‘Birds Of Prey’ Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Justina Machado And More Testing For Roles
Warner Bros. is on the lookout for theirBirds of Preycast, and they’re considering several exciting actresses for parts. A new report indicatesGugu Mbatha-Raw,Mary Elizabeth Winstead,Justina Machadoand more have all tested for parts.Janelle Monaehas also been mentioned, although it remains unclear if she tested for a part or not. More on the potentialBirds of Preycast below.
THRhas the scoop on the prospective casting for the female-driven superhero film.Margot Robbieis returning to play Harley Quinn, withCathy Yandirecting a script fromChristina Hodson. As previouslyreported, the flick will find Harley teaming with Black Canary, Huntress, Cassandra Cain and Detective Renee Montoya.
Black Canary
For the role of Black Canary, aka Dinah Laurel Lance, Warner Bros. tested Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who appeared inA Wrinkle in Timeand the fantasticBlack Mirrorepisode “San Junipero” andJurnee Smolett-Bell, an actress whose worked on the TV showsTrue BloodandUnderground.THR adds that singer and actress Janelle Monae, who has had roles inMoonlightandHidden Figures, is also in the running – but it’s not clear if she actually tested for the part.
Black Canary possesses a “canary cry” – a high-powered sonic scream that can shatter objects and knock people flat on their ass. All of these actresses are promising, although I’ll admit that it would bepretty damn coolif Janelle Monae ended up with this role.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead(10 CloverfieldLane),Margaret Qualley(The Leftovers) andCristin Milioti(Black Mirror) have either tested or read for the part of Huntress, a vigilante. There are several different versions of Huntress in the comics. One – Helena Wayne – was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman. The modern Huntress – Helena Bertinelli – is the daughter of a mob boss. I’ll admit that of all these actresses, Winstead is the only one I’m familiar with. She’s also usually delivers a great performance.
Renee Montoya
For the part of Gotham City cop Renee Montoya, Warners tested Justina Machado (One Day at a Time) andRoberta Colindrez(Love Dick). Montoya is a great character – she had a reoccurring role on theBatmananimated series, and a prominent arc in the fantastic comic seriesGotham Central.
Cassandra Cain
The other remaining part is Cassandra Cain, who is one of the more recent Batgirls. THR doesn’t mention a specific actress as having read for the character, but adds: “The studio is seeking to remold the character as a 12-year-old and is looking for an Asian actress for the part.”
Birds of Preyis set to begin filming in2019.
