Jurnee Smollett, who played Black Canary in the DC film Birds of Prey (2020), reveals the advice that Samuel L. Jackson shared with her before she got the part.
Black Canary, also known as Dinah Lance, is a lounge singer with hypersonic scream powers in the 2020 film. Black Canary joins Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn in her mission to save Cassandra Cain and take down her evil employer, Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). The duo is joined by detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) and The Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and the gang oozes girl power.
Smollett’s role as the Black Canary sparked excitement among DC fans everywhere after the Suicide Squad (2016) spinoff. After the enthusiasm shown by fans, the studio decided to make another spinoff, this time a solo Black Canary movie. Jurnee Smollett has shown her gratitude to the fandom for making the film possible and has cited that though she can’t say much, she is very excited about the project.
Though no details about the film have been made public, we do know some facts surrounding the DC project. Misha Green, the creator of the HBO series Lovecraft Country, which also stars Jurnee Smollett, has been announced as a scriptwriter. The HBO Max exclusive has no director or cast added to its ensemble, much less a plot.
Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, has the power to emit ultrasonic screams and is a strong character in the comics. Black Canary, who is not one to only rely solely on her powers, is a master in hand-to-hand combat, having even defeated Batman a few times with her punches and kicks.
Seeing this character get the much-deserving recognition has made DC Comics fans ecstatic. It is rumored that Savant, the villain from DCEU’s Suicide Squad (2021), played by Michael Rooker, may star as the antagonist in the upcoming project.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jurnee Smollett talked about the future of Black Canary in the DCEU along with her new Netflix title Spiderhead. She explained that she intends to research well about the character and rise to the level of anticipation that surrounds superhero characters and films. She also told readers about how she went to Samuel L. Jackson for advice.
Samuel L. Jackson, having experience in the field after playing Mace Windu in Star Wars and Nick Fury in the MCU, weighed in with a usual quip. He told Smollett to “go and piss on your territory,” letting her know that setting the parameters of how far she can take this character’s interpretation is paramount.
Apart from the obvious expertise that Jackson possesses, it made sense to Smollett to go to him for advice, considering how she sees him as a mentor. The pair worked together in Kasi Lemmons’s 1997 film Eve’s Bayou, where Jackson played the father of Jurnee Smollett’s 10-year-old character. His role as a father figure seems to have bled out in real life, as Smollett takes his opinions seriously in her career.
About Birds Of Prey
Birds Of Prey is an American superhero film based on the DC comic book team Birds Of Prey. The film released in the US on February 7, 2020 and is available for streaming on HBO Max and available to rent or buy on Apple Tv.
The film focuses on one Harley Quinn after her emancipation from The Joker. Harley is tasked with saving a young Cassandra Cain from evil crime lord Black Mask, which she does with the help of Black Canary, The Huntress and Renee Montoya.
The film stars Margot Robbie in the lead, reprising her role of Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad (2016). The DC film also stars Jurnee Smollett, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, and Ewan McGregor.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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