Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are slated to star in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film Wuthering Heights, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film is an adaptation of Emily Brontë’s book of the same name. The film is currently in pre-production and set to start shooting in the United Kingdom next year. Robbie will play Catherine Earnshaw, the main female protagonist of the novel. Elordi will portray Heathcliff, the Earnshaws’ foster son.

MRC and LuckyChap Entertainment are producing the film along with Fennell, who will also be writing. Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Josey McNamara founded the production company LuckyChap Entertainment. Among the films LuckyChap has produced are I, Tonya and Barbie, both of which have won an Academy Award and star Margot Robbie.

Fennell announced her intention to make a Wuthering Heights adaptation in July through a social media graphic. The Wuthering Heights adaptation will be Fennell’s third film with LuckyChap Entertainment. Fennell has previously directed LuckyChap Entertainment-produced films, Promising Young Woman and last year’s Saltburn. Fennell’s social media sensation Saltburn saw Elordi as one of the main actors. Elordi gained recognition for starring as Nate Jacobs in the teen drama Euphoria and as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Elordi will appear in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which is filming now.

Robbie is an actress and producer most known for her titular roles in last summer’s box office hit Barbie. Barbie was the highest-grossing film of 2023. Additionally, Robbie earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for I, Tonya. Robbie will be appearing in Kogonada’s A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, releasing May 2025.

Filmmakers have adapted Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights into film multiple times in various languages. Famously, the Academy nominated the 1939’s Wuthering Heights for Best Picture. Most recently, in 2011, the book was adapted into a film starring Kaya Scodelario.

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It’s time to say Sul Sul and O Vwa Vwaf Sna to a new movie adaptation of a beloved game. But this one might be just a little different than the recent gaming adaptations we’ve been seeing. Yes, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap company will be producing a new The Sims movie directed by Loki‘s Kate Herron, and Amazon MGM has officially confirmed the movie is on the way. And if Barbie is any indication, this upcoming The Sims movie is going to be truly weird, filled with existential dread, and a lot of fun. Honestly, we feel really good about it. Although The Sims is very much a game that lives in the eye of the beholder, it also has a few touchpoints that any player will recognize and a few core throughlines that can easily take it into the comedic and yet absurd/horrific space.

The Sims Movie From Margot Robbie and Katie Gerron Is Officially In the Works

EA Entertainment President Laura Miele recently announced:

As we approach the incredible milestone of 25 years of The Sims – which is an incredible feat of longevity in today’s world of entertainment and pop culture – I am thrilled to confirm that The Sims will be coming to the big screen. Teaming up with renowned Hollywood powerhouses, this exciting new chapter for The Sims will bring its magic to millions more fans. It’s a testament to the enduring power of this beloved franchise, which has captivated more than 500 million players for a quarter of a century. Our commitment to innovate across The Sims universe of experiences and products will inspire all generations of Simmers.

What Will The Sims Movie Be About?

Meanwhile, EA’s vice president and general manager of The Sims franchise Kate Gorman revealed more about what The Sims live-action movie will be about. Gorm shared:

What I will tell you is it’s very much rooted in The Sims universe. And what we want is to have a truly authentic Sims experience brought to a theatrical release. So what you’ll see from us is that we have been wanting to get this right. We wanted the right partners and to make an impact the size of something like a Barbie movie is exactly what we want. And we know there’s so much love and nostalgia, probably beyond what we would even realize, for The Sims and so many people like us have played throughout generations. So we want this to be an experience that reflects all that amazing history and play of so many people in this world, but also is something that you can share across generations and to be part of pop culture and culturally relevant.

Additionally, Gorman notes “there will be a lot of lore” and shares:

You will see a lot of The Sims universe come to life, and you will see a lot of the classic experiences that our players have in the games come to life in the movie. And that’s what we really want to deliver on, is just an authentic Sims experience, and really have the most expansive Sims offering we’ve ever had to bring that delight and share the experience of playing The Sims with so many people or their friends or families who may not have actually played The Sims, but you can help tell that story through watching a theatrical release about The Sims universe.

Of course, The Sims Easter eggs in the movie are a given. Gorman reveals, “There will be Freezer Bunnies. I’m sure a pool without a ladder is somewhere in there, but we haven’t finalized any of those details. But that’s the idea, is to say that it lives within this space. It’s a nod to all of the amazing play and creation and fun that people have had over the last 25 years within The Sims.”

We’re Excited About The Sims Live-Action Movie

Now that we’re thinking about it one The Sims movie isn’t nearly enough. Although one The Sims movie from Margot Robbie might go pretty far. Which direction will the story go? Will the movie feature a set of Sims suddenly realizing all their life choices are being made for them? The horror. The Sims does get a little dark if suddenly your characters have actual consciousness as will surely happen in the movie.

The Sims movie might also see Sims getting set on fire and drowning in a pool with no ladder as Gorman mentions above. (Don’t look at me like that; that’s not how I play the game, but I know it’s how you do!) But it’s not all doom and gloom. We bet there will be a fun Build Mode montage. And maybe we’ll visit Willow Creek, Forgotten Hollow, Glimmer Brook, Sulani, Chestnut Ridge, and more. Will we see a new The Sims game upgrade mid-movie, and suddenly, the visuals are entirely different? What happens when someone adds a new expansion pack? We definitely need to leave space for entering cheat codes in The Sims movie. Cha-ching. It’s a lot to think about.

One thing feels likely: that recognizable blur of nudity will emerge at some juncture, and maybe even some suspicious cover shifts. But this will probably go the way of Barbie and Ken talking about reproductive organs, to which we say, woohoo! We also feel curious to see whether The Sims movie will partially be in Simlish. And what about mods gone wrong? Eerie ghosts? And climbing the career ladder? Someone tell Margot Robbie we need an anthology of The Sims movies.

For now, we know that Margot Robbie, Josey McNamara, and Tom Ackerley’s LuckyChap will produce The Sims movie alongside Roy Lee for Vertigo Entertainment. Loki director Kate Herron will direct the movie and co-write a script with Briony Redman. 

We wonder what cinematic masterpiece the trailer for The Sims movie will reference. Regardless, jadosi!

Originally published on March 21, 2024.

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Update as of 5/21/2024: Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer saying he hopes to make two new movies, with one hopefully starring Margot Robbie. It is unclear if Christina Hodson will pen the script as previously reported in 2020.

Previously: Yo ho, yo ho, a pirates life for… Harley Quinn? According to The Hollywood Reporter, Margot Robbie is set to star in a spinoff of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. A female-driven spinoff, to be more precise.

Warner Bros.

This one will have nothing to do with Jack Sparrow. It’s also separate from the Pirates of the Caribbean reboot Ted Elliott and Craig Mazin are currently developing. Instead, this version will do its own thing, although it’s also based on the classic Disneyland ride. The project is super early in the developmental stages, so that’s all we really know about the story at this time.

Hodson is a big new talent in Hollywood. In addition to scribing Birds of Prey, she also wrote the excellent Transformers spinoff Bumblebee. She’s also writing the upcoming Flash movie for DC, set to feature Michael Keaton. In 2019, Hodson and Robbie founded Lucky Exports Pitch Program. The initiative works towards getting studios to hire more female-identifying writers to pen action-centric movies.

Disney

We’re so curious to know more about this project! The original Pirates of the Caribbean films featured Keira Knightley as governor’s-daughter-turned-pirate-king Elizabeth Swann, who is arguably the star of the first trilogy. Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow got most of the attention back then—and even an Oscar nomination for the role—but it’s Swann at the center of the tale. We’d love to see her back for some kind of subplot, although the separation aspect The Hollywood Reporter plays up suggests this version could be a whole new timeline.

The mythology of the Pirates of the Caribbean films is already pretty murky, so hey, why not Margot Robbie do her own thing? We’ll obviously still be there, champing at the bit to see what magic these talented ladies can conjure together.

Originally published June 26, 2020.

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It’s time to say “Hi, Barbie!” to the Monopoly Man. We bet Margot Robbie is collecting much more than $200 as she passes through to producing her next movie, an adaptation of the Monopoly board game. Few details on the Monopoly movie are available at present, but with Margot Robbie at the helm, we’re sure it will be just weird and fun enough. Robbie, who saw great success with Barbie, and her company LuckyChap seem to be making strange movies based on unexpected gaming IP into their brand. First, we got news of a Sims movie on the horizon, and now there’s Monopoly. What will Robbie think of next? We guess we’ll have to roll the dice to find out.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chair Adam Fogelson shared at CinemaCon that LuckyChap had “a clear point of view” for the Monopoly movie. But, of course, he did not offer more about what we might expect. We bet someone will be buying Park Place, though. And someone else will probably head to jail. Will the fierce family-rending aspect of the Monopoly game be front and center in Margot Robbie’s movie? We hope so. And we also vote for Ryan Gosling to bring the Monopoly Man to life. You know you want to see it.

Meanwhile, LuckyChap noted, “Monopoly is a top property — pun fully intended. Like all of the best IP, this game has resonated worldwide for generations, and we are so excited to bring this game to life alongside the wonderful teams involved at Lionsgate and Hasbro.”

Mostly, we just hope the popcorn buckets for the Monopoly movie will be shaped like the game pieces. The thimble has always been my favorite. We also can’t wait to see just what existential crisis this Margot Robbie film will bring us as we enter this new realm of game-based cinema.

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Margot Robbie and her stylist Andrew Mukamal set red carpets buzzing with their real-life, life-size Barbie looks for the actress’ appearances related to the Barbie movie. Borrowing notes from the iconic doll herself, Robbie took center stage in high-fashion versions of Barbie’s clothes. But sadly, because of the studios’ refusal to pay and respect their actors, many looks that Robbie had planned for the Barbie world tour never got to see the light of day. But luckily for us, Mattel and Rizzoli New York are coming together to publish Barbie: The World Tour which will reveal new Barbie looks we haven’t seen and offer a glimpse of rare fashions from Mattel’s Barbie archives. Get excited, Barbie fans; it’s all happening.

More actors should dress to evoke their roles on press tours and red-carpet appearances. That is the kind of glamor and imagination that we deserve. And we can’t wait to see all the tricks that Robbie, Mukumal, and Barbie had up their pink sleeves.

The release for Barbie: The World Tour shares more, noting:

For the press tour following the record-breaking release of Greta Gerwig’s award-winning, acclaimed Barbie movie, producer and star Margot Robbie and her stylist Andrew Mukamal immersed themselves in some of Barbie’s most iconic outfits and curated vintage pieces, then approached designers, from Giorgio Armani to Donatella Versace, to create looks inspired by the doll-size originals. Many of these looks were not seen as the official Barbie press tour was cut short—so Margot and Andrew worked with renowned fashion photographer Craig McDean to shoot her in the looks exactly as they were curated: Schiaparelli in Los Angeles, Vivienne Westwood in London, vintage Chanel with matching Streamline luggage at the airport, and beyond.

And additionally:

Accompanying McDean’s sumptuous photography are images of original Barbie dolls from the period, a treasure trove of rare materials from Mattel’s Barbie fashion archives, and the designers’ sketches and Polaroids from fittings, layered into evocative collage by art director Fabien Baron. With text by Margot Robbie and Andrew Mukamal, as well as handwritten contributions from the designers behind the looks (from Olivier Rousteing and Michelle Ochs to Manolo Blahnik and Jeremy Scott), this unique book blends the serious chic of high fashion with the serious fun of Barbie’s world—the dolls, the history, and the style that have captured imaginations for 65 years.

What an incredible tribute to Barbie and the Barbie movie. After all, the movie’s true magic lay in the way it leaked out into the world, leaving behind the box and spreading into pink-drenched theaters and streets. Although we weren’t wearing couture, we, all of us, for a minute, into the best plastic versions of ourselves and now, through Barbie: The World Tour, Robbie and co. will share their more elaborate version of that same experience with us.

Barbie: The World Tour releases on March 19, 2024. It is now available for pre-order.

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The 2024 Academy Award nominations are here and as expected Oppenheimer led the way with 13. What wasn’t expected, though, was its “Barbenheimer” counterpart not getting recognized in some very big categories. Barbie earned eight nods, including one for Best Picture, but shockingly both Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie missed out in their individual categories. Not that they were this year’s only notable snubs. Every year, the Oscars snubs a few worthy candidates out in Hollywood’s cold. Here are some of the Academy’s biggest surprise omissions from the movies, performers, and filmmakers who easily could have had garnered recognition for their work in 2023.

Most Shocking Oscar Snubs – Barbie‘s Greta Gerwig for Director and Margot Robbie for Best Actress

Barbie was/is a cinematic phenomenon. It was good enough to earn eight nominations, including one for Best Picture. But somehow widespread critical and fan acclaim alike, along with a theater-rejuvenating box office bonanza, wasn’t enough to earn individual nominations for the two main women behind it. Director Greta Gerwig missed out on a Best Director nomination. Maybe even more shocking was that Margot Robbie was also left out of the Best Actress race, even though her co-stars America Ferrara and Ryan Gosling both got supporting noms. (Yes, Ken got nominated but Barbie didn’t. The jokes write themselves.)

Some thought Gerwig might miss the cut, but few predicted the same fate for Robbie. Despite their snubs in those categories, though, each could still take gold home at the 2024 Academy Awards. Gerwig and her husband Noah Baumbach are nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Meanwhile Robbie is up for Best Picture as a producer on the film.

Gosling released a statement about his nomination and mentioned the snub. He said:

There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no Barbie movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film. No recognition would be possible for anyone on the film without their talent, grit and genius. To say that I’m disappointed that they are not nominated in their respective categories would be an understatement.

Most Disappointing Snubs – Past Lives‘ Greta Lee and Teo Yoo for Acting and Celine Song for Director

One of 2023’s most beautiful and moving movies rightfully earned a spot in the Best Picture race. Unfortunately Past Lives missed out in three other major categories. The film’s outstanding stars Greta Lee and Teo Yoo both got left out in the acting categories. Just as disappointing is that Celine Song also missed out for Best Director.

Song did at least garner a second nomination for the film with a spot in the competition for Best Original Screenplay.

Most Overlooked Performances – May December‘s Charles Melton for Ferrari‘s Penélope Cruz

Based on predictive models and betting markets it would have technically been a surprise if May December stars Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore jumped into their respective acting categories. But it’s stunning co-star Charles Melton didn’t make the cut. He gave one of the year’s best performances as Joe Yoo, a married man who first started dating his wife when he was just a kid. The same is true of Penélope Cruz, who was incredible as a grieving mother and estranged wife/business partner in Michael Mann‘s Ferrari. The film features one of Cruz’s best career performances.

Instead of recognizing Melton’s work, the Academy bestowed a single nomination on May December for Best Original Screenplay. That was better than Ferrari did. It came up empty, even in the technical categories where it easily could have earned multiple nominations.

Most Surprising Oscar Omission – Killers of the Flower Moon for Adapted Screenplay

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences obviously liked Killers of the Flower Moon as much as we did. The film took home ten nominations, the third most. That included recognition in major categories like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Cinematography. Yet, despite all the recognition, somehow Martin Scorsese’s film—based on David Grann’s award-winning nonfiction book of the same name—missed out in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.

If Killers of the Flower Moon had a disappointing nominating morning this omission wouldn’t seem as weird. But with all the nods it did get this one really stands as a surprising snub.

Biggest Animated Snubs – Suzume and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

The Best Animated Feature Film category features some films we fully expected to see nominated, including The Boy and the Heron, Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse, and Elemental. We just also expected/hoped two of our favorite animated movies from last year, Suzume and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, would be joining them.

Instead the final two spots went to Nimona and Robot Dreams, both worthy nominees themselves that serve as a reminder that with only five nominations available in most categories really good movies miss out for no other reason than other good movies beat them out.

Best Movie Completely Snubbed – All of Us Strangers

Director Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers stands as one of 2023’s most well-received films. Both critics and moviegoers alike fell in love with the story about grief and love starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal. That wasn’t enough to get it a single Oscar nomination, not even for Best Adapted Screenplay despite the film being based on Taichi Yamada’s 1987 novel Strangers.

All of us Strangers will be a stranger at the 96th Academy Awards. But the film and those who love it shouldn’t take it personally. The list of biggest 2024 Oscar snubs is an impressive list itself.

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Margot Robbie nailed the role of Harley Quinn in the DCEU in her three outings as the character. But lately, she seems very ready to move on from the role. James Gunn is not necessarily done with Margot Robbie, however, after a great working relationship with her in The Suicide Squad. Much like fans want Jason Momoa to get a new role in Gunn’s DCU, probably Lobo, many want Margot Robbie to get a new role in the DCU as well. But playing which character? Actually, several DC heroines and villains would be a great fit for Margot Robbie. Here are our top picks.

