Fans of the bat-wielding martial artist Black Canary can breathe easy as TV Line has now officially confirmed that production for the stand-alone movie based on the DC Comics character will continue and is safe from the recent strategic merger between HBO Max and Discovery+ that has already seen the cancellation of several other projects from the much anticipated Batgirl to Kevin Smith's Strange Adventures and the animated 'Scoob!: Holiday Haunt.'
Black Canary made her first movie appearance in 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) as part of the titular DC Comics team. The movie was a hit with audiences and critics alike and fared well at the box office. Though HBO Max tried to keep production for Black Canary (working title) under wraps, word eventually got out that the streamer had once again teamed up with Warner Bros. and DC Films to make the movie centered on Jurnee Smollett's character, Dinah Lance. While the plot details are yet to be revealed, it has been confirmed that Smollett will return to reprise her role and that the film will be a spin-off of the first movie. Smollett spoke with Comicbook at the time, expressing excitement about getting the opportunity to reprise the role but was unable to give much away regarding what should be expected. Here's what she said;
"I'm just so incredibly excited about a number of things that I can't talk about. I mean, I'm excited, that's what I can say. I'm excited about getting to explore a lot... I feel like we've only touched the surface with Black Canary. And she's one of the dopest martial artists in the DC Universe. That is something that is a real challenge in my head that I'm just excited at the possibility of being able to explore deeper and further and wider and greater."
The upcoming movie will see Smollett team up yet again with Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) who will be penning the script for the movie. Smollett and Green first worked together on Underground, a 2016 historical drama, and later on the horror fiction series, Lovecraft Country. Details for Black Canary have been played close to the chest, however, Green shared a rare update on the project a few months ago when she posted a photo to her Instagram stories featuring a voluminous binder with the movie's working title on the front cover, hinting progress with the movie's script.
With little or nothing to hold on to regarding the direction that the movie will take, DC fans were hoping that Batgirl would provide some easter eggs on what to expect, but shockingly, the movie was canceled by WBD. On the brighter side, knowing that production for the movie has been kept alive will bring much relief to fans. Birds of Prey producer, Sue Kroll will return to produce Black Canary under her Kroll & Co. Entertainment.
A release date is yet to be set for Black Canary. While we wait for more news to role, check out our interview with Smollett below: