When Birds of Prey flies into theaters in a few weeks, it will do so with an R rating from the MPAA.
The film will have “strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material”.
It used to be that a comic book movie would go out of its way to avoid an R rating, but the success of the Deadpool films has changed that and studios now see that they could market these films towards an older audience and still make money.
There is really nothing about the source material that would call for the studio to make an R rated Birds of Prey movie though.
The rating may have a lot to do with the plot. Leaks from test screenings say that the film revolves around the film’s villain, Black Mask, trying to retrieve “dick picks” off a drive.
This feels like Warner Brothers’ latest attempt to push the Harley Quinn character to an older audience and turn her into a potty mouth despite the character’s usual childlike outlook and attitude towards things.
If you remember, one of the big selling points for the Harley Quinn animated show on DC Universe is its liberal use of four-letter words that are not really associated with the character.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSD6Jvq3M7Q
We’ll see if the movie is worth the price of admission when Birds of Prey opens February 7, 2020.
