Birds Of Prey Movie Is Nothing Like Joker, Margot Robbie Says

One of DC’s next big movies is Birds of Prey, which stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Given the massive success of DC’s latest movie, Joker, some might be wondering if Birds of Prey might be similar in any way. It won’t be, according to Robbie.

Speaking to Variety, Robbie said the world of Birds of Prey is “very different” in that it is not as grounded in reality as Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix.

“The aesthetic, the tone. Very, very different,” Robbie said. “Ours is certainly a heightened reality. There’s a clear distinction between real life and what you’re experiencing on the screen. I feel like the Joker film was much more grounded. Ours is different.”

It’s also worth mentioning here that Joker will not appear in Birds of Prey. The newest trailer does mention Joker, however, as Harley recalls how her breakup with Joker led to the events of Birds of Prey.

Robbie also confirmed in the interview that Birds of Prey will tell its story in a non-linear fashion, at least partially. “It’s nonlinear. It jumps around. And then it becomes linear for the third act. You go on a ride, and it’s all pretty chronological from there,” she said.

The movie is told from Harley’s point of view, and she is an “unreliable narrator giving terrible advice,” Robbie said. Harley is not necessarily to be believed, and this sounds like it may make for a unique setup.

“So you’ve got a very unreliable narrator giving terrible advice, and an inaccurate account of events, quite often contradicting what you’re seeing on screen,” she said.

Warner Bros. took some convincing for this approach, Robbie said. “It took a while to get it together, and get it approved by the studio. And then finally we got it greenlit. And we were off to the races,” she said.

Robbie, who is also producing Birds of Prey, said in the interview that she wanted to make the movie in part because she noticed a lack of ensemble action movies starring women. In addition to Robbie, Birds of Prey features Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollet-Bell as Black Canary, and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya.

“I love action films, and I think there’s a misconception perhaps subconsciously for people: action films are for dudes, girls don’t really like them,” Robbie said. “Which is just not true. I love them! I know heaps of other women who love them. I loved movies like the Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu Charlie’s Angels growing up. So I knew I wanted to find that, and help put that on screen somewhere.”

Ewan McGregor plays the villain, Black Mask, in the film that’s directed by Cathy Yan. Check out the newest trailer in the video embedded above. Birds of Prey opens in theatres on February 7.