Rumor: Birds of Prey Sequel With Margot Robbie Axed, Warner Bros. Is Moving On
A report says Birds of Prey 2, if you really wanted it and wondered, is dead at Warner Bros. and so is hope for any follow-up.
Giant Freakin Robot claims in an exclusive the potential sequel is canceled and everyone involved – from studio to creative team – are moving on to other things.
Related – Report: Margot Robbie To Headline “Female-Fronted” Pirates of the Caribbean Movie
GFR’s source says “Warners no longer believes in the concept or in the creative team behind the movie.” The primary reason, of course, is money.
BOP tanked at the box office upon opening, earning roughly a disappointing $33 million, the worst opening for a DC movie ever.
WB hoped for $55 million domestically and it was projected to gross higher.
Ticket sales, weeks in advance, painted a different picture. Theaters across North America, before the COVID scare, screening the film were almost empty.
According to The-Numbers, the film made $201 million worldwide with $84 million from the domestic box office and $117 million abroad. They report it made 2.5 times its production budget which is estimated at $82 million.
The film was released early on VOD and its price was reduced to $5.99. As a result, it went to number one on the iTunes chart.
Related: Birds of Prey’s VOD Price Drops to $5.99, Takes Top Spot On iTunes
But’s that’s not enough. And Harley Quinn’s presence might get reduced in the DC Extended Universe going forward.
She’s in The Suicide Squad, which could turn her fortunes around, but GFR casts doubt on if she will be a leading character.
Sharing the screen with Idris Elba and John Cena, aside from a host of others, a reduction of time in the spotlight is possible. A far cry from being the last film’s breakout property.
Post-Birds, Harley would have been busy hooking back up with old allies in a Gotham City Sirens movie and an adventure with ex Mr. J in Harley and Joker. GFR says both spinoffs are on hold or scrapped.
Huntress, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, and Cassie Cain exist now in the DCEU but don’t expect too much from them in the foreseeable future.
WB’s confidence in Margot Robbie may have diminished with the box office returns. Robbie and writer Christina Hodson, off to do a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, are probably out the door.
Birds of Prey flopped largely because of its divisive marketing that discouraged men from seeing it. They then turned around and blamed the male demo for not showing up.
Director Cathy Yan found fault with “undue expectations on a female-led movie” and the “extra burden” on her as a woman of color.
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