Power Girl (Kara Zor-L)

We know there’s a movie coming up called Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. But we’re not talking about that version of Kara Zor-El. That Kara will likely be a teenager or early twenty-something. No, we think Margot Robbie is perfect for the other Kara Zor-L, a.k.a. Power Girl. Power Girl is a version of Superman’s Kryptonian cousin from another universe, who wound up in ours. With the same powers as Supergirl, she’s older and has way more attitude and self-assuredness. She’s one of DC’s most popular female heroes who has yet to make it into live-action in any form, and we think, if anyone can pull it off, it’s Margot Robbie.

Circe

Sure, Harley Quinn is technically a “villain,” but she’s more of an antihero. We’d love to see Margot Robbie take on the role of delicious true villainy—especially villainy that looks amazing in incredible couture outfits. So we think the role of Wonder Woman villain Circe is perfect for her. The sorceress of Greek myth has long been a thorn in the side of the Amazons, and one of Diana’s major adversaries. When DC introduces Wonder Woman into Gunn’s DCU, we feel the first villain she should face should be Circe. We’d love to see Margot Robbie chew the scenery as a borderline campy witch like Agatha Harkness in the MCU. We know she’d look amazing with purple hair too.

Black Canary (Dinah Lance)

When talking ladies in the Justice League, after Wonder Woman, the JLA’s most iconic member is the sonically powered Black Canary. Dinah Lance is an expert martial artist, and her mother was part of the WWII-era Justice Society. Plus, she had those nifty sonic scream powers. Eventually, Gunn’s DCU will have some kind of Justice League project. And we think this time, Canary needs to be a part of it. We know from her various action scenes in the DCEU as Harley that Margot can pull it off. Although she wouldn’t be originating the role in live-action (Katie Cassidy played her in Arrow, and Jurnee Smollett portrayed her in Birds of Prey), we think Margot could fill Dinah’s stylish boots very nicely.

Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley)

Everyone wants to see Harley and Ivy together. So when Margot Robbie was Harley, no one ever thought to dream of her as plant-controlling eco-terrorist Pamela Isley. But if she’s moving on from the role of Harleen, we say why not? We could see Margot Robbie looking very fetching in green, planting deadly kisses on her enemies. If Margot Robbie did play Poison Ivy in the DCU, she would likely pair up romantically with Harley Quinn eventually. That would make it extra wild to see Robbie snuggling with a character she brought to life before and now had handed off to someone else.

Saturn Girl (Imra Ardeen)

A member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the far-off future of the 31st century, Imra Ardeen was a telepath from the planet Titan. She was extremely skilled in mental powers, even for a race of people who all had them. So as a teenager, she became a founding member of the Legion. Although most comic book portrayals featured Saturn Girl as a teenager, there were versions where the Legionnaires grew into adulthood. The Legion of Super-Heroes is a team fit for James Gunn’s sensibilities. Thanks to Guardians of the Galaxy, he’s an expert at cosmic super teams. And if they do appear in the DCU, we can’t think of anyone better suited to be DC’s Jean Grey than Margot Robbie.

Barbara Gordon (Batgirl/Oracle)

We’re eternally miffed that Warner Bros. shelved its Batgirl movie starring Leslie Grace. But at some point, the DCU should introduce Barbara Gordon. It would be interesting to see a Barbara Gordon in the DCU who was Batgirl in her youth, but forced to retire due to an injury, allowing her to take on the cyber identity of Oracle. We think a more adult version of Barbara Gordon as Oracle would be an ideal part for Margot Robbie—even if we admit we’d also love to see her put on the cape and cowl too. Can we have both?

Artemis

She’s already been Harley Quinn, so why not Wonder Woman? Actually, we don’t mean the Princess Diana version of Wonder Woman we all know and love. We mean the Amazon warrior named Artemis, who once took over for Diana as Wonder Woman back in the ‘90s. Far more aggressive than Diana usually is, and sporting a truly wild ponytail, Artemis hailed from a band of militant Amazons who often clashed with Queen Hipppolyta’s tribe. She wasn’t Wonder Woman for long, but has remained a mainstay of the DC Universe ever since her introduction. We think that Margot Robbie would kill it in this role. Perhaps on the upcoming Paradise Lost series?

The post Characters We’d Love to See Margot Robbie Play in the DCU appeared first on Nerdist.

I believe movie fans will come to remember 2023 as a truly great year for cinema. I have zero doubt which two films will come to define these past 12 months of movies. Barbie and Oppenheimer both arrived in theaters on the same day. Despite being about as different as two films can be, they’re forever connected. The two global blockbusters combined to give us “Barbenheimer,” an unofficial double feature created organically by fans. If, like so many others, you’re one of them, you can now appreciate both movies in a whole new way. Their respective stars, Margot Robbie and Cillian Murphy, sat down to interview each other in the latest episode of Variety‘s “Actors on Actors” web-series.

Their delightful conversation provided tons of great tidbits and insights into the making of each film. It’s a conversation so good it should be an extra on both Barbie‘s and Oppenheimer‘s Blu-rays.

This fun, informative, entertaining chat between two of 2023’s most notable stars has too many amazing moments to mention all of them. Robbie and Murphy touched on a wide range of subjects covering almost every aspect of their movies, from pre-production through the overwhelming success of both. They also discussed everything and anything about their directors, Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, from their approach to filmmaking to each directors’ wardrobe choices on set. The two also talked about developing their characters, how they research their roles, finding the right accent, and what it was like to carry such a heavy burden as their films’ stars. If you love learning how the Hollywood sausage is made, this is a must-watch.

That’s also true if you also like listening to two talented, charming people enjoying each other’s work. That’s how you’ll learn which one ends up talking to themself in a basement before filming starts. Or which one loves wearing masks to see their own films while the other can’t stand to see themself on-screen. And it’s how you’ll learn they both love writing letters to people they hope to work with someday, how much they know about memes, and what they’re okay with people screaming at them on the street.

Peaky Binders fans will also be thrilled to know Robbie got to ask Murphy about the show. Meanwhile, he asked her about a possible Barbie sequel. And you definitely won’t expect which one of them used David Bowie as a reference in developing their character. (Seriously. It wasn’t Robbie. Seriously!)

Barbenheimer already made 2023 a great year for movie lovers. Turns out that phenomenon had even more to give us.

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It looks like we’d better get ready for one more heist. A new Ocean’s 11 movie is in development and it has an excellent team behind it. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Margot Robbie “will star and produce a new Ocean’s movie that will be helmed by Jay Roach.” Robbie and Roach previously worked together on the movie Bombshell which earned Robbie a best-supporting actress Oscar nomination. Additionally, this movie will see Barbie and Ken reunite as Ryan Gosling joins the cast.

The Ocean’s 11 prequel producer Josey McNamara of LuckyChap Entertainment noted to GamesRadar, “They’re [Robbie and Gosling] wonderful together. The more projects even outside of that we can have them do would be amazing.” But otherwise, McNamara couldn’t share much about the film.

We do know that Carrie Solomon will pen the script. But otherwise have received few other details on what this Margot Robbie-led Ocean’s 11 prequel movie would look like. But The Hollywood Reporter shared “it is known to be an original Ocean’s 11 that is set in Europe in the 1960s.”

A little old-school glamor for Robbie, perhaps? Though we don’t know exactly what will go down in the movie, we’re excited to see Robbie front and center. While it feels unlikely another fully woman-oriented adventure like Ocean’s Eight will come our way, we hope to see Robbie’s character very much in charge in this new movie. Ostensibly, regardless of the details, she’ll lead a new team of sarcastic criminals as they pull off impossible odds with good humor and lots of style. We can’t wait to learn who else comes on board alongside Robbie and Gosling. If there’s one thing we can count on, it’s Ocean’s movies bringing a lot of fun to the table.

In the meantime, we can go back and appreciate what we already. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling’s turn in the Barbie movie truly captivated us. If there’s anyone who can seamlessly transition from playing a famous doll to becoming a master thief, it’s Robbie. May we be so bold as to suggest an eventual crossover?

Originally published May 19, 2022.

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I loved Barbie, but it’s not above reproach. There are honest, good-faith debates to be had about a Mattel film that ultimately defends the company’s iconic toy that some consider problematic. Predictably, though, a lot of criticism has been anything but fair. The movie has led to a deluge of angry essays and videos by people determined to trash it no matter what they saw on screen. It’s an inevitable response that always happens in our hyper partisan modern world with every big budget feminist film. And yet, despite skewering those very same bad-faith critics, Barbie itself is overwhelmingly kind to the people most inclined to hate it. The film not only explores why patriarchy hurts men and women alike, it shows why men don’t need to look for self-worth in a relationship.

The status of Kens in Barbieland is not exactly a subtle analogy. They are second class citizens in the matriarchy. That inversion of gender roles is Greta Gerwig’s way of commenting on our own society. (In case anyone somehow missed that she has a character in our world literally say, “I’m a man with no power. Does that make me a woman?”) But the film flips those roles back to their traditional standing when Ryan Gosling’s character returns to Barbieland. His awareness of how things work in the real world brings the patriarchy to the newly christened Kendom. That instantly relegates women to a subservient position in society.

The patriarchy initially seems to give Ken everything he wants. No one ignores him or patronizes him anymore because he’s in charge. Yet power, control, respect, and (the appearance of) adulation does nothing to bring him real happiness. In fact, it brings him strife. Just as Barbie predicted, “Kenland contains the seeds of its own destruction,” because the patriarchy is not simply built on the premise men must subjugate women. It’s built on the idea men must also subjugate other men. (That’s why they call it a “patriarchy” and not a “brotherhood.”) And since a Mojo Dojo Casa House divided cannot stand, the Kens brief reign quickly collapses on itself.

If that had been the only sympathetic message the film had for men it would be a powerful one. Barbie might be a feminist film, but its ideas and compassion are not only reserved for women. This movie shows why the patriarchy hurts everyone. It makes life a zero-sum game of winners and losers. No matter what you have someone else will likely have more. And even if you are on top others will always try to take your place. Greed and jealousy are self-destructive foundations for society. They lead to paranoia and a never-ending need for more. Only in a world built on equality and mutual respect for everyone can we find real joy. (Horses help, too.) That’s not an anti-men idea, no matter what some partisan hacks would have you believe. It’s a pro-men/pro-women/pro-human/pro-civilized society idea.

The film partially undercuts that message by having Barbieland return to a full matriarchy rather than a more equitable world. (Like I said, there are fair criticisms of this movie.) But it does not equivocate in its empathy for some of its most vocal critics: men who believe they don’t have value if they don’t have a woman’s love.

Ken’s entire reason for existing is defined by Barbie noticing him. He only has a good day if she merely looks at him. That remains true even after he creates the patriarchy. Everything he does while in charge, from acting aloof and being a jerk, is done to impress her. He doesn’t want to be President or sit on the Supreme Court. He simply wants her validation and approval so he can feel good about himself. That’s a goal society told him he must achieve to feel good about himself. He must make a woman fall in love with him to matter. His entire sense of manhood depends on that. Without it he’s nothing. It’s why he sings a power ballad about what it will take for her to recognize his value.

There’s an entire generation of men who feel the same way, and not without reason. Our patriarchal society has raised them to believe they must find a woman to love them. Not only that, it has led them to feel entitled to a relationship. The impact of not getting what they feel they both need and deserve is having a dangerous and tangible effect on everyone. That danger is only getting worse as bad-faith actors, looking to profit off the disillusionment of these men, further feed their resentment. Those opportunistic, shortsighted ghouls tell vulnerable people that feminism causes women to not want them. They say movies like Barbie—despite also being incredibly pro-family and pro-motherhood—cause women to ignore them and stay single.

It’s all part of the absurd and amoral weaponization of what is ultimately an issue of loneliness. And the more bad-faith analysts, misogynists, unethical politicians, and greedy opportunists feed off that very human sadness and disillusionment, the more it turns people bitter. Who doesn’t want to hear they aren’t the problem everyone else is?

But no matter how much those very people are inclined/told to hate Barbie, the film doesn’t hate them. Barbie doesn’t want them to feel worthless. The movie is kind and understanding to those men in a way their biggest “advocates” never will be. When Ken tells Barbie that he’s nothing without her because it’s “Barbie and Ken,” she tells him that’s not true.

“Maybe it’s Barbie. And it’s Ken,” she says, because she knows he shouldn’t only find self-worth in how she feels about him. Just as she shouldn’t find her worth in how others feel about her. Instead he should “discover who Ken is” because he has value unto himself and that’s enough. Or rather, it’s Kenough.

Ken doesn’t get a happy ending because he finally earns Barbie’s love. He gets a happy ending because he finally realizes he doesn’t have to. In doing so he seems more poised to actually find true love than he ever was before. In having value unto himself he has more to offer another person. It’s yet another message that comes from a place of real compassion, understanding, and love for the very people who want to hate Barbie most, even if they don’t see it.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at  @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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One of the biggest weekends in Hollywood history delivered everything audiences hoped for and more. Barbie and Oppenheimer are both critical and box office hits. More importantly their combined force has reignited the public’s love affair with going to the movies.

But we know it’s not enough to simply enjoy each film for what it is. Only a fool would let themselves appreciate two distinct works of art on their own merits. I mean, they had the audacity to come out on the same day! That kind of confrontational release schedule, which was pretty common not that long ago, is basically begging very smart people to declare one a winner instead of celebrating that each is elevating the other while also lifting the entire medium and industry. And since we’re not idiots we’re pitting each film head-to-head in a scientific, totally objective, totally serious Barbenheimer showdown. And we’re doing that with categories that apply equally to both films.

Best Explosion

In a matchup this tough it’s always nice to start with a layup. Obviously this goes to the movie which features an explosion of neon-pink. Advantage: Barbie

Best Use of Color

This is another easy category to hand out. Only one is partially shot in black-and-white, making all of its scenes in color really stand out in comparison. A classic case of “less is more.” Advantage: Oppenheimer

Best Costumes

Barbie has great costumes, absolutely. But they’re mostly based on toys lots of people have purchased. That pre-existing template likely made it super easy to recreate countless extravagant, stunning, memorable looks. Meanwhile, Oppenheimer needed clothes covering a span of nearly 40 years, from 1924 to 1963. During that time men went from wearing dark suits and hats to slightly different dark suits and hats. And it’s not clear they even have cameras back then. Talk about a tough assignment! Advantage: Oppenheimer

Most Times Saying the Movie’s Title

People say “Barbie” a lot in Barbie, but they also say “Oppenheimer” a lot in Oppenheimer. We tried to count each instance but lost track of both after roughly 20 minutes, so this analysis is maybe a little less objective than we’d like. Considering people sometimes chant or call him “Oppy,” whereas no one ever calls her “Barb,” we feel good about which one is probably correct. Advantage: Barbie

Best Musical Number

Tough break for Oppenheimer. Despite being three hours long, director Christopher Nolan inexplicably didn’t find room for a single musical number. Will that cost the movie at the Oscars? It definitely won’t help. Meanwhile “I’m Just Ken” will likely take home three or four Academy Awards on its own. Advantage: Barbie

Best Use of a Line From the Sacred Hindu Text the Bhagavad Gita

We swear this is true: nothing said in Barbie comes directly from the Bhagavad Gita. No, not even anything Weird Barbie says We can’t believe it either! Advantage: Oppenheimer

Second Best Use of a Line From the Sacred Hindu Text the Bhagavad Gita

More like “Now I am become repetitive, the repeater of words,” amirite? But a technical win is still a win, so… Advantage: Oppenheimer

Smartest Lead Character

Who adds a random “J” to the start of their name for no reason? Oppenheimer was literally no Einstein. Meanwhile, Stereotypical Barbie was busy saving her world with a genius plan while the “brilliant” scientist was busy blowing up his. Advantage: Barbie

Biggest Crybaby (In a Good Way)

Some of Barbie‘s best, most emotional, most important scenes feature its lead character crying. Advantage: Barbie

Biggest Crybaby (In a Bad Way)

How many people in history have had the sitting U.S. President call them a “crybaby” in the Oval Office? Gotta be a small list. Advantage: Oppenheimer

THE ULTIMATE BARBENHEIMER WINNER

Uh oh. Our thorough, all-encompassing categories—meticulously designed to fairly compare a heartfelt, lively comedy about an iconic toy that explores what it means to be a woman and a grand, somber biopic about one of the most consequential and complicated scientists in history—resulted in a final score of 5-5-1. You don’t need to be an astrophysicist to know that equals a tie. We haven’t been this disappointed since we found out the patriarchy isn’t just about horses. Better add one more category to break it.

