Back in 2007 we got our first look at live-action Autobots and Decepticons. But as the franchise continued to make films, it seemed like they got worse. The franchise seemed to be running on fumes after the disappointment that was Transformers: The Last Knight. So they went back to one of the first Transformers we were introduced to for a prequel film titled Bumblebee, which has earned the best reviews of a Transformers film to date. This has a lot to do with the great job that screenwriter Christina Hodson did on the film.

Now Hodson has two upcoming DC films, the first being the spin-off from the 2016’s Suicide Squad film titled Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, followed by a solo Batgirl film. Depending on how these films are received by audiences, Hodson could become a leading voice for women in superhero films. She recently sat down for an interview with Variety and talked a little bit about some of her upcoming projects.

We know that the Birds of Prey film stars three characters from DC Comics, including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Helena Bertanelli aka Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Dinah Lance aka Black Canary. These are currently very strong female characters in the DC Universe, to which Hodson talked about the opportunity that they give to actresses. “I think there are so many great actresses out there looking for these strong, meaty roles,” she said. “Particularly in this moment, in our climate right now, we need women like that to look to, to inspire us to push and do bold things.”

Speaking specifically about Harley Quinn and that lengthy subtitle, Hodson talks about the themes that it try and cover in the film, of course she didn’t want to give too much away but she did say that, “But I do think it speaks for itself a little bit. Emancipation means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and we’re going to be exploring that in different ways.”

She was also asked about the response that the title has been getting online, to which she didn’t know much about because of her lack of social media. Hodson said that the reactions have been, “Super mixed, but honestly I don’t have any social media, so I see very little of this stuff. Some people love it, some people think we’re nuts. People will just have to wait and see. I think it’s always hard when you’re doing something bold like that to do it without any context. There’s no marketing yet, we haven’t even started shooting. But all things will start to make sense as we get closer and closer to [premiere date] Feb. 7, 2020.”

Since her first appearance on Batman: The Animated Series, she has always been tied in with The Joker. But that clearly is not the case anymore, especially since her 2013 self-titled on-going comic book Harley Quinn, where some of the industries’ favorite writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti took her away from Gotham and onto the beaches of New Jersey to start her own life. From that point on her popularity sky rocketed and now has even been been called the “fourth pillar” of the DC Comics by co-publisher Jim Lee.

So will fans be able to accept Harley Quinn’s emancipation? Hodson weighs in on the subject.
“I do. I think she really has [been accepted] in the comics already, but I think absolutely people are ready for that. She is such a cool, bold, fun, great character. She doesn’t have to be in anyone’s shadow. So I’m excited to see Harley stand on her own and be her own thing. She is the character, in all of my writing, that I’ve most enjoyed. I’m excited to bring her into the world a second time. She’s so full of contradictions, she’s so intelligent, but also so crazy. She’s just the most fun to write. You never know what you’re gonna get when you sit down.”

With Robbie, who as we mentioned plays Harley Quinn, also on-board to produce the film, Cathy Yan directing and Hodson writing the film, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes if any they make to the Harley Quinn that we saw in Suicide Squad. Also how we see her go through that emancipation in the film. Wouldn’t this mean that at some point she would have to confront the Joker? Production on the film is a couple of weeks out, so hopefully we’ll get more information soon.

RELATED: BIRDS OF PREY FILM EXPECTED TO WRAP UP PRODUCTION MID-APRIL

What are your thoughts on the subtitle for the Birds of Prey film? Let us know in the comment section below!

Warner Bros. Pictures’ Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is scheduled to be be released Feb. 7th, 2020.

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Source: Variety