Cathy Yan sounds like she's not fucking around with her upcoming Birds of Prey movie for DC. Recently, she promised her film is going to be hard R-rated and taking no prisoners as it tells its anti-hero tale revolving around Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Huntress (Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez).
Now, the Birds have a bad guy to battle against, as Ewan McGregor has been cast as Black Mask. For those who aren't sure who that is, Black Mask also goes by the name Roman Sionis. Essentially an anti-Bruce Wayne, Sionis is a Gotham City mob boss who leads the False Face Society gang. In the comics, he killed his wealthy parents in order to take control of their corporation, but was a pretty awful businessman who lost everything (and even blames Wayne for some of his failure). Think: Donald Trump, but gangster instead of President of the United States.
McGregor is an incredibly inspired choice, as the former Rent Boy is so often cast as nice guy characters (or, you know, a Jedi Master) that seeing him go full-tilt evil should be one hell of a treat. Currently, he's also set to play a grown Danny Torrance in Mike Flanagan's upcoming Shining sequel, Doctor Sleep.
As for Yan, she's one hell of a talent to watch, and we're really excited to see her unleashed on a blockbuster movie. Her feature debut Dead Pigs essentially plays like Magnolia filtered through the criminal universe of Johnnie To, and she's got a gorgeous eye for composition. Give me all that neon in a comic book movie!
Birds of Prey is slated to hit theaters February 7th, 2020.