Best Existential Crisis By a Main Character About How Their Life Hurt So Many People

Advantage: Push

Dang. Looks like there’s no clear “winner” in our big Barbenheimer showdown.

THE ULTIMATE BARBENHEIMER TIE

…Is it possible no one “won?” In fact, is it actually childish to evaluate art in a binary way that diminishes movies into arbitrary winners and losers? Should we instead focus on each film’s deep themes that get to the very nature of what it means to exist and how we help shape the world we live in? In fact, aren’t the real winners everyone who loves movies, because we got two excellent, star-studded original films by talented directors on the same day?

Yeah, maybe. But we’re going to go see both movies a few more times just to be sure.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Barbie is already the kind of smash hit studio executives dream of when approving a big budget film with an internationally renowned IP. Greta Gerwig’s critically-acclaimed movie now owns the record for biggest debut weekend by a female director. It nearly doubled its expected opening box office in mere days. More impressive is that it already exceeded its $145 million production costs in domestic sales alone. And yet, reviews and tickets sold don’t paint the complete picture of the movie’s accomplishments. Because despite its outsized budget, critical acclaim, packed theaters, all-out-marketing, and branded subject matter, a movie about an iconic toy is also primed to become a modern day The Rocky Horror Picture Show-style cult classic.

There’s no universally agreed upon definition of what qualifies a movie as a “cult classic.” Some have tried, but it’s a distinction with enough exceptions to render a uniform designation almost meaningless. Certain parameters tend to apply to most of them, though. They often have either been box office flops, critically panned, or simply downright ignored when they arrived in theaters. Before you can become a cult movie you typically have to possess almost no cultural cache. Only by being outside the mainstream can a small, extremely devoted audience then elevate your standing. It’s why big successful movies like Star Wars or Star Trek aren’t usually considered cult classics despite swaths of cult-like fans.

None of which applies to an historic, pricey, instantly successful box office blockbuster like Barbie. Especially not one featuring some of the biggest stars in the world and made by Mattel, an international conglomerate. And definitely not when the film, though undeniably subversive and original, is still ultimately a love letter to the iconic toy. There is nothing niche or overlooked about Barbie. It’s a movie that serves as a defense of a problematic toy and has a marketing budget that dwarfs most films. It could not possibly be more in the mainstream.

And yet, anyone who has been to a theater (in good faith) to see it already knows the energy around the movie is entirely different from most blockbuster films. It’s not merely that people are showing up to see it in costumes. People do that for MCU films, too. Women also did it for Sex in the City and Magic Mike. It’s that long lines of pink-clad moviegoers, spanning generations and greeting one another with enthusiastic “Hi, Barbies!,” feels reminiscent of the communities that form around cult classics. Spiritually Barbie isn’t a successor to other event releases, like a Batman movie. The way it’s connecting with women is akin to the kind of connection fans have with The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

No one could have predicted that. I thought Barbie would be a big success even before I saw it. But I knew something was different when I went to my early screening. The audience consisted of press and public alike, and it was very easy to identify my colleagues in the crowd. Most of the non-press arrivals wore pink dresses, pink shorts, pink shoes, pink shirts, pink headbands, pink skirts, and any other article of pink clothing they could find. This was even more true the next night when I returned for my Oppenheimer screening. A second early Barbie showing taking place in the next theater saw so many women show up in pink it felt like it was a mandatory dress code to get in.

Even better was the pure excitement they arrived with. They weren’t there simply to see a movie in costume or even just to enjoy themselves for a couple hours. They were there in celebration. Whether it was to celebrate a toy they love, feminism, femininity, or one another, Barbie is offering something that was clearly desperately needed and wanted. It’s not just a film, it’s a communal event . And the fact it’s really good and giving its audience everything it hoped for is only feeding the energy that surrounds it.

That energy will only grow with time because something magical is going on with this film. It’s impossible to completely capture why, but it’s undeniable. As excited Barbie enthusiasts see it again and again, the community the film has already created will inevitably branch out from costumes and shared greetings. Eventually showings will include singalongs and interaction with the screen. They’ll resemble the joyous midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Eventually (sooner than later) people will get up perform “I’m Just Ken” in aisles like they do with “Time Warp.” They’ll dance during Barbie’s big disco sequence and yell “Hi, Barbie” every single time a character does. Others will stand and recite America Ferrera’s great monologue when Gloria lets loose. And we’re all going to end up scream-singing the Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine” each time it plays. Same with Rob Thomas’ “Push.” Eventually we’ll all end up liking that song so much we’ll become part of the joke. We’ll even cheer guys who bring guitars into the theater because they’ll obviously be in on the fun, too.

Something incredible is going on with this film. It’s engendering a feeling and connection no one can intentionally plan for or make happen because no one can consciously make a cult classic. Does that mean we have to completely reconsider what a cult classic is and can be? And does a Mattel-approved film becoming one ruin the very concept? Who cares! I promise you no one who loves Barbie does. Instead they’re already picking out their next pink outfit, Barbie or Ken costume, or striped Allan shirt for their next viewing. They only care about seeing it again with enjoying it alongside others who feel the same way.

That’s the best thing about loving a cult classic, a concept that transcends genres and can’t be fully defined because it’s more of an idea than something tangible. You don’t have to care what others think. The mainstream opinion—good, bad, or indifferent—doesn’t matter. All that matters is the feeling it evokes. All that matters is the experience of being a part of a movie that means something special to you and a community you’ve become a part of, the way The Rocky Horror Picture Show means so much to so many. So enjoy Barbie now as much as you can at sold-out screenings any time of day. That will make it even more fun someday when we’re watching it at midnight in a packed theater of people in pink.

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She’s been a doctor, an astronaut, a flight attendant, and now she’s the star of her first live-action movie. It’s been virtually impossible to exist online without catching wind of the hype surrounding Barbie, Greta Gerwig’s hotly anticipated film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as everyone’s favorite plastic pair, Barbie and Ken. Between the sharp script, playful production design, and a pair of contrasting but pitch-perfect performances, Barbie is an ambitious, unexpected, and heartfelt ode to the doll who epitomizes the modern idea of feminism. 

Co-written by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie follows the eponymous doll (Robbie) as she’s forced to leave the perfect pink haven of Barbieland. She heads to the real world after she begins to sprout distinctly un-Barbie like imperfections. Rudely awakened by the patriarchal structures of present-day Los Angeles, Barbie grapples with her mortality, identity, and sense of self as she races to find the human girl who plays with her.

On paper, Gerwig may seem like an unorthodox pick for what might otherwise seem like a standard studio-generated, IP-based box office megahit. Her previous film, Little Women, certainly caught mainstream buzz. However, the majority of her work (including Lady Bird and Frances Ha) is of a distinctly offbeat, indie flavor. Her films are modern indie classics, yes, but hardly the kind of thing that would set execs at ease about handing over the keys to one of the most beloved, iconic, and carefully cultivated brand identities of all time.

But, as it turns out, Gerwig was just the woman for the job. Instead of attempting to circumvent the conventional expectations and pressure put on any movie associated with the Barbie name, Gerwig puts them under a microscope. It’s a delightfully unanticipated angle, but as one that also feels simultaneously perfect for a character who’s become so massive she can at times feel like a parody of herself.

Make no mistake, though, this isn’t a parody. It is full of guffaw-inducing one-liners (often from Gosling); however, Barbie isn’t interested in making fun of or being condescending towards its titular heroine. Yes, she starts out as the stiff-armed caricature most associate with her name. But it quickly becomes clear that Barbie wants to talk about her place in pop culture, and the contrasting facets of her “girl power” identity, as opposed to just playing it for laughs.

Barbie (as the film points out) herself is a character riddled by parody. She’s a powerful career woman who teaches girls about the power of independence. But she’s also the epitome of conventional Western beauty, and has destroyed the body image of many a young woman. Gerwig understands this, and treats Barbie with the grace and depth she deserves. This is a complex, interesting character whose multitudes are not just explored but celebrated as she journeys through the real world. 

Though she may have initially been over the moon at the idea of visiting the real world, harsh reality suddenly sets in. She realized that this is a cruel, patriarchal system built by men to keep women down. While it’s a rude awakening for the increasingly-emotional and existentially confused Barbie, a male-dominated society is the perfect playground for Ryan Gosling’s Ken. He takes to the real world like a Barbie foot to a stiletto. 

In addition to its complex, thoughtful characterization of its leading lady, Barbie’s approach to bringing Ken to life is just as fascinating. The film fully embraces Ken’s strange status as a veritable human accessory to Barbie. Constantly yearning and always overlooked by the seemingly-clueless Barbie, Ken finally arrives in a society where men are the ones in power. He even makes it his mission to bring the good news of the patriarchy to Barbieland. 

It makes for plenty of glorious comedy, including the culmination of Ken’s ruin to Barbieland with a battlefield fight sequence/musical dance number. But it also gives Barbie a distinct poignancy and potency in its critique of gender and gender roles. As much as the film acknowledges Barbie’s flawed persona, it’s also willing to say the quiet part out loud. She was created because a world without the patriarchy is one that could only exist in fantasy.

She’s a woman built to embody the strength of femininity, but she’s a woman created in a patriarchal society. So when she’s suddenly forced to exit the feminist paradise she’s always known, she gets to experience the harsh realities human women face every day. In defiance of this bleakness, Barbie creates the ultimate female catharsis in allowing the audience to see themselves in the down-to earth Gloria (America Ferrera), who meets Barbie face-to-face and journeys to Barbieland. 

Gloria is accompanied by her tween daughter Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt). While preteen Sasha is critical of Barbie’s damaging impact on beauty norms, Gloria represents the nostalgic, joyful, comforting memories of girlhood that Barbie conjures. Where Barbie has so often served as an escape and an inspiration for girls, it’s the human Gloria who ends up reminding Barbie of who she really is, and why she’s always been that way. 

Barbie strikes with surprising emotional fortitude, especially for anyone who grew up playing with and finding joy in dolls. This is a simultaneous homage to that joy as well as an affirmation that growing up is hard—though Barbie’s life may be perfect, ours isn’t.  Between these moments of intense existential and introspective reflection, Barbie still, of course, finds time to indulge in the fun of the ridiculous, highly-saturated world of Barbie and her friends.

The ensemble cast is chock full of scene stealers, including Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie, Issa Rae as President Barbie, and Ncuti Gatwa and Kingsley Ben-Adir as two of the many Kens. Their high-energy, high-camp performances are heightened by costume design from Jacqueline Durran and production design from Sarah Greenwood. 

Capped off by near-constant nods to the extensive history of the Barbie brand (including its many bizarre, discontinued characters, toys, and fashion choices) Barbie finds the miraculous middle ground between colorful camp humor and introspective soul searching—a masterstroke and the ultimate tribute to a one-of-a-kind woman.

Barbie ⭐ (4.5 of 5)

Barbie hits theaters on July 21.

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Barbie dolls are meant to be playthings for kids. But is this the case for director Greta Gerwig’s new movie? Is her Barbie movie about the iconic toy appropriate for kids, and what is its rating? It’s hard to tell from the film’s trailers. The vibrant promos feature extravagant, colorful costumes, settings, and Malibu Beach DreamHouses. The Barbie movie looks like a child’s dream come to life. But the movie’s promos are also full of existential angst and talk about death. Is that something small children can handle or even understand? What about pre-teens? If you’re unsure if the Barbie movie is okay for your youngsters, here’s our guide to help you make the right decision for your family.

Editor’s Note: This post contains very mild spoilers for Barbie to help parents, guardians, and caregivers decide if the film is age appropriate for their children.

Are Any Aspects of the Barbie Movie Appropriate for Kids?

Barbie‘s costumes and sets are delightful for everyone at any age, including kids. They’re bright and beautiful, so even the youngest children will enjoy seeing them on screen. (Especially those with a fondness for neon pink.)

The Barbie movie also features many cheerful sequences that are appropriate for kids. They will appeal to children even if they don’t fully understand the meaning behind them. There are also touching scenes between family members and friends in the Barbie movie that any child who can appreciate a show like Bluey will find meaning in. The same goes for any kids who can comprehend positive themes about identity, feminism, relationships, and believing in yourself.

Mature Language and Adult Topics in the Barbie Movie

Despite living in a world built by imagination and not knowing what sex is, Ken and Barbie know they don’t have human genitalia. A Barbie character makes direct reference to each of their missing private parts. However, it’s done in a humorous, matter-of-fact way rather than in a vulgar or explicit manner. There’s also a funny term used to describe the dolls’ missing lower extremities. Young children will definitely not understand the phrase used in the Barbie movie. Some will certainly ask to have it explained to them, though. However, there’s nothing resembling nudity, though.

There is one bleeped-out swear word, however. The swear word used in Barbie will be blatantly obvious to even pre-teens, who will likely know what was actually said, but not little kids.

The Barbie Movie’s Existential Dread and Adult Themes May Not Be Appropriate for Kids

Despite having main characters who are literal toys living in a seemingly Utopian magical fantasy land, the Barbie movie is an existential human story at its core. It’s about what it means to be a woman, what it means to be alive, and what makes us happy. The inciting event, as teased in the film’s trailers, is when Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie starts thinking about her own death. The film also explicitly deals with depression, the patriarchy, gender roles in society, and other deep, meaningful ideas directed at an older audience. These Barbie themes may not necessarily be inappropriate for kids, but they may be difficult for them to understand fully.

What Is the Barbie Movie’s Age Rating?

The Motion Picture Association of America set the Barbie movie rating at PG-13. This deems Barbie appropriate for kids aged 13 and above. “Parents are urged to be cautious” when bringing anyone younger than 13 years of age since “some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.”

The MPA cites “suggestive references and brief language” as the reason for Barbie‘s PG-13 designation.

(Did you know Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins are largely responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating? That designation didn’t exist before 1984.)

Age Recommendations for the Barbie Movie When It Comes to Kids

Specific, hard, and fast age recommendations are especially difficult for PG-13 movies. But if you’re looking for general guidance for the Barbie movie, it is likely appropriate for most pre-teens but not a great choice for many younger viewers.

Mature 12-year-olds will likely appreciate the film both for its story and its themes, even if they don’t understand all of it. (In fairness, some adults won’t either. The film’s script and performances are much deeper than many will expect with a film based on a toy.)

Children under the age of ten will almost certainly not understand most of what’s going on in the Barbie movie. As a result, some will feel lost and disengaged. They will also be confused about some of the language. (A helpful way to think about the more mature content is that if the child in your life has never had health class, Barbie might not be for them, even though talk of private body parts is limited to just a couple of moments.)

If you’re still unsure if your youngster is old enough to enjoy Barbie on any level, or that it deals with topics you deem inappropriate for their age, we recommend seeing it without your kids first.

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Come on, Barbie, let’s go party. Whether we want it to or not, that iconic Aqua song is pulsing through our veins as we anticipate the upcoming big-screen Barbie movie. She is no stranger to the screen, though. The iconic Mattel doll is, after all, the star of a whole animated cinematic universe. But now she’s getting the Hollywood treatment with a live-action film. Margot Robbie stars as the titular blonde girlboss, and she has a whole lot of star power with her—both in front of and behind the camera.

Of course, the universe will be full of Kens and Barbies. But one Ken we haven’t gotten a good look at yet is John Cena’s mermaid Ken or “Kenmaid” character from Barbie. Though we still don’t have a full look at Cena’s outfit, most importantly, his tale, we do like what we see so far. Flowing blonde locks, a shell necklace, and no shirt… What more could we ask for? We just hope this Ken’s tail is nice and glittery.

Here’s everything we know about Barbie, the movie.

Title

Warner Bros. and Mattel are keeping it simple with this one, calling the movie Barbie.

Barbie‘s Plot

So far, Warner Bros. and Mattel are keeping on the down low about Barbie‘s plot. But given the castings we know the ensemble film will include at least a few familiar figures from the Mattel world. In addition to the titular character, her on-again/off-again boyfriend Ken is a major figure. And there may even be more than one. Plus, this is a film from Greta Gerwig (and Noah Baumbach). So it wouldn’t be too surprising if they throw in a couple surprises. Will we see a wistful or melancholy Barbie in the movie, trying to move on from her himbo love? Or will we follow Barbie on a coming-of-age journey as she figures out what her dream job really is? With Gerwig at the helm and this stacked cast, we’re game for just about anything.

Barbie‘s first teaser offered us a lot to think about as well. You can watch below and check out our full breakdown of Barbie‘s trailer, including its 2001: A Space Odyssey references and recreations.

