It’s hard to believe it was in 2016 that Margot Robbie first put Harley Quinn’s ‘Daddy’s little monster’ tee on. Much of the DC movie universe has rightly focussed on the main heroes, but Suicide Squad gave us a wider universe, and one of the stars wanting more.
In a conversation with Collider, Margot Robbie stated that she wants to be involved in a film with Harley as the focus. Her ambition, which Warner Bros. seem to support, is for this film to have a heavier tone, an R-Rating and a girl-gang. On that subject Robbie says:
Harley needs friends. Harley loves interacting with people, so don’t ever make her do a standalone film
This makes total sense with what we all know about the character, and makes it easier for Director Cathy Yan – brought on for this project and the upcoming Birds of Prey. With hopes of the character being in good company, there’s no limit to what kind of stories writer Christina Hodson could adapt. Recent quotes from Gotham Star Morena Baccarin have her saying she’d be very interested in playing one of Batman’s main female villains, putting her in the company of Margot Robbie’s Quinn. It’s already a great sign that this project is getting the same kind of female led energy that Patty Jenkins put into the Wonder Woman film.
It’s Ladies Night
With bold ideas come detractors. An article on Forbes lists reasons why an R-Rated Harley Quinn film may not be the best idea. The argument that it’d lock out younger viewers is reasonable, but baseless. Harley Quinn is a deranged disturber of the peace that young audience members shouldn’t really watch unsupervised.
One criticisim I can partly agree with is that there’re a lot of R-Rated, female lead franchises already, like Underworld or Resident Evil. A Harley Quinn film would interest me more than those others, though, because of the splash of colour, insanity, and the chance of Bat action.
Whether it happens or not, the idea of an R-Rated, unapologetic film about one of my favourite female comics characters is something I’m excited by. It’ll be DC making their second female-led film, while the other, louder studio is only now starting on their first.