John Wick’s Chad Stahelski crafting additional action scenes for Birds of Prey
While original co-director David Leitch has branched off to both Deadpool 2 and a Fast & Furious spin-off, John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski is harking back to his days as a second unit director on blockbuster actioners. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski has been recruited by Warner Bros. to craft additional action scenes and oversee second unit shooting for the upcoming Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn),
RELATED: Mary Elizabeth Winstead Calls Birds of Prey ‘Genuinely Funny and Weird’
Stahelski, who is taking an uncredited role for his work as a second unit director on the film, has been attached to the film since the start of production as his stunt company 87 Eleven has been working on the project. He will be working with director Cathy Yan to develop and shoot new action sequences for the film.
Margot Robbie will be reprising her Suicide Squad role of Harley Quinn in the film, which also stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, Ewan McGregor as the villain Black Mask, Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. Ali Wong (Fresh Off the Boat), Robert Catrini (American Crime Story), Steven Williams (IT) and Derek Wilson (Preacher) round out the ensemble.
Yan (Dead Pigs) will direct the spin-off, making her the first female Asian director to helm a superhero film. The script was penned by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee).
RELATED: Birds of Prey: Harley Quinn, Huntress Featured in New Set Photos
In the DC Comics, the Birds of Prey are a mostly female superhero team has included Oracle/Batgirl, Black Canary, Huntress, Catwoman, Hawkgirl, Power Girl, Poison Ivy, Vixen, and Katana, who was played by Karen Fukuhara in Suicide Squad. A short-lived live action TV series titled Birds of Prey aired on The WB from 2002-to-2003 for 13 episodes, starring Ashley Scott as Huntress, Dina Meyer as Barbara Gordon/Oracle, Ian Abercrombie as Alfred Pennyworth and Mia Sara as Harley Quinn.
Birds of Prey is set to be released in theaters on February 7, 2020.
(Photo Credit: Backgrid Images)