Barbie‘s second trailer, meanwhile, brought us something a little bit more conventional, but no less excellent. Although neither trailer included Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” the track will be sampled in a song on the soundtrack in the Barbie movie’s soundtrack, phew!

Most recently, Barbie shared a slew of witty posters with us, teasing its full cast of Kens, Barbies, humans, and more. We definitely can’t wait to see how they come together in the movie. We have a feeling we will soon enter a fantastic world like no other.

pic.twitter.com/MFACUgHRr6

— Barbie Movie (@barbiethemovie) April 4, 2023

pic.twitter.com/qovxvooobp

— Barbie Movie (@barbiethemovie) April 4, 2023

Behind the Scenes

Greta Gerwig will write and direct the film, with real-life partner Noah Baumbach co-writing the script for the Barbie movie. Robbie and Tom Ackerley are also producing the film through their LuckyChap Entertainment production company. Mattel’s Robbie Brenner and David Heyman also produce.

Barbie‘s Cast

 As stated above, Margot Robbie, who is also producing the movie, is Barbie. Ryan Gosling is playing Ken. Joining them are Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya, Jamie Demetriou, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, and Hari Nef. Dua Lipa has all come aboard. It is quite a cast, to say the least!

In addition, we now know that Will Ferrell will play “the CEO of Mattel.” According to the actor, the role is “that guy who’s just insensitive but weird.” At CinemaCon 2023, we also learned that John Cena would play the role of mermaid Ken. Sounds exciting.

Barbie’s Release Date

Barbie releases on July 21, 2023.

Originally published in 2023.

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We’ve been on the edge of our seats wondering just what the highly-anticipated Barbie movie will actually be about. We’ve seen a few atmospheric teases but nothing that gives us as good a look at the movie’s plot as this latest trailer. And now that we have more of the story in front of us, it makes perfect sense. Barbie is a Barbie girl in a Barbie world in the Barbie movie. But she’s about to take on reality, whether she likes it or not. There might be some cold showers and flat feet to endure in the real world, but we have a feeling Barbie is about to learn that there’s also real beauty outside the enduring nature of plastic. However, as the Barbie movie trailer beautifully puts it, “Humans only have one ending. Ideas are forever.”

Take a look at this joyous and mildly existential-crisis-inducing trailer for the Barbie movie below.

We already love every Barbie and every Ken in this movie. Although we must admit, this Barbie trailer gives us some Life-Size vibes. Not that that’s a bad thing. The official description for the Barbie movie shares:

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

Honestly, that’s exactly what we got out of Barbie‘s trailer. We can’t wait to find out what truths Barbie will discover in her movie. And, of course, we’re sure she’ll teach some important lessons along the way. Ken, however, is probably doomed to stay exactly as he is for life. But that’s really what we need out of Ken, when it comes right down to it.

This film, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, among many other famous faces. The Barbie movie releases in theaters on July 21. And we have our best heels (or flats, this is the real world, after all) ready for the occasion.

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At some point, a lot of us wanted to be a Barbie girl (or a Ken guy) in a Barbie world. From what we hear, life is fantastic there, even though things are made of plastic. And now that’s what we get to do with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, a new film starring a slate of great actors including Margot Robbie, Issa Rae, Ryan Gosling, Ncuti Gatwa, and more. We are loving all the Barbie character posters but we really love this new trailer that gives us serious “slice of life” storytelling vibes. 

All the different Barbies, the Kens who are competing with each other, the clever joke about Barbie/Ken’s sexless relationship, and the general ridiculous vibes are a true winner. Interestingly, this is quite different from the first Barbie trailer we got a while back. What does this mean about the film’s tone? Who knows. What do we know about Barbie’s plot? Well, here’s a small synopsis: 

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place.  Unless you have a full-on existential crisis.  Or you’re a Ken.

Will Barbie discover that our world is absolute garbage? Maybe. Basically, just toss on some fab shades, wear bright colors, and go along for the wacky ride. Barbie hits theaters on July 21.

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We’ve seen glimpses of what Barbie has in store for us already. And we knew we were in for some kind of journey through the absurd and entertaining. Of course, with Greta Gerwig at the helm, a straightforward movie about a cheery doll was not in the cards. But we could not have expected the deep meditation on the meaning of Barbie that Barbie‘s trailer offered. Nor could we have expected the homage to the opening scene from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Barbie meets sci-fi? Hand it over.

Take a look at the first teaser trailer for Barbie, below:

Given that Barbie‘s trailer emulates Kubrick, it brings us many layers of meaning. In the opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey, early man was greeted by a mysterious monolith that they began to worship. Though this encounter freed them from the mercurial whims of nature, it made them servants of something else. The monolith awakened insatiable aggression and greed in man. In the Barbie trailer, Barbie herself takes the place of the monolith. And she awakens something furious in the young girls quietly playing with their baby dolls.

We suppose this teaser trailer offers a meditation on how the figure of Barbie gives some kind of power to those she touches with her perfect, plastic presence and also brings something ugly out in them all at once… In 2001, the monolith also appears as a very masculine presence, whereas, in Barbie, Gerwig has evolved the concept for the feminine. And that feels like an interesting thematic start. Based on this trailer, we smell a coming-of-age in a cruel world narrative just around the corner for Barbie and co.

But we suppose we’ll have to see the movie. In addition to its 2001: A Space Odyssey portion, the teaser trailer for Barbie does offer us a quick montage of some of the more fun aspects of the movie. We get to Barbie waving at her city of Barbie Dreamhouses. Ryan Gosling as Ken appears with, potentially, other Kens in absurd ’80s aerobics wear. And the Barbie trailer also features lots of dancing, sequins, and pink. We already know this movie will also likely go in and out of Barbie‘s world, with Will Ferrell playing the CEO of Mattel. So we expect nothing but shenanigans.

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In all, our brains our spinning. But one thing feels certain. If the teaser trailer for Barbie can bewilder and delight us in this way, we can’t wait to get the entire movie. Barbie releases in theaters on July 21, 2023.

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Hype about the Barbie movie is heating up, and it’s just gotten hotter because we now have our first look at Ryan Gosling as Ken. He looks plastic. And it’s fantastic.

This image comes on the heels of the first look at Margot Robbie as Barbie that we got at Cinema Con. Warner Bros. introduced a number of exciting things during its panel, including the below image of the actress absolutely embodying the beloved, pink-clad doll. We don’t know much about what will happen in the Barbie movie yet, but Reynolds recently told Entertainment Tonight that “Ken’s got no money, he’s got no job, he’s got no car, he’s got no house. He’s going through some stuff.” Rough stuff.

We also now know that the movie will release in theaters July 21, 2023. Mark your calendars now and get ready to go party. This couple certainly seems like they know how to have fun.

The upcoming Barbie movie continues to fill out its cast. In addition to Robbie, Ryan Gosling is on tap to play her Ken. (He was the sole choice for the Warner Bros, LuckyChap & Mattel film, according to Deadline.) But as the world of Barbie is more than just the iconic on-again/off-again couple, the cast continues to grow. Simu Liu, America Ferrera, and Alexandra Shipp have stepped into the dream house. And now, Will Ferrell has joined the Barbie movie as well. Their roles in the Barbie movie are all currently under wraps.

In addition to the aforementioned cast, Deadline reports that Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya, Jamie Demetriou, Kate McKinnon, Ariana Greenblatt, Emma Mackey, Issa Rae, Michael Cera,  Marisa Abela, and Hari Nef will also star in the movie.

We don’t know too much about the movie, but we do know that Greta Gerwig has signed on as its director. Gerwig also co-wrote the movie’s script with Noah Baumbach. We guess Gosling makes for a fine choice to play Ken. Honestly, we don’t know too much about Ken as a person. Other than he, too, holds a lot of jobs, has a great head of hair, and loves the beach. As for what to expect from Liu, Ferrera, and Shipp’s roles, I’d be shocked if Liu wasn’t playing Ken’s fellow surfer bro. Or at least some sort of pal. The energy is just there.

We have to remind you though that the top-notch Barbie movie already exists. And it stars Tyra Banks and Lindsay Lohan. If you haven’t seen Life-Size, you are truly missing out. The upcoming film might be a more mature take on the doll, for some (?) reason. But Life-Size offers almost exactly everything you’d want out of your Barbie movie. So that’s the real big shoes to fill.

Casting Ryan Gosling as Ken and Margot Robbie as Barbie does have its charm, however, this also feels like the right time to say a Barbie movie would be a great time to bring more representation into the brand’s spotty history. Though Barbie has made a lot of changes in the last little while, bringing those evolutions to the big screen would have clinched its efforts.

We guess we will have to stay tuned to see what other details emerge. With a cast starring Liu, Ferrera, Ferrell, and more, this Barbie movie could end up exceeding our expectations. In the meantime, we plan to blast Aqua until it’s stuck in everyone’s head. How’s that for viral marketing?

Originally published on October 22, 2021.

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Ah, superhero films. They bring us sweeping heroics, big battle scenes, and some pretty spectacular costumes. Sometimes, if we’re lucky, the cast will wear those costumes beyond the movie. And John Cena recently did that, sporting his full Peacemaker costume from The Suicide Squad on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Why not? He joined James Gunn and Margot Robbie on the late night show to speak to guest host Anthony Anderson about the upcoming DC Comics film. Given the chemistry of this group, we’re even more excited for the film.

The Suicide Squad and director James Gunn explains he wanted to do the “ultimate, all time comic book movie.” The movie, as many of you know, is about a terrible group of supervillains. The US government uses them as fodder in blacks op missions—suicide missions. Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn from other DC Comics films, while it’s Cena’s first foray into that universe. Though Peacemaker is getting his own spinoff TV series.

Anyway, the almost 20 minute chat with the trio oozes charm. The conversation goes all over the place. There’s a story about Robbie’s ex-boyfriend having a life-size cardboard cutout of Cena in their bedroom. Then there’s Robbie’s pet rat named Rat Rat. Robbie met Rat Rat on the set of Suicide Squad, and she kept it (though she eventually had to give him away). And yes The Suicide Squad has actual rats, as well as lots of animated rats. One of the actual rat actors in the movie is named Crisp Rat, by the way. (Get it, like Chris Pratt?)

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Then they talk about the wildest stunts Cena and Robbie did on set. And we can’t forget about discussing former Jimmy Kimmel Live writer Steve Agee playing King Shark on set. Plus they show off some new footage from the movie.

The Suicide Squad comes to theaters and HBO Max on August 6, 2021.

Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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While other trailers played on the action-packed madness, this one begins with a little human story. We meet Idris Elba’s Bloodsport, who’s happily cleaning floors in Belle Reve Federal Penitentiary until Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) appears to recruit him for her squad. Bloodsport is less than eager but a visit from his daughter (Storm Reid) seems to change that. Viola Davis is appropriately terrifying as the leader of the Squad, and then it’s onto the rest of the crew.

Warner Bros.

Much has been made of the huge ensemble cast and we get some new moments featuring them here. Pete Davidson’s Blackguard has a hilarious run-in with Weasel (Sean Gunn). Peacemaker makes a rude starfish joke. Savant (Micheal Rooker) looks tired of his criminal cohorts. And we also learn that returning Squadders Rick Flagg (Joel Kinnaman), Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney), and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) are on some sort of mission with the newbies. And, as expected, chaos ensues.

Warner Bros.

Some of our favorite moments include a very good Ratatouille joke, a big Polka-Dot Man moment which screams weird and wonderful, and a minute but moving moment between Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior) and Bloodsport. The entire trailer is full of instantly memorable sequences, but a fight scene with Harley and exploding flowers looks perfect.

Gunn is best known for The Guardians of the Galaxy films, but this looks a world away from the MCU. While both franchises feature deepcut characters, The Suicide Squad looks like a far more darkly humorous take on superhero storytelling. Plus, with all these weapons and an R-rating it looks like it’ll be far more brutal too. Basically, we can’t wait.

The Suicide Squad hits HBO Max and theaters on August 6, 2021.

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Ever since the COVID-19 crisis struck, many films have been delayed in both release and shooting. The new movies that have been released have been far from the major movies that 2020 was supposed to be full of. As such, the Academy has now altered their eligibility timeline for movies that could contend for Oscars. Usually running from Jan 1st to Dec 31st each year, the 2021 ceremony will now include films released until February 28.

Even with the extension, there is still a chance that the instability of the current situation means that we might not get too many more big movies before time runs out. So in this piece, we’re highlighting some of the weird, wonderful, and unlikely movies we’d love to see take the spotlight when the Academy reconvenes next year.

Swallow

IFC

This stunning, stylish, and spine-tingling chiller is built around an incredible central performance from Haley Bennett. Hunter is a young housewife whose loneliness and lack of control leads to her finding a new way to fill that empty hole inside (literally). Hunter’s habit of swallowing inedible objects is at the center of this character study that defies the boundaries of genre. Bennett should be a shoe-in for best actress in any just world, and Swallow was technically a #1 at the box office thanks to its release at one of the few drive-in theaters operating during the current crisis.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

Netflix

Crip Camp is a life-changing documentary. not just because it showcases real disabled people as whole, horny, and alive, but also because it will challenge your ideas of disability. Centering around the titular Camp Jened, which, during the summer of 1971 offered up a “loose, free-spirited camp designed for teens with disabilities,” Crip Camp wins Best Documentary without question. A testament to the subject is that the campers went on to become powerful activists and advocates.

The Assistant

Bleecker Street

Though the Academy rarely celebrates films that shine an unflattering light on Hollywood, The Assistant should sweep the board when the time comes. Julia Garner offers up a sterling and subtle performance as a young assistant who tries to combat the culture of sexual harassment at the production company where she works. The Assistant is a slow burn experiment, taking place over just one day; it offers no answers, and is explicitly real about the dangers of turning a blind eye and the retribution wielded against those who won’t play along.

Shirley

Neon

Josephine Decker should have been celebrated by the Academy already for her brilliant and experimental Madeline’s Madeline. But, alas, she was ignored. She’s back this year, though, with this anti-biopic that centers on another incredible turn by Elisabeth Moss bringing to life horror icon Shirley Jackson. It’s a searing emotional horror about Jackson, her husband, and the naive young couple that they take much pleasure in tormenting. Shoutout to the production designers, who should definitely be getting some recognition.

The Invisible Man

Blumhouse

Leigh Whannell reimagined the iconic Universal Monster in this bleak and bold horror. Elisabeth Moss is incredible as always and should get some awards love for this unreal performance. Whannell and his stunt team also make magic happen on a budget of around $5 million, with the camera becoming a character and plenty of awesome invisible fight sequences. If there’s any justice in the world this would be a top contender in the weird cinematic landscape of 2020.

I Will Make You Mine

Gravitas Ventures

Lynn Chen writes, directs, and stars in this final part of the loose trilogy that began with 2011’s Surrogate Valentine. Tied together by real life musician Goh Nakamura, I Will Make You Mine twists around the lives of three women who have loved him. Light, thoughtful, and generous, this is a truly lovely film; the kind of small, inventive, character-driven movie that rarely gets the spotlight it deserves.

First Cow

A24

Speaking of lovely movies, Kelly Reichardt’s thrilling drama First Cow is nothing short of a cinematic blessing. A beautiful study of male friendship set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century, First Cow follows a pair of travelers played by John Magaro and Orion Lee who begin a successful business together. Simple in concept but imbued with a sense of style and depth that makes it truly special, First Cow should unquestionably garner awards for Reichardt, cinematographer Chris Blauvelt, and both of its amazing leads.

Bacurau

Canal Brazil

Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles craft something truly exciting with Bacurau. After the success of Parasite, this sociopolitical thriller just may have a chance at the Oscars. Even if it does get ignored, this experimental and strange exploration of the unusual goings-on in a small fictional settlement in Brazil deserves as much praise as we can heap on it. Scary, funny, dark, timely, and brutal, it’s best to go in knowing as little as possible. But prepare to be entertained.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Focus Features

The Academy seems split on whether “issues” movies are still worthy of celebration, but Never Rarely Sometimes Always is the kind of film that needs to be elevated and commemorated. Eliza Hittman directs this intimate and authentic story about a young girl trying to get an abortion in modern day America. Anchored by two wonderful performances from Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder, Never Rarely Sometimes Always feels utterly radical.

Birds of Prey

Warner Bros.

It’s unlikely this studio flick will get the love that it deserves during awards season. Cathy Yan swung for the fences with this superhero girl gang movie and made something that felt truly special. The stunt direction and action is incredible—not that the Academy recognizes that anyway—and the makeup work and costuming is some of the best in superhero movies since Batman Returns. There’s also that killer turn from Margot Robbie. Although it’s a pipe dream, Birds of Prey should be up there when the time comes.

