Director Cathy Yan shared the biggest drawback to helming a big-budget film like 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn).
Ultimately, Yan remarked that she had less control in the editing process than she would have liked to have in an interview with The Playlist. "It was definitely challenging," said Yan, referring to the Critics' Choice Award-winning film from the DC Extended Universe.
"And I think when you’re dealing with a budget like Birds of Prey [had] and the sort of pressures of a studio, especially a studio that is undergoing a lot of change, inevitably you end up having to compromise and fight for stuff," Yan continued. "And you win some and you lose a lot. It’s just kind of how it is."
"I would have loved to have more control over the edit," she said. "But that’s just kind of how it is. I don't know if there’s a Cathy Yan cut out there, but I think for any filmmaker, all of us are in it because we want to express ourselves as wholly as possible. And to match what you ultimately see on screen with what’s in our head."
However, Yan didn't rule out making another big-budget superhero film. "I would not discount ever doing it again," she said.
Yan's first film was a comedy-drama film that she directed entitled Dead Pigs, which tells the story of a pig farmer, salon owner, busboy, an ex-pat architect and a wealthy young woman clashing and struggling through Shanghai, China, that is growing and modernizing faster than it can sustain. Dead Pigs premiered to acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and was what caught the eye of Margot Robbie to hire her. Currently, Yan's working on an A24 film called Sour Hearts, which is based on a collection of short stories by Jenny Zhang.
Directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn) stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco and Ewan McGregor. The film is now available on video on demand and streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Playlist