Eric July: Harley Quinn Actor Margot Robbie And Her LuckyChap Entertainment Should Be Ostracized From Making Comic Book Movies

John F. Trent |

Feb 13, 2020

YouTuber Eric July argues that Birds of Prey and Harley Quinn actor Margot Robbie and her production company LuckyChap should be ostracized from making comic book movies following the opening weekend box office failure of Birds of Prey.

July states in the beginning of his article, “Now this isn’t crapping on her acting skills, and I know some of you guys are going to disagree with me in terms of her Harley Quinn, but that’s neither here nor there. Because that alone was not going to save this film.”

He continues, “My argument that I’m about to make real quick is why, again, because they’ve shown how arrogant and cocky they are, I personally believe the industry should ostracize them when it comes to making actual comic book depictions whether it be film or TV. That production team. They should be completely ostracized.”

July then goes on to explain why he believes Robbie and her Lucky Chap Entertainment production company should be ostracized from comic book film and TV.

“You make a movie after Suicide Squad, make a movie centered around [Harley Quinn], no problem with that. But instead of calling the movie, let’s say Harley Quinn, instead of making a movie generally centered around Harley Quinn, you made a Birds of Prey movie, you called it Birds of Prey.”

He continues, “You stripped the characters down to the point to where they were completely unrecognizable. Cassandra Cain. Birds of Prey. It doesn’t make any sense why you have a Birds of Prey being created and there’s no Oracle. There is no Barabra Gordon. It makes no sense, completely illogical. You have Black Canary at least there. Though unrecognizable you have her there. You stripped the characters down to where they are unrecognizable.”

In fact, Margot Robbie herself even noted that Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Oracle is “integral” to the Birds of Prey team.

She told Good Morning America, “And of course if we are talking Birds of Prey, Oracle is a pretty integral…”

She added, “This film is like the formation of the Birds of Prey and she’s a key member as well. And I hope after this film they can shoot off in the universe. It would be cool. There are so many more female DC characters.”

As for the character’s unrecognizable looks, Birds of Prey costume designer Erin Benach told Insider it was a conscious decision. She stated, “I asked the question in the very beginning. I said, ‘Are we just continuing on with ‘Suicide Squad’s look?’ The answer was, ‘No, we’re creating a different Gotham.”

Benach added, “We just kind of were like, ‘No, we’re creating something different and new.’ It’s an offshoot.”

In fact, Benach noted they had actually tested Harley’s iconic red and black colors on the yellow overalls they eventually went with, “We camera tested red, we camera tested black, we camera tested yellow, and we camera tested gold. It really was determined by the kind of lighting that [director of photography] Matty [Libatique] was doing.”

She added, “And also we loved that it felt like the sparkle and the glitter and sort of the glam part of Harley that was sort waking up inside of her.”

July continues to explain why he doesn’t think Robbie and Lucky Chap should come near a comic book film, “This is why I think specifically, early on in this production company’s career, I understand they shouldn’t be anywhere near a comic book film because they’ve shown you what they are willing to do. And what they are willing to do is make characters unrecognizable because it’s not about you as the consumer. We are going to take the name of a group, you didn’t create those guys, but you want to use their names, you want to use their branding, and you completely jack them up for the most part.”

He continues, “Let’s say you got Harley Quinn right. Say that. Cassandra Cain that’s a crime. Birds of Prey that’s a crime. Try to change the name, I don’t care, Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey still doesn’t make sense. It’s not a Birds of Prey film. It’s a Harley Quinn film and Harley Quinn has historically had nothing to do with this.”

July then states, “Only time [Harley Quinn] shows up really, she shows up, I think she might have been in Secret Six as a villain. But she was never in Birds of Prey. In fact, her first appearance in Birds of Prey was she got kicked in the face by Cassandra Cain when she was Batgirl. But now she’s protecting Cassandra Cain. Makes sense absolutely not. But they thought that was okay to do.”

He then explains, “They tried too hard to modernize it because this is what these types do. … When I talk about how these guys try to hijack characters and culture and make it about them. It ain’t about you, it’s about them. They see the opportunity, they use the names, somewhat use the branding, completely crap on it because they think they can do that.”

July then reiterates he would not want Margot Robbie anywhere near a comic book property, “If I was in the game, in the shot caller position, I wouldn’t have her touch anything near a comic book film. She shows what she’s capable of doing. She can act, if you are going to have her act fine. But I wouldn’t have her production team being part of anything. Period. I just wouldn’t have it.”

July would conclude by pointing out that Robbie and LuckyChap Entertainment messed up on the characters, “I’m not even saying that the movie was absolute garbage. I’m saying the characters that you used are shells of themselves. So the bit that you could have kept around or could have attracted have zero interest in your…that demographic, that large demographic that the marketing team pushed away, you couldn’t keep around or you couldn’t attract them because you put up a pathetic display when it comes to actually depicting the characters. It’s your own fault bros. It’s your own fault.”

What do you make of July’s idea that Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment production company should be ostracized from future comic book movies and TV?