‘Birds of Prey’: How Jurnee Smollett-Bell’s Black Canary Was Inspired By ‘Injustice 2’

Black Canary Birds of Prey Jurnee Smollett-Bell Injustice 2 Misha Green HBO Max

Jurnee Smollett-Bell discussed how she drew inspiration from Injustice 2 for her performance as Black Canary in Birds of Prey.

Warner Bros. and DC’s Birds of Prey will introduce Black Canary to the DC Extended Universe and actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell has been tasked with bringing the iconic heroine to life on screen. For her role as Black Canary, Jurnee Smollett-Bell turned to the video game Injustice 2 for inspiration.

During a group interview with the press, Jurnee Smollett-Bell discussed how she specifically looked to Black Canary’s depiction in Injustice 2 to help her with the heroine’s famous Canary Cry. Of course, some practical effects were required to help depict Black Canary’s cry in Birds of Prey and Jurnee Smollett-Bell recalled how much fun it was to film those scenes:

“I drew a lot of inspiration for the Canary Cry from the Black Canary in Injustice 2. Even physically. For me, I really wanted to make it primal… It’s not something she uses, it’s something she’s trying to hide. So to get to that point, she has to rev herself up. It’s such a guttural point and a guttural place. […] But it was fun, man. They put a bunch of people on some strings and ratcheted them back, and it was awesome! I felt pretty powerful.”

How do you feel about Jurnee Smollett-Bell taking cues from Injustice 2‘s Black Canary for Birds of Prey? Let us know your thoughts on Birds of Prey in the comments section below!

Here is the official synopsis for Birds of Prey:

“You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down.”

Directed by Cathy Yan from a script penned by Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson, Birds of Prey stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain, Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya, Chris Messina as Victor Zsasz, Ewan McGregor as Black Mask, and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Ali Wong, Robert Catrini, and Michael Masini have also been cast in undisclosed roles.

Birds of Prey will be released in theaters on February 7, 2020.

Source: IGN

Sebastian Peris

Sebastian Peris

Canadian film buff, political junkie, comic book geek, and board game enthusiast.