Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) gets a Harley Quinn-focused title for its upcoming Japanese release. When the film opened in the U.S. and most other countries around the world in early February, it made headlines for posting the lowest box office debut for a DC film in nearly a decade. Despite earning widely positive reviews, Birds of Prey wasn’t much of a draw at the multiplex. In response, Warner Bros. asked theaters to display the movie with the amended title Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey so it was easier to find on ticket-purchasing websites and apps.

That alteration appears to be a case of too little, too late. Birds of Prey has to nearly double its current worldwide box office gross to break even, putting the movie in a tough spot as it continues its run. The only premiere it has left is in Japan, where it will open in March. As WB gears up to roll Birds of Prey out there, they’re making sure they emphasize Harley Quinn in the official title before opening weekend.

The WB Japan Twitter account posted a Birds of Prey promo to hype up the film’s March 20 debut in Japan. Its title, per CBR, essentially translates to Harley Quinn’s Great Awakening: Birds of Prey. Take a look at the tweet in the space below:

Some believe one of the reasons why Birds of Prey underperformed is because general audiences are largely unfamiliar with the titular team, which hurt interest in the film. Especially after the record-breaking box office success of Suicide Squad, Harley Quinn is by far the most recognizable character in Birds of Prey, and it would have made marketing sense to angle the title around her. Obviously, it’s not a guarantee the film’s box office numbers would have been better if it was called Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey from the jump, but that may have helped make it more appealing for casual moviegoers. The movie’s full title works to capture the fun spirit of the final product, but was detrimental when it came to selling tickets. It’s a lesson WB unfortunately learned the hard way, and now they may be looking at a loss depending on how the rest of Birds of Prey’s theatrical run goes.

Birds of Prey’s underwhelming box office haul ends the DCEU’s recent hot streak of bona fide commercial successes. The likes of Aquaman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam were all hits to varying degrees and have sequels on the way, but it remains to be seen what Harley Quinn’s big screen future is. She does have a role in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and remains a popular character, so hopefully Robbie can headline another spinoff movie in the near future. She’s still interested in making Gotham City Sirens, which would team Harley up with more famous names like Poison Ivy and Catwoman, so that has potential. And if Harley’s the star of the show again, WB will be sure to emphasize that in the film’s title from the beginning.

More: Birds of Prey’s Title Change Corrects A MAJOR Problem (Too Late)

Source: WB Japan (via CBR)

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