Margot Robbie says Birds of Prey 2 is not in active development. Robbie became one of the DC Extended Universe's biggest stars in 2016 once her Harley Quinn debuted in Suicide Squad. The response to her character led Warner Bros. and DC to develop several different projects that would star Harley Quinn, with Robbie putting her efforts behind Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). She produced the film in addition to starring in the spinoff, which hit theaters in early 2020.
Birds of Prey saw Harley team-up with a new group of female DC heroes, including Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The ending left the door open for Harley to return in The Suicide Squad next year, but it also paved the way for sequels or spinoffs. So far, there has been no announcement that Birds of Prey 2 will happen or any indication of how these characters will continue in the DCEU. Although it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Birds of Prey would start a franchise, it appears a sequel isn't in active development.
During a recent interview with THR, Margot Robbie discussed her blossoming production company and future projects she's involved in. The interviewer eventually asked Robbie about the status of Birds of Prey 2, and she provided what will be a disappointing update for most. When asked if a sequel will happen, Robbie said, "I don't know. Nothing imminent at this stage, nothing worth mentioning."
Although the general response to Birds of Prey was positive, the film didn't perform as well as expected. The movie opened to $33 million domestically, which was noticeably lower than estimates of close to $50M. Birds of Prey's slow start was partially attributed to the film's clunky title, prompting ticket sites to change the name to Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey to try and get more attention. Its theatrical run ended with a worldwide gross barely more than $200M. With a reported budget north of $80M after action-packed reshoots, Birds of Prey either slightly turned a profit or ultimately was a loss for the studios.
The financial performance of Birds of Prey could be one of the main reasons why discussions on Birds of Prey 2 aren't of the utmost importance. Even if the sequel doesn't happen, hopefully, the DCEU finds a way to continue using Birds of Prey's characters. There's no question Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn will have a big future, but the future for Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) is less clear. Perhaps the ensemble would even be better suited to reunite for an HBO Max original series instead of another movie. But, just because Birds of Prey 2 isn't in active development right now doesn't mean that won't change if a great idea comes along.
Source: THR
