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DC's Birds Of Prey a 'great opportunity' to end 'sluggish' films

Getty Images Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Margot Robbie and Mary Elizabeth WinsteadGetty Images

Movies about Superman and Justice League may have flopped with the critics, but DC will be hoping to find more favourable reviews for new franchise, Birds Of Prey.

Or, to give the movie it's full title: Birds Of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn.

Margot Robbie revealed the full title of the film on Instagram.

And it certainly seems like they are steering away from the dark, sour tones of Batman vs Superman this time around.

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"The mistakes DC were making was that it was the same thing over and over again," says Claire Lim, presenter of BBC The Social, podcaster and comic book super-fan.

"I'm not saying that was a bad thing, but this dark, sluggish, gritty vibe they've had is just getting boring.

"We've seen a bit of lightness in the Aquaman trailers and now Harley getting together a girl gang?

"To me that sentence is fun enough. I'm sold."

Birds Of Prey, which is planned for 2020, is a sequel (of sorts) to 2016's critical flop (but box office success), Suicide Squad.

Margot Robbie returns to the screen to play Harley Quinn, who people like Claire say was the "stand out" character in the film.

Who are Birds Of Prey?

Getty Images Harley Quinn costumesGetty Images
Margot Robbie's role in Suicide Squad has been a gift for people looking for cool, simple Halloween costumes

Unlike the line-up of 2017's Justice League movie, Birds Of Prey boasts a cast of heroes who are b-list at best.

You'd be forgiven for not having heard of Huntress, Black Canary or Renee Montoya if you weren't a fan of the original DC comics - although some of these characters have shown up in DC television shows, such as The Flash.

And if you do some digging on YouTube, you'll also find trailers for a Birds Of Prey TV series which ran for one season in 2002.

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This time around, the 2020 film version has major stars such as Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ewan McGregor and Jurnee Smollett-Bell joining Margot Robbie for another outing on the streets of Gotham.

"Combining these fresh characters with one people already love with an amazing cast - I can't see how it's not going to be successful," says Claire.

She also praises the movie for featuring a mostly female cast and for having a female writer and director.

Will Birds Of Prey be a Guardians Of The Galaxy moment for DC?

Getty Images Zoe Saldana and Karen GillanGetty Images
Honestly, had you heard of Gamora or Nebula before Marvel made the first Guardians movie?

Marvel have stamped their mark on cinema history with one of the biggest franchises of all time - The Avengers.

But the success of their Guardians Of The Galaxy franchise, which launched in 2014, is not to be sniffed at and that, like Birds Of Prey, was made of largely unknown heroes.

"A lot of people don't know Birds Of Prey. That is actually a benefit for the people trying to write for them, because it means you effectively have a blank canvas," says film blogger Tom Hindle.

"You've got such a great opportunity to build these characters from the ground up."

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