The “Birds of Prey” cast is finally starting to come together. No longer will Margot Robbie hog all the headlines because now we know two of the names that will be by her side as filming on the superhero team-up begins in early 2019. According to Deadline, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Jurnee Smollett-Bell have landed roles on the titular team.
Winstead will don the mask of the Huntress. For those not aware of the (rather complicated) origin of Huntress, here’s all you really need to know. There have been a few different women that have taken the mantle of Huntress over the years, including an alternate-dimension version that was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman, but it’s safe to assume the Warner Bros. is going to focus on Helena Bertinelli for “Birds of Prey.” Bertinelli is the daughter of one of Gotham’s crime bosses that takes up the role of Huntress after her father, and the rest of her family, are murdered in a mob hit.
READ MORE: Margot Robbie Says Harley Quinn Spin-Off Will Be An “R-Rated Girl Gang” Film
Smollett-Bell is going to play the hero known as Black Canary. Dinah Lance has a far simpler origin story. Well, relatively speaking, at least. Lance is a skilled hand-to-hand fighter that has the “canary cry,” which is a superpowered voice that she uses to disable opponents. She’s often been linked in the comic books to Green Arrow as his love-interest, sometimes wife (it’s complicated).
Winstead and Smollett-Bell are two actresses that seem poised to break out in the film. Winstead was recently seen in the really great “All About Nina,” but is probably best known for her roles in “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” and “10 Cloverfield Lane.” Smollett-Bell, on the other hand, is probably best known for her role in the series “Underground,” as well as the upcoming Jordan Peele series “Lovecraft Country.”
The report states that Winstead beat out actresses Sofia Boutella, Cristin Milioti, and Margaret Qualley, who just landed a role in Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” Smollett-Bell beat out Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who is best known for her work in “Belle” and “The Cloverfield Paradox.”
There is still one major role left to be filled. The report states that WB is still deciding who to cast as Detective Rene Montoya, and it’s between Justina Machado and Roberta Colindrez.
“Birds of Prey” is expected to hit theaters on February 7, 2020.
UPDATE: Justin Kroll posted a casting update on Twitter that is interesting. Apparently, we could be seeing Ewan McGregor join the film as a villain?
Still have Renee Montoya and Cassandra Cain's roles to cast as well as the crime lord up against the team. Hearing names like Sharlto and Ewan McGreggor are actors they like for the role but have only started meeting actors for that part https://t.co/OaVfpTfkyM
— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) September 26, 2018