Featured Image: IFC, A24, Gravitas Ventures

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According to a report, which we learned from Comic Book, the studio changed the title of the film after an underwhelming opening weekend box office. It went from the lengthy Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to the more marketable Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey. However it seems the film’s official name remains the same.

Warner Bros.

While a few of the larger film chains, including AMC Theatres and Regal Cinemas, now bill the film until it’s new moniker, it doesn’t extend across all theaters. When you follow the movie’s official Twitter account to Fandango’s website you also find the old title. Flixster, Showcase Cinemas, and Cineworld are also still using the the original name.

Will this matter for its future earnings? Probably not. It’s far more likely that word of mouth for the positively reviewed movie will determine its long term success more than its official name will. Everyone is either calling its Birds of Prey or “the Harley Quinn” movie anyway. And as Harley herself might say, “A rose by any other name would smell just as ****ing sweet.”

Original Report:

If you’ve been calling Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) just Harley Quinn, or “the Harley Quinn movie,” well….the movie just underwent a name change in light of its less-than-stellar opening weekend, in hopes that will help its performance. We’ve learned (via Comic Book), that Warner Brothers has now officially changed the name of the film to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey.

Although in my opinion, Harley Quinn AND the Birds of Prey sounds better. But this is the name change they went with. So if you are looking to reserve seats via Fandango or another app, startling looking under “H.”

Warner Brothers

Despite pretty stellar reviews, the movie under performed at the box office is this past weekend. Now, according to most sources, the film had a rather small budget for a comic book movie. Around $84 million dollars. That’s slightly less than Shazam! had, and that movie was considered a success. But at best, Birds of Prey can only hope to break even now. And although breaking even isn’t the kind of money-losing debacle for Warner Brothers that a Justice League was, it’s still not something they want. And that’s a shame, because the movie itself is a actually a blast.

So what went wrong? Some people say the R-rating, but Deadpool seems to nip that theory in the bud. Some more reactionary pundits suggest that “men don’t want to see women superhero movies,” but the majority of the audience were actually dudes. Also, the success of Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman would seem to suggest that doesn’t really matter. Except of course to certain very loud and annoying YouTubers.

Warner Brothers

One mistake made was not doing a good job introducing the actual Birds of Prey characters to the audience via the trailers and commercials. Black Canary and Huntress are commodities to comics and animation fans; does the general audience know who they are? Probably not so much. And the ads just didn’t do a good job at telling casual fans who the heck they were supposed to even be.

Then, there’s the costume issue. While it’s fantastic that director Cathy Yan decided to ditch sexist costuming and “male gaze” camera moves in favor of something different, there was a way to have your cake and eat it too in terms of the costuming. Harley Quinn has one of the most iconic and cosplayed costumes ever. And it covers her head-to-toe. There had to have been a way to do that costume, at least for one scene, and market your movie around that. Everyone who grew up with Batman: The Animated Series sees that and knows it’s Harley. In some ways, she looked too much like any other character, despite Margot Robbie being perfect in the role.

And both Huntress and Black Canary have easily translatable costumes, and instead they ditched them. Part of the fun in seeing comic book adaptations is seeing how the filmakers translate those costumes into real life, while maintaining what makes them iconic. A lot of Birds of Prey reminds me of early 2000s X-Men movies, where they were ashamed of their comics roots. Still, the movie itself is awesome, and if the name change helps it boost its performance, so be it. We just know we want a sequel with Poison Ivy and Harley together at last. Is that too much to ask?

Featured Image: Warner Brothers

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Releasing a superhero movie in 2020 is a far more complex endeavor than it once was. Fans are expecting nothing short of perfection, plus on top of the whole adapting a beloved property thing, there’s the expectation of any good comic book film to include a peppering of impressive Easter eggs. Luckily, for fans of such things Birds of Prey includes one of the coolest and most interesting blink and you’ll miss it moments that we’ve seen in an age. During our visit to London for the world premiere we sat down with the cast and director to break that down as well as to talk about bringing the rad roster of cool characters to the big screen!

When Nerdist attended the world premiere of the movie we made sure to keep our eyes peeled for all the easter eggs that we could possibly spot and while the film was filled with awesome DC references there was one that stood out and showcased just how much the crew behind Birds of Prey know their stuff. As Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya prepares for the team’s final battle against Black Mask and Victor Zsasz you can see a blurry clown-like figure on the small TV in her room. If you know the deep-cut history of Harley Quinn then you may recognize the moment as a clip from Days of Our Lives which is the unexpected influence behind the beloved comic book character.

DC Comics

The original scene featured in the popular daytime soap as a dream sequence which featured Arleen Sorkin dressed as a Harlequin and it was according to creators Paul Dini and Bruce Timm what led to the pair creating the character. The influence of this moment was further proven by the fact that Sorkin would be the first person to voice Quinn when she debuted. Both Yan and Robbie were happy that we noticed the inclusion, Including these nods and homages for the fans who would be coming out to watch the film was incredibly important to both of them.

You can watch the full clip that inspired the character of Harley Quinn in Batman: The Animated Series, and which can be momentarily spotted in Birds of Prey below:

Whilst we were in London for the press junket, we also chatted to the cast about bringing the Birds of Prey to life. And, naturally, they gushed about the massive amount of fun that they had putting them on the screen. It’s clear that Margot Robbie is deeply connected to the anti-heroine at the center of the movie and that finally getting the chance to have full creative reign over her is a dream come true. Her co-stars were clearly just as enamored with the characters they were bringing to life from Mary Elizabeth Winstead and her exploration of trauma and humor via Huntress, Rosie Perez’s experience bringing the first gay superhero to the screen with Renee Montoya, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s action-packed journey as the group’s only metahuman Black Canary.

Header Image: Warner Bros.

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Two of its core characters are nothing short of brilliant. Jurnee Smollett-Bell is easily the best onscreen Black Canary that DC/WB has ever created. Her singing, fighting, and emotional substance create a killer representation of Dinah Lance (and she looks great in fishnets, too). Meanwhile, Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress is the film’s secret weapon, with her grim outlook—inspired by childhood trauma—rendering both gritty heroism and great deadpan comedy.

Warner Bros.

But Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn is inarguably the movie’s star. Centering Harley in a Birds of Prey movie might rub some fans the wrong way, but it’s hard to deny just how hilarious and magnetic Robbie is in the role (and how much easier the underdog film was to have greenlit with her at its heart).

We find our heroine at a crossroads in her life; after breaking up with the Joker, she discovers that the immunity she once enjoyed as his partner has dissipated. She’s unable to do anything without an After Hours-style endless supply of goons, bad guys, assassins, and aggrieved enemies hunting her around every corner. 

Yan’s vision for Gotham includes a grimy technicolor dreamworld interspersed with cute cartoons and filled with an attitude that befits the badass women who inhabit it. While Harley tries to rediscover herself without the Joker, she butts heads with Ewan McGregor’s campy, misogynistic sadist Roman Sionis and his right-hand man Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina). Roman and Victor are just entertaining and menacing enough to be great foils, but don’t distract heavily from the women at the center of this bonkers entry into the DCEU canon. 

Warner Bros.

A fun element of Birds of Prey is its soft connection to the larger DC universe. I’d love to see Rosie Perez’s Renee Montoya—a whip-smart parody/homage of ’80s cop characters—take on the Question in the wider DC world, just like her comic book counterpart has done. Ella Jay Basco also breaks out as Cass Cain, whose style and street smarts feel like spiritual representations of the comics character even though they’re wildly different than the background, attitude, and abilities detailed in the source material. 

Aside from the core cast, the biggest and best part of Birds of Prey is the action. Yan made the brilliant choice of adding John Wick‘s Chad Stahelski as Second Unit Director, and he stacks the movie with impressive practical action and stunt sequences that the Avengers could only dream of. Yan and Stahelski do an excellent job of crafting set pieces and sequences that feel tonally barmy and fun while still packing an impact that’s befitting of the R rating. Yan’s eye combined with Hodson’s script mean that these action-heavy moments also offer up some character beats and riffs distinctive for their authenticity to the way women fight, live, and speak.  

Warner Bros.

Birds of Prey is some of the most fun I’ve had at the cinema for a long time. Though the film may have taken some notes from the likes of Pulp Fiction and Deadpool, Yan, Hodson, and their cast deliver something that feels fresh, and really entertaining. Whether you’re intrigued by its groundbreaking cast and crew, the R-rated action, or just because you love comic book movies, you’ll likely be very happy with what you find. I was pleasantly surprised just how much I enjoyed the bizarro world of the Birds of Prey, and thrilled at the prospect of it continuing long after this adventure ends. 

4/5

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

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The first wave of reactions are in for Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and so far, the latest addition to the DCEU mostly elicited excitement and positivity! It looks like the DCEU’s winning streak post Wonder Woman/Aquaman/Shazam! continues.

We’ve collected a sampling of opinions below from viewers lucky enough to see the first big screen version of one of DC Comics’s longest running kick-ass superheroine team-ups.

First and foremost, anything featuring Harley should be fun. Thankfully, it looks like this film is.

#BirdsOfPrey isn’t a Birds of Prey movie so much as it’s a Harley Quinn movie feat. BOP – and that creates issues story-wise & in fleshing out characters – but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. It’s at its best when going full Harley-vision, & Margot Robbie is clearly having a blast. pic.twitter.com/hyF7CpFCmk

— Eric Eisenberg (@eeisenberg) January 29, 2020

Believe this. #BirdsofPrey whips all sorts of ass. It is a hard-hitting, unapologetic origin story for the team, and a terrific, vicious vehicle for #MargotRobbie. Violent, funny with CRAZY fun action. And Ewan McGregor is on a different frequency, but wildly entertains! See it! pic.twitter.com/g66RYuwwlD

— Sean O’Connell (@Sean_OConnell) January 29, 2020

F-bombs and glitter? What more do we need??

#BirdsofPrey is like if John Wick were run through a crazy funhouse filter and stuffed full of glitter and f-bombs. It’s everything you could ever want from #HarleyQuinn and her badass girl gang. Into this movie completely. ?? pic.twitter.com/Y2DZgPYN2Y

— Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) January 29, 2020

While the ladies themselves are getting heaps of praise, people seem to love Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask as well.

#BirdsOfPrey is a lot of fun and violent as hell. The Birds are so entertaining and distinctly different from each other. Ewan McGregor is so sinister and often hilarious. pic.twitter.com/4scxbS6GwT

— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) January 29, 2020

Best bat fight since the Raid 2? High praise indeed.

#BirdsofPrey is KILLER. A slow start and awkward plotting doesn’t stop the movie, and these characters, from soaring in the end. Wildly violent, F bombs out the wazoo, and the best bat fight scene since The Raid 2. If Margot Robbie could control this part of the DCEU, she should. pic.twitter.com/bewnj8npaJ

— Eric Francisco (@EricFrancisco24) January 29, 2020

Angie Han’s praise is slightly more muted for the film, but she singles out Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s performance as Huntress.

#BirdsOfPrey: winning characters, above-average action, and a killer soundtrack hampered by uneven tone and pacing. The girls at their best together, and they’re not together enough. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress is the not-so-secret MVP. ?

— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) January 29, 2020

To Davis, Margot Robbie was perhaps born to play Harley Quinn, and great to see her shine in a vehicle for the character that people think is actually good.

#BirdsOfPrey has terrific action, humor & some of the more memorable characters we’ve seen in a DC movie, but the biggest highlight is Margot Robbie. She is fantabulous as Harley, while also proving that sometimes our most valued relationships are the ones we have w/ good food pic.twitter.com/EDQ3sr5JtL

— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) January 29, 2020

Really enjoyed #BirdsofPrey! The action reminded me a lot of John Wick. The chemistry amongst the cast was great and I would love to see more #BlackCanary & #Huntress in the future. pic.twitter.com/9ySVvh1yyz

— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) January 29, 2020

“Human Looney Toon” [sic] is an apt description of Harley, and apparently they nailed that aspect of the character.

So #BirdsofPrey was an absolute blast. Harley feels exactly like the human Looney Toon she ought to be, Black Mask is a scene stealer; Dinah, Helena, Cass, and Renee all rule. This was everything I want from DC movies and then some.

— Meg Downey (@rustypolished) January 29, 2020

Someone’s already clamoring for a sequel.

BIRDS OF PREY: Cathy Yan has created a music infused celebration of female badassery. DC continues to take big risks and push boundaries. The perfect Harley Quinn movie. Margot Robbie crushes it. I loved all these ladies & am looking forward to the sequel/spin-off. #BirdsofPrey pic.twitter.com/eRF5FJzahP

— Scott Menzel @ Sundance (@TheOtherScottM) January 29, 2020

Better late than never…

#BirdsofPrey is a ridiculous and rad superhero film. The fight scenes are phenomenal and the villains are delicious. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get the Birds of Prey on film but it was a lot of fun.

— Jill Pantozzi (@JillPantozzi) January 29, 2020

Other reactions suggest the film is uneven, but still a blast to watch.

My favorite thing about #BirdsofPrey is women empowerment and so many damn symbolisms behind the characters, stories, and what they represented. Again, jumbled and uneven at times, but really fun and very #HarleyQuinn. pic.twitter.com/2GfmthKr0W

— Laura (@lsirikul) January 29, 2020

For a comic book movie, this is the kind of realism that excites us.

My favorite moment? When one of the women asks the other for a hair tie in the middle of a fight scene.

FINALLY!!!! Who actually kicks ass with long ass hair flinging around? Extra ??? for Yan & Hodson for putting that in knowing this is how women would do it!! #BirdsofPrey

— Yolanda Machado (@SassyMamainLA) January 29, 2020

Not sure Harley would appreciate her mind being called “jumbled,” but we’re sure she’ll take praise however it comes to her.

#BirdsOfPrey is a fun squad movie with AMAZING fight choreography. Honestly, the fight scenes were the best and most natural I’ve seen in DC. The story is a bit jumbled but so is the mind of #HarleyQuinn. Great to watch tla movie that focuses on the female gaze! pic.twitter.com/Lag2jCRpnX

— Laura (@lsirikul) January 29, 2020

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) hits theaters on February 7th.

Featured Image: Warner Brothers

The post First BIRDS OF PREY Reactions Offer High Praise For Harley Quinn appeared first on Nerdist.

We’re just a few weeks away from the release of Birds Of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), and we couldn’t be more excited. Margot Robbie’s portrayal of the iconic eponymous character—who first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series before making her way into the comics—was the highlight of Suicide Squad. We know the Oscar-nominated actress is more than ready to lead her own film and the trailers make this Joker-less film look like an absolute blast.

Now, thanks to Bloody Disgusting, we have our first look at three scenes from the upcoming film, which give us an even closer look at what Birds of Prey will be like in action. In this first minute-long clip, we learn more about Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask and why, exactly, he’s after this group of women. Harley lists off a series of motives for why each of them are embroiled in this mess, and… in his defense, it sounds like he has a pretty good reason to be pissed.

In the second clip, we see Black Mask in all of his villainous glory, chomping away at popcorn while he has one of his goons (a bleach-blonde Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz) taunt a captive Harley Quinn with a knife. He seems pretty happy to have her killed off, until she tells him that she knows he’s looking for something. And that something is a diamond. Lucky for him, Harley Quinn is known for being an expert thief. Are the two about to work out some kind of arrangement?

The third clip is the least plot-heavy of the trio but easily the most fun. It shows the girls engaged in action—probably with more of Black Mask’s cronies—in what looks like a giant fun house. There are huge rubber hands and neon colors galore. We get a taste of each of their individual fighting styles, and in a moment of levity, Harley offers a hair tie to Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary. Need even more reasons to get hyped for this film? The interaction between women here feels so genuine and not at all stereotypical, which is exactly what the superhero genre needs, and is the benefit of having women in all of the key creative roles.

Birds of Prey is directed by Cathy Yan, written by Christina Hodson, and produced by Margot Robbie, Sue Kroll, and Bryan Unkeless. In addition to Robbie, McGregor, Smollett-Bell, and Messina, it also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, and Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain. Unlike Suicide Squad, where Harley Quinn shared many scenes with her lover Joker, Birds of Prey will show her untethered from the chaotic clown man, who is off winning awards in his new corner of the DC cinematic universe.

We’ve got a ton of Birds of Prey goodies to hold you over until the film’s release, including interviews with Margot Robbie and Ewan McGregor, a deeper look at the recent trailer, a character exploration of Harley Quinn, and more. Birds of Prey arrives in theaters on February 7.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

The post BIRDS OF PREY Clips Tease Harley Quinn’s Agenda appeared first on Nerdist.

