EARLY ACCESS: Dose #299 - Harley Quinn: Box Office Prey

Hahaha

Niall Mac

Not sure how similar it is in North America but this film has been really poorly marketed in the UK completely forgot about it until I googled DC movies coming out soon

Adam Buckley

I wonder if a "Harley & Ivy" movie would have done better, a sort of modern day Thelma and Louise, though knowing that (or hoping that) it has to play in the Chinese markets, I don't know how they'd do the "lovers" aspect, it would probably just be teased or hinted at like it kinda always was in the cartoon. I also like thinking about what if they had put that out instead, under the title "Harley & Ivy" and it didn't do well, so they changed the name to "Harley Quinn: Harley & Ivy: It's A Comic Book Movie So Please See It"

Honestly i didnt even know this came out until a week after it did. Still saw it. somehow scored a free ticket to it as well (ran into family so they bought it for me). I enjoyed it but i prefer modern harley (still crazy, still smart but not in a romanticized toxic relationship) and like the birds of prey comics. I think its not doing well cuz of no joker. People wanted a harley quinn and joker relationship movie not a harley quinn tries to become an independent person and gains some friends along the way. Like all the suicide squad fans werent people who liked suicide squad they were people who liked harley and joker's relationship. Im hoping it does better and they market it better cuz i saw 2 commericals for it. It wasnt even advertised on the dc comic streaming website. They didnt even try to advertise with showing the birds of prey or harley quinn comics/tv shows/movies "in honor" of the birds of prey movie on the front page like most websites do. I will say i'm hoping it makes enough for a more birds of prey centered movie with the oracle and everything as well as another harley quinn cuz i enjoy Margot robbie's as harley quinn esp since ya know shes having fun with the role. Also she said she wants the next one to be a poison ivy and harley quinn movie and those two are perfect together either as best friends or lovers.

Adam Buckley

Gotta give the people what they want, right?!

Adam Buckley

I think about marketing all the time now, and I think "how do I even know about anything?" I don't have cable so I don't see ads, I skip pretty much every ad on YouTube... somehow I find out about these things, and obviously SOMEONE saw trailers for this movie, the one trailer has 23 million views on YouTube (not sure if those were paid placements or if YouTube counts that still or what, but that's the number of views it had). Now, clearly the movie didn't get 23 million views, but it's interesting that SOME sort of marketing took place, and people were just like "eh, I'm good". Also, fun fact? The movie is only rated 14A in Canada, because Canada is far more relaxed with what younger audiences can and can't see (the movies are the same before someone claims Canada censors them or something, Canada just doesn't care if 15 year olds hear the word "fuck" in a movie or see a little nudity). But yes, it's a sound theory that the people who saw Suicide Squad and hated it had no interest in seeing this, and it's possible some people are tiring of characters like Harley and Deadpool (I wonder how a Deadpool 3 would go, I think the Internet likes Ryan Reynolds more than they like Margot Robbie so it might not be a fair comparison).

yes! video format!

It totally makes sense why Birds of Prey flopped. I mean first off, the majority of people who watched Suicide Squad hated it, and even the ones who thought it was okay probably wouldn't want to see a spin-off of it. Second, considering modern Harley Quinn is the personification of both Tumblr and Hot-Topic, most of her fans are teenage girls, and since Birds of Prey was released almost 4 years after Suicide Squad, it's safe to say that a large percentage of the initial fanbase grew out of it. As for the teenage girls now who are fans, they can't even go see the movie because it's rated R. Third, whoever was in charge of marketing should be fired. Even with the pretty forgettable MCU films like Captain Marvel or Ant-Man and the Wasp, I still remember when those films came out because they marketed the shit out of them. I didn't even see one commercial for the movie. Hell, I didn't even know it was out until I went to see 1917 and I saw the poster.

Kris Simpson

Great take Buckley, I think audiences are getting tired of superhero movies. Also, great pic of Hong Kong that is right near my place.

Erica Foster

I think one reason this movie didn't do well is because a lot of die-hard Harley Quinn fans don't like this version. She's based off a new Harley Quinn comic book but a lot of the classic Harley lovers feel like she's just trash. My friends have tagged Margot Robbie's Harley as Whorely Quinn