Soon, the world will finally get to see the return of Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn when Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) hits theaters. However, while the film is expected to open strong, it's tracking less than its DC Extended Universe predecessor.
According to Deadline, Birds of Prey is projected to open to $110-$120 million worldwide, putting it just below Shazam!, which opened in April 2019 to $158.6 million. Of course, this will be the first film in the DCEU to be rated R, which generally diminishes a younger demographic of fans, and it's also opening in February, as opposed to Shazam!'s April release that's closer to the summer box office season. That said, Birds of Prey is not opening against any major competition, which should bode well for its theatrical run.
The first social media reactions for Birds of Prey have been largely positive, calling the film "an absolute blast" with "winning characters." However, the film is under a late review embargo which, in the past, has preceded negative critical reception for many of the DCEU's movies. In fact, Robbie's first Harley Quinn appearance, 2016's Suicide Squad, received abysmal reviews and fan reactions after its embargo was lifted, though it didn't have the positive pre-release buzz that Birds of Prey currently has.
Directed by Cathy Yan from a script by Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) stars Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, Francois Chau, Charlene Amoia, Chris Messina and Matthew Willig. The film arrives Feb. 7.