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Robbie is clearly passionate about Birds of Prey, which makes sense since the actress-turned-producer first envisioned the project half a decade ago. But she explained that the rarity both R-rated and female-led superhero flicks threw up considerable road blocks as the process began.

“Even the quickest movie making process can be at least three years, I reckon,” Robbie told Nerdist. “But this one, it took a little longer, it was a tall order. It was before anyone had done an R-rated comic book film. I was saying, ‘I want to do an R-rated film.’ It was before Wonder Woman and I was saying, ‘I want a female-led action film’ – you know, those things weren’t being done yet. I think they wanted to make sure that if they’re going to take a risk like that, that it was going to be done correctly. So we spent a lot of time developing the script and making everyone feel confident in the material. Then once everyone was on board, some other things started coming out to help them feel like, ‘Oh yeah, this could work.’ After that it started to move really fast, but in the initial stages I think what I was pitching sounded crazy.”

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Her inspiration for the film came during the press tour for Suicide Squad, when Robbie first fully encountered the huge fandom for her character as well as the amazing roster of female characters that the DC Universe had to offer.

“During Suicide Squad–when we would go to Comic-Con and such–I started to realize there was just such a huge fan base for Harley,” she remembered. “Whilst I was researching the character I started to read Birds of Prey and first I fell in love with Huntress, and I started looking into all of that. I was like, ‘Wow, there’s so many cool female DC characters and no one knows anything about any of them!’ So what if we had a platform for fans to get to know and fall in love with some of these other amazing women? Focusing on the Gotham City Sirens, there were only three of us and we were all well known, whereas with Birds of Prey you can pick any grouping for that, and I thought that might be the perfect platform to introduce some female characters who might really have some legs in the DC Universe.”

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Once she’d convinced the studio that Birds of Prey was a winning idea, Robbie was quick to find her creative collaborator in Bumblebee scribe Christina Hodson.

“Christina was one of the first writers that I met with,” she said. “We met, we started workshopping it, and we had a script within the first year, but we did get stuck in the treatment stage for a bit. Then it gets to the fun part, we’re good to go, we can bring in a director, we can bring in a cinematographer, we can start to cast… which is really the most fun part, when you see those actors reading your words and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is real!'”

As for how it feels now that the film is almost out there for the world to see, Robbie didn’t hold back her excitement – or anxiety.

“This is the scariest part,” she admitted. “I always find when you’re putting a film out there and you’ve spent years putting it together but it’s picture locked and you’re just waiting for everyone to see it, now I can’t do anything about it. I just have to wait for everyone to see it and that’s a scary thing, but I am really excited for people to finally see it. I just hope that they like it.”

Birds of Prey hits screens on Feb 7th.

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Harley Quinn’s making her way in the world and back to theaters in the brand new trailer for Birds of Prey that was released today! What has fans happier than a Joker Fish about this February’s fantabulous flick? Dan breaks down the key details on today’s Nerdist News!

What’s gotten you hyped about Birds of Prey? Tell us in the comments!

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Cathy Yan, the talented director of the indie gem Dead Pigs, is taking on one of DC’s most iconic characters with Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Notably, Birds of Prey will see Yan become the first Asian-American woman to take on a Hollywood superhero flick—something that Yan said she tries “not to think about too much,” but added has been “really amazing [and] very humbling, certainly.” Nerdist visited the set of Birds of Prey and spoke to Yan about her journey to landing the gig, her vision for the movie, and why Birds of Prey is “a very personal” story for the trailblazing director.

After catching the eye of Margot Robbie and the studio with her debut dark comedy ensemble piece Dead Pigs, Yan was asked to put together a presentation of her take on the movie. “I put together a little pitch deck. It just had all my thoughts about the aesthetics of the film and the world. Then I also kind of created a sizzle reel. But it wasn’t a sizzle reel [that] just was like, here’s a reference, here’s another reference.”

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Yan was keen to explain why she was drawn to the project and how it felt like something more than your average superhero movie. “To me, this story is super compelling and personal because it is about emancipation and about women almost being competitive with one another, and bringing each other down because of our inabilities. And I think feeling so powerless and also the stranglehold that is the patriarchy.”

The director continued, “I feel like I very much have gone through that arc myself. I’ve seen it especially, I think, set against the backdrop of Me Too and what’s been happening in our industry in the last few years. So that definitely infiltrated its way into my pitch as well. So, for me, this film is so much more than a superhero film about like the first girl gang film or any of that. It’s has a compelling narrative and theme to it that like is very, very personal to me.”

As we ventured around the impressive set and got a look at some of the wild practical pieces that had been created for the film, we heard a lot about the classic cinema influences that shaped the movie. For Yan, there were plenty of iconic pictures that she wanted to reference, including an unexpected classic Akira Kurosawa nod that looks like it’ll be key. “The way that I talked about the structure of the film was Pulp Fiction meets Rashomon. There’s a lot of my favorite filmmakers that have influenced Birds of Prey. Like Tarantino, obviously; The Professional, for sure. Especially the relationship between Harley and Cass.”

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Yan also teased some of the more specific homages that fans could look out for when the movie hits early next year. “We actually have a few, I would say, odes to certain films in the movie, so watch out for that. Also visually, I think it’s very much influenced by A Clockwork Orange, like the milk bar. And the Black Mask club has a lot of those female figurines. And then we’re kind of reinterpreting that modern style, the ’70s era. We’re really trying to make this film look like nothing that you’ve seen from superhero movies before, and yet still really grounded in reality.”

That realism also led to a commitment to practical effects, which is something that many superhero fans have been longing for. “I would say it’s mostly in camera, practical. It’s just the way I like to work. And again, it came from the story and the script itself being more grounded. So this film is definitely that. I mean, we definitely have some digital effects, but it’s mostly just to augment whatever’s there.”

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn hits theaters on February 7, 2020.

Featured Image: Warner Bros

The post Cathy Yan on BIRDS OF PREY’s Many Influences and References appeared first on Nerdist.

When Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn was first announced, many fans were confused about the lineup, which differed from that of the classic comic book team. Barbara Gordon was nowhere to be seen, seemingly replaced by Harley Quinn and Cassandra Cain. But executive producer and star Margot Robbie and director Cathy Yan put a lot of care into building the film’s gang of five strong women. One gang member in particular served as Robbie’s entry point to the film.

“It really started with Huntress,” Robbie told Nerdist on the set of Birds of Prey. “I just loved Huntress, and with my initial pitch on the story, I wanted to keep it quite contained… No world ending stakes. Like, the stakes were as big as, you know, perhaps mafia-level or gang-level. That’s when I started reading a lot of Huntress comics, obviously coming from the mafia family, and I found her story. Plus I do often gravitate towards a revenge story because it is so straightforward, but you’re so clearly motivated. So I find myself, you know, getting on board with that mindset quite quickly.”

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Robbie continued, “After Huntress, it kind of fleshed out from there which other members kind of counterbalance her revenge story and Harley’s version of what’s right and wrong. That’s why you need a more moral character, like Renee Montoya. Canary is obviously so crucial to the Birds of Prey, so I really wanted to introduce her as well and then Cass. Christina [Hodson], the writer, and I actually spoke about a lot of our favorite films and wanted to pay homage to a few things. Leon is one of them and we loved that relationship like the mentor and mentee—a very unexpected friendship, which we kind of found ourselves gravitating towards as well.”

That variety was key to Robbie’s interest in telling the story of Harley and her unexpected crew. “It’s an eclectic group, which I love. Everyone kind of has distinct and different personalities and is coming from a different angle, I suppose. You’ve got Renee, whose set of morals and her moral compass points a very different way to Harley’s and Canary’s. You know everyone’s kind of got their own rules and ethics that they abide by and they kind of conflict with each other, which I think is always really interesting in an ensemble.”

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With Yan behind the camera, Birds of Prey is already standing apart from other superhero flicks. But it wasn’t always certain a woman would direct. “I really wanted a woman director, but at the end of the day, it’s whoever’s the best person for the job,” Robbie said. “We met with directors, both male and female, and Cathy gave the best pitch. She came in, she understood the pace, she elevated the ideas that we’d been working on and kind of took them to a place. That’s what you need a director to do, to take what you have and then elevate it to another level… I remember writing copious notes every time we spoke to someone, and when Cathy came in, my page was just a big smiley face.”

Once Robbie had selected her heroines and Yan was on board, it was time to cast. According to Yan, this was an intense process, but one that reaped great rewards when it came to the core team. “We saw everyone, we had them do chemistry reads. Both Jurnee [Smollett-Bell] and Mary [Elizabeth Winstead] gave such depth to their characters. I think that’s what was really compelling about them immediately from the get-go. There’s a personality to them, and when I cast a film I’m always looking to find a similar soul in the actors [and] the characters that they play.”

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Yan walked us through just what it was that made each actress perfect for their roles. “I think with Jurnee, she’s just so intelligent and deep and grounded and she manages to be both very soft, but also really street-smart and tough, which was very much Canary. Then I think with Huntress, she has such an interesting backstory and the psychology of someone who has potentially PTSD, and is just reeling from all of that. Mary was able to really understand that and bring the depth to it so that she became a real character and not just, like, a badass.”

Aside from Smollet-Bell and Winstead, Birds of Prey stars icon Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. She was an inclusion that Yan was clearly ecstatic about. “I’ve been a big fan of Rosie Perez for many years… When I first read the script, I always sort of imagined a bit of a more mature Renee as a nice balance with [the] other women. The way I’ve always described this group is like, it’s a motley crew, they don’t look like the typical girl gang, and I liked that. I like that they come together, kind of unconventionally, randomly. And so with Rosie, I mean, she just brings such strength to the role and such personality.”

You’ll be able to see how the team comes together when Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn hits screens on February 7, 2020.

Featured Image: Warner Bros

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Cathy Yan and Margot Robbie are ready to shake up Hollywood with one of DC’s most popular (and profitable) characters. Harley Quinn has been charming fans since she first appeared in the 1993 Batman The Animated Series episode “The Joker’s Favor.” Originally meant to be little more than a one-episode sight gag, Harley quickly became a fan favorite, and eventually a part of the live-action DC film universe when Robbie took on the role in Suicide Squad. Next year, Robbie will return to the role, but with full creative control and a woman behind the camera. In taking on Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, Robbie was excited to explore something completely different with her new take on the beloved DC anti-heroine.

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“Something I explored a lot in Suicide Squad was Harley’s codependence with the Joker,” Robbie told Nerdist among a group of outlets on the set of Birds of Prey. “It was obviously a huge influence on her. But then she was very much in a relationship with him when we first saw Harley on screen. I did want to explore the version of Harley out of a relationship—whether she’s out of the relationship on her own accord or he’s kind of kicked her to the curb. It’s still affecting her but in a very different way. And I thought we’d see a very different facet of her personalities, I would say because I think she has multiple.”

Though obviously Robbie and Yan were secretive when it came to details about the 2020 movie, Yan seemed to support Robbie’s take on Harley’s multiple personalities and struggles with her status quo. Yan teased that Harley “is the narrator and she’s definitely unreliable, which is part of the fun of the film.”

For Yan, one of the biggest challenges came from trying to balance the established aspects Harley while also crafting something new and exciting. “It’s definitely a challenge because you want to pay homage to the comic books, but then also the films before this. And obviously, we’ve seen Margot play Harley before. It’s definitely a fun challenge to figure out. What do we keep from that version of Harley? We do differentiate, I think, given that the story is about her emancipation and she’s out on her own and not connected the Joker. With the Suicide Squad, she’s so connected to the Joker. I mean their story is so intertwined and it really is a love story, if you will. This is not.”

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Embracing the distance from what had come before afforded the team more flexibility to tell the story they wanted to without the constraints of canon. “I think that gave us a lot of opportunities to say: What is she like? Not necessarily post-Joker, but in almost a parallel universe. It allowed all of us the freedom to say we’re going to create a different Gotham. And then, of course, we do keep some things that are very Harley. So her tattoos remain the same. You know, her hair is a little different but it feels like a natural arc to her character from Suicide Squad. And she still remains recognizable. But even her white skin feels a little bit different. It’s less thick. So those are all still touch points for sure.”

Speaking of Harley’s new look, the concept of female gaze was something that many fans have grown excited about as images, teasers, and trailers for the movie have released. For Robbie, it was not only story-relevant but also a natural reflection of the people making the movie. “I kind of think of it like when you’re getting dressed. And you’re either dressing for guys—like you either want guys to think you look good—or you want new girlfriends to wish they had your outfit. I think for Harley’s aesthetic, looking at her specifically, I’d say her look is kind of dictated on her relationship status. When she’s in a relationship with Joker, you’re going to get the version of Harley that you see in Suicide Squad. And then this version, where she’s clearly not with the Joker, it is erratic and it’s different. But also, the world in general and therefore everyone else’s kind of looks for the film were created by women.”

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn hits screens on February 7, 2020.

Featured Image: Warner Bros

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Tinseltown lore became inspiration, and eventually, the foundation for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but on Saturday at the filmmaker’s Los Angeles movie theater The New Beverly, he and his cast broke down a few of the myths – and built up a few others – as they discussed the process of making this unique and challenging film. In advance of the film’s November 26 release on digital platforms, and its 4K, Blu-ray and DVD arrival on December 10, Tarantino, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie assembled for a screening and Q&A moderated by Jim Hemphill, who coaxed insights and information out of the four of them in a meaty 40-minute conversation.

Tarantino predictably dominated much of the chat; not only was he the architect of this extraordinary film, he’s a well-known and passionate storyteller full of anecdotes and trivia – especially about his own work. At Hemphill’s prompting, he touched on the personal experience that inspired just one of the ideas that led him to Hollywood. “I was making a film and I was dealing with an older actor, and working with them for a while on the film, and he had a guy that he’d been working with for years,” the writer-director revealed.

“I’m sitting there watching them on the set, dressed in the identical outfits. It always really means something to me when I see a relationship between people in a movie that seems like it legitimately goes beyond the context of this movie. And you saw the nine years of them working together and I thought, wow, that’s a really interesting relationship. If someday it happens, I ever make a movie about Hollywood, a relationship like that would be a really interesting way inside.”

The film that evolved from that kernel of an idea not only explores these onscreen-offscreen relationships, but a particular era of Hollywood history, seeded with details from the lives of actors and filmmakers that Tarantino worships, such as Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham, Reynolds’ stunt double who turned to directing with projects like Smokey And the Bandit. For Rick Dalton, the film’s would-be leading man, Tarantino said he put Leonardo DiCaprio through considerable paces, as much as anything because he was playing a certain type of actor rather than a proxy for a single performer.

“Leo was the one that I put through school, because I didn’t base Rick Dalton off of one actor,” he said. “I based him off about five different actors. So it was the idea of showing him who some of those actors were. And then I would even give him a movie that was like, ‘this would have been a good movie Rick could have been in.’”

“For instance, Rick would never be offered the Steve McQueen role in The Magnificent Seven,” he continued. “That’s never going to happen. However, two sequels down the line, The Guns of the Magnificent Seven where George Kennedy is playing the Yul Brynner role, Rick could have absolutely been cast in that. So I sent him the movie to watch it. [And] it was more me and Leo watching a ton of stuff to just get the history.”

DiCaprio said that keying in one on actor in particular helped him prepare to play Rick Dalton, but it also helped inspire one of film’s pivotal scenes. “Once we honed in on Ralph Meeker‘s work, I started obsessively watching his work, because there was a vulnerability and a pathos that he had in his work that I felt Rick had the potential to emulate in his own career. I didn’t quite understand what kind of actor Rick could be, and that that led to dramatically where Rick winds up on that day on set getting emotional about himself thinking about the fact that he has to do spaghetti westerns and his life is over. And it culminated in that sequence that’s the ultimate nightmare for an actor, which is forgetting all your lines in front of the entire cast and crew and that sort of mental breakdown.”

Though DiCaprio made a lot of discoveries with Tarantino’s help, Tarantino indicated that he and Brad Pitt bonded unexpectedly early over the same influences they saw for his character Cliff Booth. “We had a really interesting, copacetic moment where he came over to the house to talk about the character,” he recalled. “Brad shows up and goes, ‘so here’s what I’m thinking about for Cliff’ and he pulled out a DVD of Billy Jack. Not so much that Cliff was Billy Jack, but more like the idea Tom Loughlin would be a good guy to play Cliff, or you can imagine Tom Loughlin playing Cliff in 1971. And I go, dude, I have reel one of Billy Jack cued up on my 35 millimeter projector in the screening room. And then we watched it and had a fantastic time.

