Despite earning some solid reviews, the Harley Quinn-fronted Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) failed to move mountains at the box office. In fact, it earned the dubious honor of being the lowest-earning DC film thus far with a first-week haul of $33 million, though there's still time for a turnaround. To facilitate the process, Warner Bros, the studio behind the Cathy Yan directed flick, is looking to stack the deck in their favor. As of now, movie theater apps have been requested to alter the title from Birds Of Prey to Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey.

Though the Birdman-esque title was certainly charming and surprisingly bold for such a major property, it would appear that audiences tend to favor brand recognition above artistic flavor. As such, Warner sent a mandate to theater chains carrying the flick, imploring them to simplify the title for good measure. Screenrant confirmed the change, sharing a screenshot of the AMC app advertising Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey. In short, the film's original title will remain intact, but all vendors and theaters will be moving forward with the revision. 

The whole situation has inadvertently sparked a debate on studio big-wig mentality. With the implication being that the title was responsible for the film's initial poor showing, it seems to gloss over the possibility that nobody wanted a Suicide Squad spinoff to begin with. Even one with hard-hitting, well-choreographed action and more style than expected from the DC cinematic universe. Either way, the minor rebrand is in effect and its efficacy remains to be seen -- did WB fumble the bag on this one, or is DC fatigue to be blamed for the disinterest? 

Rico Nasty is setting the record straight.

After fans have increasingly been up in arms about the Atlanta rapper's omission from the Birds Of Prey soundtrack, which included Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and Saweetie. They particularly took umbrage with the fact that Saweetie was styled in the same spike hairstyle that Rico has been seen sporting many a time. Fans would go on to accuse the move as a clear snub of Rico and proceed to accuse Saweetie of jacking the "Smack A B-tch" rapper's style in the process.

Following the lackluster reception of Suicide Squad (2016) upon its release, Warner Bros. needed a film to help reenergize the movie franchise which is set to release its second installment in 2021. The DC Universe team went to work curating a Suicide Squad spin-off centered around the Joker's accomplice and lover, Harley Quinn, entitled, Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) which is set to hit theaters around the globe next week. Now, with press screenings and Warner Bros. in full promo mode for their latest creation, viewers of the early screenings are claiming that Birds of Prey is some of the best work to come out of the DC Universe in recent history. 

The Birds Of Prey hype just reached new heights, after two of hip hop current queens hit up an event for the film at Hollywood & Highland on Thursday night. The entertainment center was transformed into "Harleywood," to celebrate the film's main character, Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie. Megan and Doja, who both have tracks on the official Birds of Prey soundtrack, joined Margot and the cast of fellow bad b*tches, including Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Charlotte Lawrence, and Ella Jay Basco.

Ari Perilstein/Getty Images for Atlantic Records

Speaking frankly, David Ayer’s Suicide Squad was hardly considered to be the shining point in the DC cinematic canon. And while many did appreciate Margot Robbie’s commitment to the zany and unstable antihero, the film itself was seen as somewhat of a mess. Despite seemingly washing their hands of the original Suicide Squad, all was not lost. The powers that be looked to course correct with Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which finds Robbie reprising her role in a starring capacity.

Today marks the arrival of the film’s latest trailer, which provides a closer look at some of the action setpieces and dynamics at play. Boasting a stacked cast of characters, including Huntress, Black Canary, Renee Montoya, Black Mask, and Victor Zsasz, the Cathy Yan helmed film appears to be a lively, rambunctious, and all-around fun affair. Case in point, there’s a hyena.

Provided the film can maintain the trailer’s confident tone, perhaps Birds Of Prey will be a home run after all. Check out the action-packed trailer below and sound off – are you interested in seeing this one? If so, look for it to hit theaters on February 7th.

In the upcoming spin-off of 2016’s hot mess Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn has emancipated herself from her longtime lover, the Joker. The almost-too-long title of the film, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), even informs this fact. Despite this evident reference to the infamous crazy clown character, as well as the various mentions of him in the trailer for the highly anticipated DC Comics project, Joker, who was played by Jared Leto in Suicide Squad, does not make any such appearance in the actual Bird of Prey film itself. According to Variety, Margot Robbie, who will be reprising her role as Harley, confirmed that “Leto’s incarnation of the character doesn’t appear, not even as a cameo.” She told Screen Rant, “In this film though we’re exploring her not being with Joker.”

This news is not entirely shocking, due to how unhealthy and toxic Harley and “Mista J”‘s relationship has always been, a sentiment that Margot seconds. She has never understood “why the wildly brilliant, unstable character” of Harley Quinn “would stay in a relationship with the Joker…who ‘wants to kill her most of the time.'” “What’s always surprised me,” she told Screen Rant, “and I said this when publicizing Suicide Squad, the first film, is that her relationship with Joker always did confuse me the most. That was the thing that took me the longest to get my head around.”

Though Jared’s Joker will not be disrupting Harley’s post-breakup high, Margot did have some kind words for Joker—the Joaquin Phoenix-starring Todd Phillips film, that is. Though she thought Joaquin “did a phenomenal job” in his role, she pointed out that Birds of Prey differs greatly from Joker in terms of tone. “I feel like the ‘Joker’ film was much more grounded. Ours is different. It’s heightened.” Margot not only stars in Birds of Prey but produced it as well, and it is set to hit theatres on February 7th, 2020.