Despite being “a corrective bolt of energy for comic book movie convention,” in the words of Flicks’ own Craig Mathieson, DC’s latest offering Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) isn’t doing so crash hot at the box office. Whilst Warner Bros had high expectations for the female-driven superhero ensemble, it earned just $33 million on its opening weekend, making it the worst opening for a DC movie in the past decade.
What could be stopping audiences from seeing Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)? Could it be that sexist viewers are staying away from Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)?
Maybe Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) is just trying to introduce too much new IP to lazy moviegoers. Or is there something simple the studio could do to drive more moviegoers to see Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)?
If you haven’t noticed, the movie’s sassy, extended title is kind of a mouthful, and Warner Brothers is slowly phasing out that bracketed section in favour of something snappier that will actually fit onto marquees and ticketing apps. Screen Rant has confirmed that the studio asked that theatres quietly change the name of the film to Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey.
While that drastic change doesn’t look like it’s extended to the film’s exhibition in any countries other than the US, it’s definitely telling about the production company’s questionable confidence in the movie.
So AMC had an issue with fitting #BirdsOfPrey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn into their app. Well. Not anymore. pic.twitter.com/mQJrbZulol
— Stitch Kingdom (@stitchkingdom) February 10, 2020
Sure that original title is unwieldy, but it’s a little disheartening to see distributors quickly back down from a wacky creative decision like that. Refocusing potential moviegoers attention to the Harley Quinn character first and foremost, rather than sticking her in a funny subheading, is probably clever considering she’s the only character returning from an existing DC film. But the choice does speak to an overall lack of glamour and invention in today’s blockbuster landscape.