Pitt said that Billy Jack was less a direct influence than a point of inspiration for Cliff. “It was more the way he carried himself,” he said. “I’m more instinctual. I always feel like I’m groping my way through until I find a wall and find my way in, and that was just the starting point. I can’t explain it any more than just by the way he carried himself. There was a groundedness, a strength in standing still.” The actor also indicated that he looked at Cliff as a character who keyed in on some simple but essential truths about dealing with what the world deals you. “I think we’re all searching for that peace in our lives,” he observed.

“Quentin had written this guy who seemed to be going through everything that he’s gone through with full acceptance, and knew that he was capable of handling whatever the day brought – ‘I’m just going to be all right’.”

“So I kind of looked at it as he was looking for the best in people, but he expected the worst, and was surprised by neither.”

Margot Robbie, who played the late Sharon Tate, explained that she knew very little about her character’s namesake, but thrilled at the chance to embody a second chance at the life Tate never had. “Like lot of people around my age, I knew of her death, but I didn’t know about her life and I hadn’t seen her films,” she said. “And it was such a joy to go on that journey because her life was quite magnificent. She was by all accounts just an angel on this earth.”

Robbie also said that she loved how Tarantino reconceived the tragic events of her life in order to capture a specific kind of feeling about 1960s Hollywood, not to mention to give Tate a postscript that isn’t marred by violence. I think part of the tragedy and the shock is that something so innocent and pure could be taken. And I so appreciated Quentin’s approach in portraying Sharon’s life and watching her just live her life.”

“It was beautiful in its simplicity,” she observed. “And I really appreciated that her presence in this script was to emulate or personify the wonderful things about Hollywood in the 60s – the opportunity, the fun. And the ‘60s itself, just being that free love, open-door time before it came to a tragic halt.”

Unlike Rick Dalton, Tarantino’s Sharon Tate didn’t have to wrestle with her inner demons. But Robbie admitted that she found it more challenging to tap into her character’s angelic energy than if she’d explored Tate’s darker side. “I find it a lot easier to yell and scream and cry and do all of that on screen – I can get there a lot quicker,” she said. “But to be truly light all the time was actually weirdly hard. But a joy as well, kind of like being on like this beautiful vacation all the time.”

Her technique, she revealed, was to find things in her own life that fed positive energy and then surround herself with those experiences. “I made a list of all the things that make me really happy and then I would try and do all those things on the day that I was going to work or the day before,” she said. “And all the things that gave me any of that downward pull in life, any of the stress and angst, I would kind of cut that out.”

Tarantino and his cast touched upon a number of subjects, including Tarantino’s relationship with the real Burt Reynolds, who he said he’d call frequently throughout his career to verify details about stories he’d heard. (Tarantino also cast Reynolds in the film as ranch owner George Spahn, but he passed away before they could film his scenes.) But all three actors oozed with admiration for the filmmaker’s commitment to creating a tangible environment on screen. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so transported as I did on Quentin’s set, because everything’s practical,” Robbie said.

“It’s not there’s not just the foreground props and the setting, and then the rest is going to be blue screen or green screen for later. It’s all 1969 around you. As far as you can see down the street, there’s a row of cars from the ‘60s. You could touch everything, everyone around you, and there’s no cell phones on set. So everyone’s either talking to each other or just doing work. And it was just honestly like I felt like I was there. It just honestly felt like I was there. It was incredible.”

Pitt interjected an anecdote to drive home Tarantino’s commitment to keeping his sets cell phone free. “Can I tell the story of when the cell phone went off on Inglourious Basterds?” he asked to his director’s consent. “You have to check your phones in there. This is sacred ground. But when one went off in between takes, you would’ve thought someone walked into the Sistine chapel and took a shit,” he revealed to huge laughs. “Not only did production come to a grinding halt, no one would cop to it – although we knew the general area. But Quentin sent us home for the rest of the day. So we had the afternoon off to go to think about what we did.”

DiCaprio said that it gave them a tremendously unique experience as actors in an era where technology has enabled filmmakers to cut corners and take shortcuts to achieve what Tarantino does on screen, but sometimes less convincingly, especially for the people acting in his films. “In a lot of ways it’s kind of nostalgia within nostalgia because we’re doing a film about Hollywood in 1969 and we’re also doing a film that is done the way they did it in 1969,” he said.

“So everyone around you has this excitement about doing it on film. The amount of effort that they put into that set decoration was absolutely astounding [and] there was no CGI green screen of anything.”

“It was like doing a film the way we used to do film in ’69, so it was really an unforgettable and unique experience that I don’t know if any of us will ever get to have again – especially nowadays.”

Photos courtesy Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The post Tarantino, DiCaprio, Pitt And Robbie Reflect On Making ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD appeared first on Nerdist.

Thanks to a YouTube channel known as The Singularity (via Geekologie), a video from the ’80s has resurfaced featuring actress Arleen Sorkin, the original voice of Harley. It’s a bizarre dream sequence string of episodes from Days of Our Lives. Sorkin played a Harlequin-inspired version of her character Calliope Jones in a medieval setting. The actress then made a VHS tape of the performance and gave it to her old college buddy Paul Dini. Dini just happened to be a working TV animation writer at the time.

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This happened just as Dini was gearing up to help create Batman: The Animated Series. He popped the tape in one day while sick in bed, and his friend’s performance inspired him to think of a Harlequin-like sidekick for the Joker. He then had Bruce Timm come up with the design we all recognize today as Harley Quinn. And when the time came to cast the voice actress, they went with Arleen Sorkin herself. Which was only fair, seeing as there would have been no Harley without her.

Warner Brothers

This original footage on YouTube is a reminder that some of our favorite pop culture icons come from the most unlikely of sources. Even though Sorkin isn’t playing the character with Harley’s traditional thick east coast accent, you can still see glimpses of the Harley we all know and love. Sorkin played Harley in several incarnations, in both TV and video games. And although she retired from the role a decade ago, every actress who plays her in any medium owes a debt to her performance.

Margot Robbie channeled Sorkin for her live-action portrayal in Suicide Squad, and off the strength of that she’s headlining her own movie soon in Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn), not to mention coming back for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. And there’s a new Harley animated show on the way. But without Sorkin, you just don’t get to the Harley renaissance we have today.

Image: NBC /Warner Brothers 

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Moviegoers who recently saw It Chapter Two were in for a surprise treat, as the film kicked off with a special It-themed Birds of Prey teaser. Unfortunately, the extremely short clip didn’t show us too much though. But perhaps to make up for it, Warner Brothers and DC Films have released a new poster for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). 

The new poster depicts Margot Robbie as the former Dr. Harleen Quinzel, front and center and looming quite large over the rest of the cast. This positioning clears up any room for confusion as to the star of the movie—regardless of Birds of Prey‘s placement in the title. The rest of the cast make an appearance though, as little birds swirling around Harley’s head, no less. Probably a wise choice, given that the average moviegoer knows nothing about the Birds of Prey comic book series.

Interestingly, none of the other characters in the poster have anything resembling their comic book costumes on. Ewan McGregor not wearing his Black Mask costume makes sense, as you want to sell the movie on his recognizable face—at least in part. But it doesn’t seem like Huntress, Black Canary or Orphan (a.k.a. Cassandra Cain) will be in any kind of costume, either. Or at least not for the bulk of the movie. Maybe we’ll get a group shot at the end with everyone suited up though, if only to please all the DC Comics fans out there.

In addition to Robbie as Harley, also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Rosie Perez as Detective Renee Montoya, Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, and Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis/Black Mask.

Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) opens on February 7, 2020.

Images: Warner Brothers

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It’s February in Los Angeles, 1969, sun mingling with the rows of tan legs marching down Broxton Avenue. The decade is rounding out, and revolution is lurking ’round the corner: Stonewall, Woodstock, the Apollo moon landing, the Manson murders. At least, it is in the real world–but this isn’t the 1969 of history books or CNN specials or Joan Didion essays. It’s Quentin Tarantino’s 1969, where Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate sits–feet up–in the Bruin Theatre to watch herself in the Matt Helm flick The Wrecking Crew. Only it’s not Robbie on the screen, but the real Sharon Tate; soft-spoken, gentle, beautifully unknowable.

It’s a moment of disconnect, these two strains of reality blurring in tribute to a woman who, in our world, was murdered before her light could shine brighter than this. But this is Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, a fairy tale that imagines what could have been if these weren’t Sharon Tate’s last moments, but the prologue to a blossoming career.

The subject of Tate’s involvement in the film is already a contentious one. At Cannes, where the movie premiered, a female reporter made headlines when she questioned Tarantino’s depiction of the actress in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, which uses her sparingly; she’s not the main character so much as a symbol for the breed of Hollywood star power slowly drying out, and therefore her line count is minimal. But that line of questioning ignores the enormous impression Tate leaves on the film, and her thematic relevance to the story at hand.

In real life and in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, Tate’s career was borne from the same old school studio tailoring as Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton, a backlot cowboy sliding from one set to the next, playing new iterations of the same gluttonous baddie. Like Dalton, Tate was passed around TV sets, disguised in black wigs on shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and Man From U.N.C.L.E. while her managers tinkered with her star image. Her talent was arguable, but that didn’t matter much back then; like Jennifer North, her character in Valley of the Dolls, she was a stock commodity to producers–a pretty, empty prop they could use to their liking.

But in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood, we see Tate as she likely never saw herself; enamored with what she really had to offer, and what might have defined her if given the time. Not just looks, but an onscreen presence that was uniquely captivating. As she nestles herself into the worn seats of the Bruin, she lights up like a firecracker as the audience laughs at her character’s jokes and applaud her combat victories. She flashes to a loving memory of stunt training with Bruce Lee, a moment that highlights not only her affection for the business but the loving work she put into her projects–always eager to better herself in the name of movie magic.

This is a Sharon Tate as in love with Tinseltown as Tarantino; reverent for the technicolor spell of cinema, tickled that she gets to be a part of it. And unlike snuff films like The Haunting of Sharon Tate or the various adaptations of Helter Skelter, Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood isn’t preoccupied with her status as a murder victim. It’s interested in her life, her career, and the infectious joy she conjured for those around her.

The love Tarantino has for Sharon Tate is felt beyond the delightful theater scene, and trickles into the nuanced references he peppers through the script. Before Tate heads to the theater, she stops in a bookstore and purchases a copy of Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles for her husband Roman Polanski; in real life, Tate gave this book to Polanski shortly before her murder–years later, he turned it into the 1979 film Tess, which he dedicated to Sharon. Earlier in Hollywood, we see Tate with a Yorkie terrier, a dog she owned in real life and named Sapirstein, after the doctor in Polanski’s hit horror movie Rosemary’s Baby. She puts the small dog into a floral velvet carrier, the same one she actually owned, one of the many nods to Tate’s real life and personal tastes.

Indeed, Tate’s only surviving immediate family member–her sister, Debra–was so enamored with Tarantino’s treatment of her beloved sister, that she lent Robbie actual pieces of jewelry Sharon owned and loved. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Debra spoke about visiting the Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood set–on Tarantino’s invite–where she watched the Bruin scene from a monitor. Through the headphones, she heard Robbie articulate her sister’s trademark voice–half whisper, half prayer. “She made me cry because she sounded just like Sharon,” Debra told the magazine. “The tone in her voice was completely Sharon, and it just touched me so much that big tears [started falling]. The front of my shirt was wet. I actually got to see my sister again…nearly 50 years later.”

For some, that early goodwill screeches to a halt when the date “August 8, 1969” flashes on the screen, indicating that we’ve arrived at the day of Sharon Tate’s real-life murder in the narrative. The events leading up to that fateful moment are depicted with textbook accuracy. In the film, Kurt Russell narrates Tate’s timeline: Now pregnant, she lunches with friend Joanna Pettet (Rumer Willis) and later dines with Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch), Abigail Folger (Samantha Robinson), and Voytek Frykowski (Costa Ronin) at El Coyote. Their supper is followed by a group singalong of “Straight Shooter” by the Mamas and the Papas in the family living room–all details that align perfectly with the true events of that night. (Sheet music for “Straight Shooter” was found on the house’s grand piano–a few feet away from Sharon’s slain body.)

But the roads of fate diverge when Rick Dalton, Tate’s neighbor, intervenes a planned attack on the Tate/Polanski homestead by the Manson family. Instead, three members of the vicious cult are lured into his abode, where their plans are foiled by Dalton’s acid-tripping stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) and his dog Brandy, who kill them off in a strikingly violent coda. In this version of reality, Tate and her housemates survive, and the film ends on a tender note; as Booth is whisked away in an ambulance, Tate and Sebring invite Dalton into their Cielo Drive home.

It’s Tarantino at his most sweetly indulgent, a sense of melancholy and wonder swelling as the words “Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood” dance over happy images of Sharon Tate–pregnant and alive and ready for her second act–as the film fades to black. Tate is one small player in a film doing arguably too much, but when she’s there she shines with hope–a light in this grim world of cultish affectation. Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood is occupied with the magic Tate promised, not the tragedy we’ve used to define her. It’s the first time Sharon Tate’s career–not her body, not her death–has gotten a spotlight like this. Let’s hope it’s not the last.

Images: Sony Pictures; Alan Pappé/Flickr

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Barbie, the 59-year old plastic icon, is not slowing down anytime soon. In addition to decades as a favorite toy for kids, Barbie maintains a strong online presence on Instagram and YouTube. In October we learned Oscar-nominee Margot Robbie would play Barbara “Barbie” Roberts on the big screen. Now, Variety reports indie filmmakers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach are writing the screenplay.

Gerwig and Baumbach will co-write the script, and rumor has it Gerwig will direct the feature. The two filmmakers are both critically adored and constant collaborators. The Oscar-nominated Gerwig, before directing Lady Bird, starred in and co-wrote Baumbach’s Frances Ha and Mistress America. Gerwig is also directing the much-anticipated Little Women coming out at Christmas. In recent years, Baumbach’s entertained us with his comedic drama The Meyerowitz Stories and late-coming-of-age film While We’re Young. Both directors’ films deftly tackle the specialness of mundanity and the difficulties of growing up.

Robbie, who stunned us as both Harley Quinn and Tonya Harding in recent years, seems a perfect fit for Barbie. Amy Schumer and Anne Hathaway were also considered for the starring role, but Robbie ultimately won out. Robbie’s range and extensive portfolio seems perfect for the task of bringing this doll to life.

Although we don’t know much about the film yet, we do have a couple guesses on the story. We can definitely see Barbie trying to fit into the human world. We can also see it as a character piece with her trying to understand who she is behind the icon status. Maybe it’ll chronicle a Barbie leaving her home state of Wisconsin for the sunny shores of Malibu? Perhaps she’ll meet and have great chemistry with her longtime friend, Ken? Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see Barbie enter into the Mattel Cinematic Universe soon.

Images: Pixar / Disney, Warner Bros.

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At first glance, the first trailer for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is merely a pulpy, colorful look at a sprawling cast of beautiful people in ’60s clothes. But there’s so much hidden in every delectable frame of this trailer. So much Hollywood history, great little references to 1969, and perhaps best of all: and so many figures of the time and industry.

Here’s a rundown of all of the real-life famous people tucked into the frames of the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer.

The opening scene of the trailer shows Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) being interviewed by an unnamed anchor. That’s actor Spencer Garrett who gives off a Tom Brokaw vibe. This may, indeed, be who he’s playing; Brokaw was an anchor for NBC Nightly News in Los Angeles from 1963 to 1973, which would place him in the time and place of the film.

Dalton and Booth are fictional characters, but as evidenced from the trailer and from anecdotes from Tarantino, they appear to be based on Burt Reynolds and his stunt double Hal Needham. The pair had such a tight working and personal relationship that Needham even lived in Reynolds’ guest home for a time. From the film’s plot, we know that Dalton is the former star of a series called Bounty Law, which recalls Reynolds’ time on Gunsmoke.

The trailer also gives us several looks at Margot Robie as Sharon Tate, including this moment where she is shown dancing in front of a psychedelic background, wearing a dress that says “Hollywood.” I can’t place this exact moment—it looks fictionalized to me—but it does recall both the mod visuals of Tate’s film Valley of the Dolls and also a famous clip from the film The Wrecking Crew when she danced for the camera in a similar fashion.

This is our first good look at the Manson girls, Charles Manson’s (more on him in a bit) cult followers. At the front is The Leftovers‘ Margaret Qualley, who’s playing a character named Kitty Kat. This is likely a nod to real-life Manson girl Kitty Lutesinger. Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn Smith, is also playing a Manson girl, the one second from the right.

