One year ago today, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was released into theaters, where it promptly proceeded to bomb at the box office. A $33 million opening weekend was a major disappointment for Warner Bros., who then panicked by changing the title to something that would hopefully draw in more casual audiences who might’ve been unsure if it existed in the same universe as the likes of Man of Steel, Wonder Woman and Aquaman.
That didn’t really help, though, and Cathy Yan’s female-driven DCEU spinoff failed to turn a single penny of profit after just about making it past $200 million globally. Reviews were kind, leaving many people at a loss to explain how it wound up performing so poorly, but before the dust even had a chance to settle, Birds of Prey had already established itself as a cult favorite.
One minor victory was that Harley Quinn’s solo debut wound up as the highest-grossing comic book movie of 2020, a feat that seemed impossible last February, but it would be an understatement to say the last twelve months have thrown up plenty of surprises. To celebrate the movie’s anniversary, Birds of Prey has now found itself trending on social media, and you can check out some of the reactions below.
‘birds of prey’ was released a year ago today pic.twitter.com/VQUuGF62Fn
— courtney (@infamousmargot) February 6, 2021
Birds of Prey released one year ago today and will remain as one of the top-tier CBM of all time pic.twitter.com/klHQ8px4VO
— Elizabeth Olsen News (@wandasolsen) February 7, 2021
Happy one-year to BIRDS OF PREY. I love this movie. This movie is amazing. The stunt work is EXCELLENT. The cast is undeniable. It’s deeply GIRL and it’s as funny as it is ferocious. It’s a rated R fuck off romp for Harley and her gang and I’m thrilled Cathy Yan made it for us. https://t.co/ZZUhVmU7BO
— Jordan Crucchiola (@JorCru) February 6, 2021
margot robbie training for harley quinn in ‘birds of prey’ pic.twitter.com/kATnHpQFgm
— best of margot (@bestofmargot) February 7, 2021
I loved the Birds of Prey movie and I have some slight knowledge of this property. https://t.co/Blew48Y0Ii
— Gail Simone 💙💛 (@GailSimone) February 7, 2021
A year ago, we got one of the best moments in comic book cinema. #BirdsofPrey pic.twitter.com/eB4IzB2MLt
— Carly Lane-Perry (@carlylane) February 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/waynesfilm/status/1358318778417704961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358318778417704961%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2Fnews%2Fbirds-of-prey-twitter-reacts-dc-fans-celebrate-movies-first-anniversary%2F
it’s been exactly one year since birds of prey can we appreciate this pic.twitter.com/hh1m5P8WOB
— ✨ (@civiIswar) February 7, 2021
Exactly one year ago, my life was changed forever. Before #BirdsOfPrey, Harley Quinn was nothing more to me than an overdone Halloween costume. Now she's my favorite thing about DC. pic.twitter.com/T9MqQVn6LU
— Jamie Jirak (@JamieCinematics) February 7, 2021
Happy anniversary to #BirdsOfPrey the dopest film to come out in all of 2020!
Art print by @babsdraws and shoe design by @heyjenbartel
Thank you ladies for making such magnificent art to celebrate this awesome film! pic.twitter.com/5bdcTUYh2b
— ReBELLE Geek 🔜 SDCC (@isabelsdieppa) February 7, 2021
Happy anniversary to Birds of Prey, the last movie I saw in theaters.
The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn or, Harley Beheading Joker (2020). pic.twitter.com/HxaT74UE4R
— jay ✦⁺ otakon A103 (@pineapplebreads) February 7, 2021
https://twitter.com/reverend_tobias/status/1358231990928080896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1358231990928080896%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fdc%2Fnews%2Fbirds-of-prey-twitter-reacts-dc-fans-celebrate-movies-first-anniversary%2F
Indeed, this R-rated comic book blockbuster, which underwent extensive reshoots to increase the quantity and the quality of the action scenes, one that director Cathy Yan freely admits she didn’t have creative control over, not to mention a film that made less money in theaters than the infamous Dolittle, has somehow captured the hearts and minds of fans around the world. Of course, this far from the first time Birds of Prey has been trending over the last year or so, and it won’t be the last time, either.