Script to Screen: Birds of Prey
- Saturday, November 14, 2020 / 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (PST)
- With Christina Hodson (Screenwriter/Co-Producer)
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Starring: Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollet, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor
Directed by: Cathy Yan
You ever hear the one about the cop, the blonde, the psycho, and the mafia princess? Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When one of Gotham’s most sinister villains, Roman Sionis, and his sadistic right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city’s wicked underbelly is turned upside down looking for her. Harley, Huntress, Canary, and Renee Montoya’s paths collide and the unlikely foursome has no choice but to team up to take Roman down.
Script to Screen was delighted to welcome screenwriter/co-producer Christina Hodson for a virtual Q&A. The conversation was moderated by Pollock Theater Director Matt Ryan.
This event will not include a film screening. Birds Of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) can be streamed in advance on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, HBO Max, Vudu, and Youtube.
Biographies
Screenwriter/Co-Producer Christina Hodson
Christina Hodson first transitioned from development executive to screenwriter in 2012. Her first three spec scripts were featured on the Black List three years in a row. The last of these, The Eden Project, was a sci-fi action script that sold to Sony in a bidding war. This development led to Christina joining the Transformers writers’ room for Paramount in 2015. Based on the pitch she conceived in that room, Christina wrote the screenplay for Bumblebee (2018), which starred Hailee Steinfeld and was directed by Travis Knight. For Warner Bros and DC Comics, Christina wrote and co-produced Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), which was released in February 2020. She is currently writing both Batgirl and The Flash movies, the latter of which will be directed by Andy Muschietti and is due for release in 2022. Most recently, Christina signed on to write a new Pirates of the Caribbean film for Disney, which has Margot Robbie attached to star.
In addition to writing, Christina also produces films through her company, Hodson Exports, which she runs with executive Morgan Howell. In 2019, Hodson Exports teamed up with Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment to launch the Lucky Exports Pitch Program. The initiative was designed to encourage studios to hire more female-identifying writers to write action-centric movies. Six applicants were selected to join a month-long writers room with each writer working to develop her own original feature pitch. Guest speakers included Chad Stahelski, Chris Morgan, Walter Hamada and Sue Kroll.
Moderator Matthew Ryan
Matthew Ryan earned his MFA in Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University in 2008. He has been the Pollock Theater Director since the theater opened in October 2010. He created and hosts the Script to Screen series, which has welcomed prestigious guests such as writer/director/producer Jordan Peele (Get Out), writer/director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), screenwriters Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), and writer/director/producer David Mandel, actor Tony Hale, and actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (VEEP).
Ryan oversees the Pollock Theater Internship, which offers industry-level experience in live multi-camera television production and event planning. TV shows produced by students through this program have generated 15.1 million online views on the UCTV cable station.
This event is sponsored by the Carsey-Wolf Center, the Department of Film & Media Studies, and the Scott Frank Fund for Screenwriting
Script to Screen
The Script to Screen series examines the screenplay and its transition to the screen from the perspective of writers, directors, producers, editors, and actors. The Pollock Theater connects artists to our audience of aspiring production students, and Guild & Academy Members. Our Q&As transform into a television show that airs on the UCTV cable station. The series is hosted by the Pollock Theater Director, Matt Ryan, and co-produced by the Pollock Theater student staff.