This shot is one of the more exciting in the trailer, as it shows Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Jay Sebring (Emile Hirsch) fighting poolside at a house that bears a striking resemblance to the one Tate and Sebring were later murdered in. Sebring was a famous Hollywood hairstylist and best friend (and former lover) of Tate, and an amateur kung fu enthusiast who was an early fan of Lee’s.

Sebring trained with Lee and eventually helped him land his breakout TV role on The Green Hornet. When that show was canceled, Sebring then helped Lee find Hollywood clients to train, including Steve McQueen (who will be played by Damian Lewis in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

In the trailer, we see Lee training with both Sebring and Cliff Booth. In real life, he also trained Sharon Tate in kung fu for The Wrecking Crew, and was just around the corner in his neighboring home the night she and Sebring were murdered.

Here we see Robbie as Tate dancing at a party. She’s holding hand with a women who looks a lot like Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. Actress Rachel Redleaf has been cast as Cass for the film, so that’s likely who we’re seeing on the right. Cass was friends with most of the Tate murder victims, and may have even known Manson, too.

In his autobiography, Michael Caine recalled a party at Cass’s house where Cass introduced Tate and Sebring to Manson. This is unsubstantiated and probably false—lots of celebrities concocted stories about Manson’s knowledge of Tate after the murders—but could still be worked into the movie for dramatic effect.

Speaking of Manson, we see him in all of his toothy glory, brought to life by Justified‘s Damon Herriman. (Herriman will also play Manson in the upcoming second season of Netflix’s Mindhunter.)

The final image of note in the trailer is this quick glimpse at a production set. Behind the camera is actor Nicholas Hammond, who is playing Sam Wanamaker. You may recognize Hammond as Friedrich von Trapp from The Sound of Music. Wanamaker was a famous actor and director, who worked with Reynolds on Gunsmoke and later directed episodes of shows like Cimarron Strip and Coronet Blue.

Also of note in this shot: Timothy Olyphant to the right in a red shirt and what also looks to be Luke Perry right next to him, in his final movie role before he passed away this March.

That’s all we caught in this first trailer, but we’re sure there’s even more hidden away in there, waiting to be discovered. We can’t wait to see what else Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has in store for us when it lands in theaters on July 26.

Images: Sony Pictures

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Quentin Tarantino’s much anticipated ninth studio film finally sees its release this year. Steeped in curiosity and controversy, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has been a conversation-starter since it was announced with the name “Charles Manson” swirling around its initial plot.

But as we can see from the film’s first trailer, this is so much more than Manson. This is Tarantino’s take on Hollywood in the 1960s—and it looks fantastic.

The trailer opens with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton and Brad Pitt’s Cliff Booth during a television interview. Dalton is a famous Hollywood actor and Booth is his stunt double, in a relationship that mimics the real-life bond between Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham. “Actors are meant to a lot of dangerous stuff,” DiCaprio as Dalton tells the camera. “Cliff here is meant to carry the load.”

We then see several first glimpses at other stars of the film, including Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate and Damon Herriman as Charles Manson, the two real-life figures who gave Once Upon a Time in Hollywood its initial push. On August 9, 1969, Tate was murdered in her home, in a vicious scheme orchestrated by Manson and his cultish “family.” There’s no evidence quite yet that the film will even tackle this specific incident, or if Tarantino will pull the revisionist history card, but seeing them here is tantalizing all the same.

We also get a peek at Mike Moh as Bruce Lee, training Booth, and some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it turns from Emilie Hirsch as Jay Sebring; Margaret Qualley as Kitty Kat, a Manson girl; and what appears to be Kurt Russell as a movie director.

The film is a passion project for Tarantino, who told The Hollywood Reporter than he’s been working on the script for five years. “I’m very excited to tell this story of an L.A. and a Hollywood that don’t exist anymore,” he said. “And I couldn’t be happier about the dynamic teaming of DiCaprio and Pitt as Rick and Cliff.”

We can’t wait to learn more about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as its July 26 release date nears.

Images: Sony Pictures

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Despite the divisive reception to 2016’s Suicide Squad, the addition of former Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn as the brains behind Task Force X this time has the sequel suddenly on everyone’s radar.

We also know this will be an almost totally new cast, with the exception of Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and possibly Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. And now it looks like the original film’s co-lead, Will Smith, is jumping ship, according to a report form Variety. With no Deadshot in the mix, who will now become the male co-lead alongside Harley? We think there are several villains in the DC Universe who would fit the bill perfectly for a James Gunn-directed Suicide Squad movie, and here are our top five picks:

Deathstroke

This one’s pretty much a no-brainer. WB already has a perfect Deathstroke already in Joe Manganiello, who was introduced in the end credits tag in Justice League, and no vehicle to use him in. He serves much the same purpose as Deadshot, as they are both deadly mercenaries that fudge the line between villain and anti-hero. Plus, we think he’d have great chemistry with Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. Maybe the only drawback is that it’s a bit too close to Deadshot.

Bizarro

DC and Warner Bros. seem to have no current plans to use Superman any time soon (which we think is silly); but if not Kal-El, how about his big dumb lug of a clone, B-Zero? (Or, if you prefer, just Bizarro.) James Gunn’s sense of humor would be a perfect fit for the dimwitted Superman clone, and he we could see him almost as a sort of “pet” for Harley Quinn. Oh, and if Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy buddy Dave Bautista wants to play Bizarro, we wouldn’t hate that casting choice.

Captain Cold

The original Suicide Squad had Captain Boomerang as one of its members, but if you ask us, he didn’t leave a huge impression. So how about another Captain who is a member of Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery: Leonard Snart, a.k.a. Captain Cold. As fans of the TV version of the Flash know, Cold is deadly, but also snarky and kind of lovable in a weird way. We think he could be perfect for the male lead, as the guy who rolls his eyes constantly at all of Harley’s craziness.

Bane

Bane was played rather famously by Tom Hardy in The Dark Knight Rises (and less famously by wrestler Robert Swensen in Batman and Robin). But we’ve never had a comics-accurate version of the villain, who in the pages of Batman, is a Latin-American character from the fictional country of Santa Prisca. While Hardy’s Bane was super serious, we think Gunn would excel at a more comedic version of the character. And if he’s not used as Bizarro, the Dave Bautista would also be perfect as Bane.

Lobo

People keep wondering when the alien bounty hunter and all-around badass Lobo is going to show up on the big screen, and we think Suicide Squad might be the perfect opportunity to introduce “the Main Man” into the DCEU. The intergalactic mercenary has the right amount of black humor ingrained in him to fit exactly in James Gunn’s wheelhouse. He might be a little too crazy himself to counter balance Harley as a lead character, but it could also be the exact ingredient for a super fun movie.

Images: Warner Brother / DC Comics

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It’s amazing what a billion dollar box office return can do for a franchise some thought hopeless after Justice League disappointed, but Aquaman‘s tidal wave of success has rejuvenated the DCEU. Today Warner Bros. looked to build on the renewed excitement in its own cinematic universe of superheroes, by flying high with the first look at Birds of Prey. The initial glimpse at the film, which will see Suicide Squad standout Margot Robbie return as Harley Quinn, was only 20 seconds long and appears to be made up entirely of character test footage, rather than any clips. However, it was jam-packed with all of the movie’s important heroes, villains, and people who fall somewhere in-between. That wasn’t all it revealed though, and on today’s Nerdist News we have the eight hidden details you might have missed.

Host Jessica Chobot and our eagle-eyed team show you everything we found when we slowed down the fast-paced first teaser and everything it revealed. From the costumes the cast is wearing, to what features they do – and don’t – seem to be spotting, this teaser might not just show us the tone of the film and how it will differ from the comics, it might give us an idea of when we’ll meet the heroes and villains during their respective careers.

It is possible Chris Messina and Ewan McGregor’s faces aren’t covered in masks and scars because someone realized that would be shortsighted, but with the women they’ll be going up against we doubt that will last.

But what do you think? Do you like the updated look of the movie, or wish it were closer to the comics? Fly into our comments section below and share your thoughts with us.

The post 8 Hidden Details in the Harley Quinn and BIRDS OF PREY Teaser appeared first on Nerdist.

It’s amazing what a billion dollar box office return can do for a franchise some thought hopeless after Justice League disappointed, but Aquaman‘s tidal wave of success has rejuvenated the DCEU. Today Warner Bros. looked to build on the renewed excitement in its own cinematic universe of superheroes, by flying high with the first look at Birds of Prey. The initial glimpse at the film, which will see Suicide Squad standout Margot Robbie return as Harley Quinn, was only 20 seconds long and appears to be made up entirely of character test footage, rather than any clips. However, it was jam-packed with all of the movie’s important heroes, villains, and people who fall somewhere in-between. That wasn’t all it revealed though, and on today’s Nerdist News we have the eight hidden details you might have missed.Host Jessica Chobot and our eagle-eyed team show you everything we found when we slowed down the fast-paced first teaser and everything it revealed. From the costumes the cast is wearing, to what features they do – and don’t – seem to be spotting, this teaser might not just show us the tone of the film and how it will differ from the comics, it might give us an idea of when we’ll meet the heroes and villains during their respective careers.

It is possible Chris Messina and Ewan McGregor’s faces aren’t covered in masks and scars because someone realized that would be shortsighted, but with the women they’ll be going up against we doubt that will last.But what do you think? Do you like the updated look of the movie, or wish it were closer to the comics? Fly into our comments section below and share your thoughts with us.

The post 8 Hidden Details in the Harley Quinn and BIRDS OF PREY Teaser appeared first on Nerdist.

Aquaman has showed us that the DCEU isn’t dead and now we have a new teaser for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Birds of Prey movie to add to it! It was short, but did it give us a ton of clues? Jessica breaks it down on today’s Nerdist News!

Did you enjoy the teaser? Let us know in the comments below!

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Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey project has been garnering some serious press and building a pretty rabid fanbase with Margot Robbie as its lead and some interesting casting choices—most recently the news that Ella Jay Basco would be playing Cassandra Cain! But today the internet has been thrown into chaos by the reveal of the full title of the film courtesy of a post by Robbie on Instagram, and a very swift confirmation of its legitimacy by The Hollywood Reporter. In case you haven’t seen the post yet we’ve included it below, and for those of you who can’t even wait that long the title is… Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

😆

A post shared by @ margotrobbie on Nov 20, 2018 at 12:08pm PST

Though we’re sure it will be loosely based on the comics (Harley Quinn was never in the Birds of Prey team, but she was in the book as part of another team: the Secret Six), it makes sense that the filmmakers would want to remove Harley from the depressingly toxic relationship with the Joker that she’s most known for, and rid fans of any Ed Hardy-tinged memories of Suicide Squad. In fact, the emancipation of Harley from the Crown Prince of Crime has been a fan favorite part of the newer comic book arcs.Still, the title seems like an odd choice for a film that has recently cast such brilliant actresses as Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, and Rosie Perez. To center on Quinn seems to establish that the roster of women—and specifically women of color—that so many were excited to see on screen will likely be playing second fiddle to Robbie’s central anti-hero.Whatever way you look at it, the title makes a statement, even if that statement is just that writer Christina Hodson really likes Mariah Carey! Do you like the new moniker? Let us know below!

Images: Warner Bros., Instagram

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Ever since Margot Robbie easily stole the show as Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad, rumors have been swirling about where we would see the character next. Would it be a solo film? A Joker/Harley movie? The one that kept getting brought up the most was Gotham City Sirens, which would presumably feature Ms. Quinn with her notorious gal pals Poison Ivy and Catwoman. But now, according to Variety, Margot Robbie’s next official outing as Harley Quinn will come in the form of Birds of Prey, which will be directed by Cathy Yan.

Yan is a former Wall St. Journal reporter who made her feature debut with Sundance favorite film Dead Pigs. She will be the third female filmmaker to direct a DC Comics based film, following up on the huge success Warner Brothers had with Patty Jenkins helming Wonder Woman, and the recently announced Ava DuVernay who’ll direct New Gods. In addition, Yan will also be the first Asian woman to helm a movie from the DC Comics universe. The movie has a script already from screenwriter Christina Hodson, who was recently hired to write the Batgirl movie. Birds of Prey is set to go before the cameras by the end of this year, meaning it will likely beat Batgirl to theaters.

So what does this mean for the other Harley movies? A Birds of Prey movie will very likely feature Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress, as those are the three most famous members of the team. With three heroines, it makes sense they would be needed to take down three villains, so along with Harley, expect to see Poison Ivy and Catwoman. If this movie does gangbusters business, then maybe a Gotham City Sirens spin-off could still happen. But honestly, from our viewpoint, having the other female Bat-villains introduced this way makes more sense.

It seems this movie is more far along than the Batgirl film, which has no director yet. That is somewhat unfortunate, because I think Batgirl/Barbara Gordon should be introduced in a solo film before a team-up film. But as with Justice League, Warner Brothers and DC Films seem to like to take the backwards approach to this and introduce the characters together in an ensemble film first. Well, it worked for Wonder Woman, maybe it will work here too.

After the massive success of Wonder Woman, and the financial success of Suicide Squad, which we can all attribute to the Harley factor, Birds of Prey should be a pretty huge event. Both Batgirl and Catwoman are cultural icons that have not had live-action representation in the modern cinematic superhero era, and Black Canary has a pretty big fanbase thanks to the character’s appearances on TV’s Arrow. With women behind the camera as well, this movie could be a huge event, as long as they do it right.

Which DC characters do you want to see join Margot Robbie for the Birds of Prey? And should this movie be Ben Affleck’s last outing as Batman? I mean, there has to be at least a Bat-cameo right? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers / DC Comics

More of the stuff you care about!

• A primer on DC Comics’ The New Gods!
• Everything we’ve learned about the Batgirl movie!
• How New Gods could reset the DCEU!

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Exactly 25 years ago, she made her worldwide debut on Batman: The Animated Series as the Joker’s girlfriend and sidekick, and since then, she has skyrocketed to the status of one of DC Comics’ most popular female characters, rivaled only by Wonder Woman. We’re talking about Harley Quinn, and according to Deadline, she will soon be the star of her very own animated TV series.

The series will air as a part of Warner Bros’ upcoming DC Comics-branded direct-to-consumer digital platform, which has ordered 26 episodes for a half-hour animated action-comedy series simply titled Harley Quinn. The image above is a piece of development art for the series, which leads us to expect a Harley look in line with her current comic book incarnation.

In this new series, Harley Quinn will have finally broken things off for good with her abusive boyfriend the Joker, and will attempt to make it on her own as the criminal Queenpin of Gotham City. Joining Harley will be her BFF Poison Ivy, as well as a whole cast of DC Universe heroes and villains both old and new. Although this has not been confirmed either way, I would expect Batman to show up on at least a semi-regular basis.

The new Harley Quinn animated series will be joining the live-action Titans series, as well as a revival of the animated Young Justice series, for the new DC streaming network. Hopefully, there are other new shows that will be part of the new service that have yet to be announced as well. How about a revival of Justice League Unlimited while we’re at it?

A voice actress has yet to be chosen for the role, but it is said that Warner Bros. is pursuing actress Margot Robbie for the part. Her portrayal of Harley in last year’s Suicide Squad movie was easily the best part of that film, and she’s due for a spin-off or two based on her character.

Although no date has been given for the debut of this new series, the DC streaming network is set to debut in 2018.

How do you feel about Harleen Quinzell getting her own animated series? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers / DC Comics

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The world of Winnie the Pooh is getting the live-action treatment soon, and no, I’m not talking about a Disney live-action adaptation of their animated classic The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (although, that is in the works actually).Nope, I’m talking about the upcoming biopic Goodbye Christopher Robin, which tells the true story of how English author A. A. Milne came up with the characters of Pooh Bear, Tigger, Piglet and the rest, and turned them into a massively successful series of children’s books. You can watch the first full trailer for the Fox Searchlight release down below.

The new film features Harry Potter and Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ star Domhnall Gleeson as author A.A. Milne, and Suicide Squad actress Margot Robbie as his wife, Daphne. The first trailer depicts how Milne used his son Christopher Robin’s stuffed animals to inspire him to write stories about the fictional 100 Acre Wood, and how his own son became a character in these stories, which became almost instantly famous around the world. It also shows that like a lot of beloved pop culture icons, Pooh Bear’s creation is rooted in tragedy — in this instance, the trenches of World War I.While  it looks like the film begins in the horror that is the first World War, it appears like it will mostly focus on the happier times that came as a result of Milne creating the world of Pooh Bear and his friends. In other words, expect this offering to be somewhat less depressing than the story of Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland. Goodbye Christopher Robin is set to hit UK cinemas September 29, and in North American theaters on October 17, 2017.Are you exited to learn the origins of everyone’s favorite honey loving bear? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Fox Searchlight / The Walt Disney Company

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