Despite earning some solid reviews, the Harley Quinn-fronted Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) failed to move mountains at the box office. In fact, it earned the dubious honor of being the lowest-earning DC film thus far with a first-week haul of $33 million, though there's still time for a turnaround. To facilitate the process, Warner Bros, the studio behind the Cathy Yan directed flick, is looking to stack the deck in their favor. As of now, movie theater apps have been requested to alter the title from Birds Of Prey to Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey.
Though the Birdman-esque title was certainly charming and surprisingly bold for such a major property, it would appear that audiences tend to favor brand recognition above artistic flavor. As such, Warner sent a mandate to theater chains carrying the flick, imploring them to simplify the title for good measure. Screenrant confirmed the change, sharing a screenshot of the AMC app advertising Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey. In short, the film's original title will remain intact, but all vendors and theaters will be moving forward with the revision.
The whole situation has inadvertently sparked a debate on studio big-wig mentality. With the implication being that the title was responsible for the film's initial poor showing, it seems to gloss over the possibility that nobody wanted a Suicide Squad spinoff to begin with. Even one with hard-hitting, well-choreographed action and more style than expected from the DC cinematic universe. Either way, the minor rebrand is in effect and its efficacy remains to be seen -- did WB fumble the bag on this one, or is DC fatigue to be blamed for the disinterest?