oscar-nominated actor, Rosie Perez. Black Mask himself (Roman Sionis) will be played by well known Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor. The former and future Star Wars star was most recently seen in the The Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep. Also bringing the evil will be Chris Messina (Six Feet Under, Sharp Objects), who plays Victor Zsasz – a longstanding Batman villain who carves a mark into his own flesh every time he kills someone. Ali Wong is billed to appear, though in a thus far unspecified role. While she is mostly known as a stand-up comedian, Wong played a starring role in 2019’s Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, which she wrote. She also voiced Bertie in Netflix’s much-missed show, Tuca & Bertie. One person who will definitely not be making an appearance is Harley’s old flame, the Joker – either in his bedazzled Jared Leto incarnation or his sombre Joaquin Phoenix one. Quinn is back with a brand new gang. Picture: Warner Bros What age rating will Birds of Prey have? After it was confirmed that Birds of Prey would be R-rated in America, many wondered whether the UK would also stamp it with its highest age certification of an 18. However, the British Board of Film Certification have actually certified it as acceptable for anyone 15 years old or above. The age rating was awarded based on the presence of “strong violence, injury detail, language and sexual threat”. This follows on from a trend set by comic book films Deadpool, Logan and Joker - all of which were rated R in the states but given 15 classifications in the UK. If this seems confusing, it is worth noting that an American R is not exactly the same as a UK 18 - anyone below the age of 18 can see an R-rated film so long as they are accompanied by an adult, whereas the same does not apply in the UK. When is it out? Birds of Prey will arrive in UK theatres on Friday 7 February 2020. This article originally appeared on our sister site, The i.
