R-ratings are the new rage in comic book films. With the successes of films like Logan, Joker, and Deadpool, it’s not hard to see why. Birds of Prey isn’t playing it safe, rather it’s embracing the R-rating in order to give fans the best Harley Quinn possible.
When Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) started, the rating direction wasn’t clear. Would the film appeal to a young female audience? No. BoP aims to give every fanboy the Harley they only dreamed about.
Director Cathy Yan told CinemaBlend that shooting for the R-rating was easier than you think behind-the-scenes:
“I honestly don’t think [it was a problem] as much as anyone would think. It was never really a conversation; not a big deal.”
Yan went on to say that the R-rating was in place from the scratch. Even Margot Robbie knew from the first day that Birds of Prey would get the R-rating: Robbie event
“Margot always pitched it as such and she really wanted to do it that way. I think it stems from Harley Quinn herself and her personality and that she is just so raw and unabashed. And thankfully that’s the rating that we have.
The women are unabashedly themselves and very unapologetic in the movie. It was very liberating to have the jokes that we wanted to have and (to) show (the characters) for who they are.”
Robbie told Variety a little about Harley:
“Harley’s not really someone to hold back. The R-rating really allowed us to take it to the next level with fight scenes.”
Co-star Mary Elizabeth Winstead adds:
“I think it’s totally uninhibited in every way. That’s what it felt like shooting it. We got to do whatever we wanted. We got to improv. We’re throwing around curse words.”
At the same event, two Birds of Prey stars, the film’s villains Roman Sionis/Black Mask (Ewan McGregor) and Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina), confirmed a fan theory that the two are a couple in the film.
Messina kissed McGregor as Variety asked them if their characters are gay:
McGregor said: “It’s very complicated. Their relationship is very much based…there’s a want and a need in there for sure”.
Messina added: “There’s like a real love of anarchy” and started getting lost in his answer.
McGregor interjected saying: “More than likely, yes” and both actors laughed. He continued by praising the filming: “It was incredibly bonkers to shoot, every take was like a new experience.”
Jurness Smollett-Bell is Black Canary in Birds of Prey. She tells IGN that Injustice 2 inspired the ‘Canary Scream’ in the film:
“I drew a lot of inspiration for the Canary Cry from the Black Canary in Injustice 2. Even physically. For me, I really wanted to make it primal…
It’s not something she uses, it’s something she’s trying to hide. So to get to that point, she has to rev herself up. It’s such a guttural point and a guttural place.”
This comes as no shock, as most of the Suicide Squad costumes were adaptations of Injustice costumes.
A new trailer for Birds of Prey also hit the internet today. Check it out below:
