Cathy Yan is in talks to direct an Untitled DC film for Warner Brothers starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
Yan, born in China, is a breakout director/screenwriter whose feature film, Dead Pigs, picked up rave reviews from Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. She began her career as a writer for the Wall Street Journal before getting her MFA at New York University.
If the deal is finished, this will make Yan the second female director of a DC movie and the First Asian director.
The film is reportedly based on the Birds of Prey comic storyline of DC that features characters such as Harley Quinn, Batgirl, Poison Ivy and Catwoman. Warner Brothers describes it as a female version of Suicide Squad.
Margot Robbie portrayed Harley Quinn in the 2016 DC film Suicide Squad. The movie got dismal reviews but nearly $750 million at the Box Office. Robbie, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in I, Tonya this past year, made Harley Quinn into a pop culture sensation. Her take on the character inspired countless Halloween costumes and a revamped love for the DC character.
Warner Brothers is continuing a trend of hiring female directors as Patty Jenkins returns to helm Wonder Woman 2 starring Gal Gadot while Ava DuVernay is set to direct New Gods.
Welcome to the DC Universe, Cathy Yan.
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