I know what you’re thinking. “DC” and “reshoots” in the same sentence has spelled disaster in the past. Zack Snyder’s lost Justice League vision is the prime example. However, reshoots are more common than you might think. Just about every big-budget superhero flick has returned to set following principal photography months before. New footage from what looks to be the set seems to indicate Birds of Prey has begun reshoots in Los Angeles ahead of its early 2020 release.
A few women dressed in Harley Quinn’s new gold costume (previously sported by Margot Robbie on the Birds of Prey set) can be spotted in the new video shared by What’s Good Gab editor, Gabriela Chiong. The women are unmistakably donning Harley’s high pigtails and participating in some kind of stunt sequence involving a moving rig and fog being sprayed on set.
We already heard about reshoots a few weeks ago, when it was announced that John Wick director Chad Stahelski would oversee second unit photography for Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) to assist in crafting additional action scenes for the February release. Along with helming the John Wick franchise, Stahelski is an experienced stuntman with credits in The Matrix and X-Men films.
Chad Stahelski’s stunt firm 87 Eleven has been involved in the production of Birds of Prey from the beginning, but reportedly now he’s set to have direct involvement on set with helping Cathy Yan with her first action flick. The leaked video of Birds of Prey reshoots seemingly indicate the stunt-heavy second unit is now well underway.
The reason for a film to undergo reshoots have ranged from routine additions to complete story overhauls. The widely successful Avengers: Endgame returned for reshoots a few months ahead of the movie’s record-breaking theatrical run. In fact, Robert Downey Jr’s “I am Iron Man” line at the end of the film was a reshoot. On the other side of the spectrum, Fox’s Dark Phoenix -- which nabbed a less-than-stellar box office -- dealt with loads of reshoots that resulted in completely new sequences.
Considering we’re dealing with Warner Bros., fans may find themselves especially nervous to hear reshoots are happening for another DCEU film. However, the loss of the Snyder cut involved a complete shift in director when Zack Snyder suffered a family tragedy and stepped down from the movie, resulting in Joss Whedon coming in and shifting Justice League's tone. In the case of Birds of Prey, Chad Stahelski is reportedly working closely to help realize Cathy Yan’s vision for the female-led comic book adaptation. She's still on board as the director of the movie.
It sounds like a little help from the John Wick creative can only help Birds of Prey thrive. The upcoming flick starring Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and introducing Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary and Ella Jay Basco’s young Cassandra Cain will be the first R-rated DCEU release. It will not be a sequel to 2016’s Suicide Squad, but more of another adventure for Harley.
Birds of Prey is set for a February 7, 2020. Comic book fans can get excited for Todd Phillips’ Joker first, since the film has received rave reviews ahead of its release October 4.
