The Penguin & Harley Quinn Star Together in New Fantasy Movie, but There’s Already 1 Problem

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Early in the making of *Birds of Prey*, the filmmakers initially planned a showdown between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and the Penguin. However, Matt Reeves, the director of *The Batman*, asked them to hold off, as he had his own ideas for the character. This change of plans ultimately led to Colin Farrell landing the role of a lifetime, allowing him to create a fresh take on the Penguin. Interestingly, Farrell and Robbie are now co-stars in the new film *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*, but their on-screen chemistry hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

Okay, so I just got out of *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*, and honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Right now, it’s sitting at a pretty lukewarm 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. With only 44 reviews in, there isn’t a clear consensus yet, but I’ve been reading through them, and the biggest complaint seems to be that the movie leans *really* hard into sentimentality and doesn’t quite flesh out its ideas. Everyone agrees it *looks* fantastic, but the story itself doesn’t quite live up to the visuals. It feels like it had potential, but didn’t quite stick the landing.

Could A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Overcome Mixed Reviews at the Box Office?

Originally, *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* was planned to launch in early May, at the start of the summer movie season. However, moving the release date to mid-September shows how much faith Sony Pictures has in the film. While September can still produce successful movies, it’s generally a less crowded month for releases than May or June. Sony delayed the film hoping to give it a better chance to succeed by releasing it when there’s typically less competition at the box office.

September has been a busy month for movies. Both *The Conjuring: Last Rites* and *Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle* had very successful opening weekends, boosting overall ticket sales. While *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* is a good choice for its specific audience, there are many other films available, meaning it might not stand out. Even well-reviewed movies like the new Stephen King adaptation, *The Long Walk*, are finding it hard to succeed due to the competition. *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*, despite having two appealing lead actors, seems like a film that really needed positive reviews and recommendations to become popular.

About a month before the release of *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey*, early predictions estimated it would earn between $10 and $15 million in its opening weekend. Those estimates probably won’t change much, even with the mixed reviews the film has received. Unlike big franchise movies that often succeed regardless of critic scores (*The Conjuring: Last Rites* is a good example), it’s much harder for original, moderately-budgeted films to attract audiences, especially when reviews are lukewarm. Stronger reviews could have helped *A Big Bold Beautiful Journey* make a bigger splash, but it’s unlikely to be a major success.

Robbie and Farrell likely won’t face significant career setbacks with their upcoming projects. Farrell is preparing to reprise his role as the Penguin in *The Batman Part II*, with filming expected to begin in the spring. While Robbie might be finished with DC after playing Harley Quinn, as she hasn’t been asked to return for future films, she has some promising opportunities ahead. She’s reportedly starring in Tim Burton’s remake of *Attack of the 50 Foot Woman*. Following the critical and commercial success of Burton’s *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* last year, this new film could be a successful project for Robbie as well.

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2025-09-17 19:29