There’s finally more to report on the cast of Birds of Prey than rumours and “Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn”.
Deadline confirms that Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell have emerged victorious from the competitive casting process; both have signed on for the Cathy Yan-directed DC film. Margot Robbie, of course, previously played breakout character Harley Quinn in 2016’s Suicide Squad.
Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) will play Huntress. Smollett-Bell (Underground, Jordan Peele’s upcoming HBO series Lovecraft Country) will be Black Canary. Variety adds:
There are several versions of Huntress, aka Helena Bertinelli, throughout DC Comics, but the “Birds of Prey” version is a former mafia princess who was devastated at a young age when her family was killed in a mob hit, turning her into a vigilante and eventually leading her to join the Birds of Prey team. Black Canary, aka Dinah Lance, is a good-natured and idealistic streetfighter in the comics.
Still as-yet-undetermined, according to Deadline, is who will play Rene Montoya, a Gotham City police detective. It’s apparently down to Justina Machado and Roberta Colindrez. We’ve heard DC’s Cassandra Cain could play a part a well, though there have been no casting announcements regarding this character.
Birds of Prey, with a story from Christina Hodson, is due out in the US 7 February 2020.