With BIRDS OF PREY, Cathy Yan Becomes First Asian Woman to Direct a Superhero Film

Her work on the DC film makes her the first Asian woman to direct a superhero genre film.

At the helm of Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is film director Cathy Yan. Birds of Prey centers on DC Comics Birds of Prey's female-centric superheroes.

Yan is a filmmaker known for her distinct aesthetic, darkly humorous tone, and love for subverting typical genre rules and telling unconventional stories. Her debut film, Dead Pigs, which she wrote and directed, won the Special Jury Prize for ensemble acting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, among several other accolades.

Born in China and currently based in New York, Yan studied at Princeton University, where she earned her BA, and New York University, where she received a dual MFA and MBA in film. Previously, she was a reporter for THE WALL Street Journal in New York, Hong Kong, and China. She brings her sharp, journalistic instincts to her filmmaking.

Birds of Prey, whose script was written by Christina Hodson [based on the characters by DC], is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham's most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary, and Renee Montoya's paths collide, and the unlikely foursome has no choice but to team up to take Roman down.

Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress; Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary; Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya; Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz, and Ewan McGregor as Roman Sionis. Ella Jay Basco also stars as Cassandra "Cass" Cain in her feature film debut.

K.K. Barrett is the production designer; Jay Cassidy and Evan Schiff, editors; Erin Benach, costume designer; and Daniel Pemberton, music composer.

The film is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. Birds of Prey opens across the United States on 7 February 2020. In Southeast Asia, the film opens in Philippine cinemas on 6 February 2020.

Photo/Video: Warner Bros. Pictures

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