Chris Messina Joins DC’s ‘Birds of Prey’ as Victor Zsasz
“Sharp Objects” actor will play cohort of lead villain Black Mask, played by Ewan McGregor
Brian Welk | December 11, 2018 @ 8:48 AM
Last Updated: December 11, 2018 @ 9:49 AM
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Chris Messina, “The Mindy Project” and “Sharp Objects” actor, is in talks to play one of the villains in Warner Bros. and DC’s “Birds of Prey” starring Margot Robbie. Messina will play Victor Zsasz in the film, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Zsasz is a cohort of the film’s lead villain, Batman baddie Black Mask, who TheWrap exclusively reported will be portrayed by Ewan McGregor.
Additionally, Steven Williams, Derek Wilson, Dana Lee, Francois Chau, and Matthew Willig have all also joined the cast. Their roles are being kept under wraps.
Robbie, who is also producing, reprises her role as “Suicide Squad’s” Harley Quinn in “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn).” The film is centered around a revolving group of female heroes and villains.
Also among the cast are Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya and newcomer Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain.
Cathy Yan is directing, and Christina Hodson, who is also writing “Batgirl” for DC, wrote the spinoff for Warner Bros. and DC Films. It will be produced by Kroll & Co Entertainment’s Sue Kroll and Clubhouse Pictures’ Bryan Unkeless, as well as Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment.
Messina is also starred in both of Ben Affleck’s recent films “Argo” and “Live By Night.” He shared in a SAG Award win for the ensemble cast of “Argo.”
“Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation of one Harley Quinn)” will be released on Feb. 7, 2020 via Warner Bros.
Every Batman Movie Ranked, From Worst to Best (Photos)
We've arrived at the 30th anniversary of the release of Tim Burton's "Batman," the film that you could argue ushered in the modern age of big screen superheroes. But whether or not you agree with that idea, you can rest assured that you will almost certainly disagree with our rankings of all the Batman movies. Because that's just how these things go.
15. "Batman and Robin" (1949) is just an abysmal experience, with a bad lead actor wearing a floppy-eared Batsuit. Though The Wizard, a villain original to this serial, is admittedly cool looking, it's not enough to stem the boredom in this four-hour slog.
14. "Batman" (1943) gets points for novelty thanks to its hilariously over-the-top old fashioned World War II racism. But Batman's first onscreen appearance lacks pretty much everything that would mark it as an engaging filmgoing experience today. It's cool that a grandfather clock provides the entrance to the Batcave, though.
13. "Justice League" (2017) is just total nonsense, and unlike "Batman v Superman" can't even boast a good performance from Affleck as Bruce Wayne. And it doesn't have the decency to be enjoyably bad like "Batman and Robin" or "The Dark Knight Rises."
12. "Batman and Robin" (1997) is rightly hated, but it's tremendously entertaining here and there. Uma Thurman and Arnold Schwarzeneggar are going so far over the top I can't help but admire them.
11. "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) probably wasn't intended to be a grim and gritty Shumacher Batmovie, but that is indeed what it is. This is Nolan going full Hollywood, smashing plot points into place by sheer force of will rather than because they make sense. An extremely theatrical Tom Hardy as Bane is amusing front to back, and a nuke with a countdown clock on it will never get old.
10. "Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice" (2016) is nearly saved by Ben Affleck going all-out as Bruce Wayne, but director Zack Snyder just couldn't keep his plot on track. There's too much ground to cover, and the movie is too unfocused to ever really cover any of it.
9. "Batman" (1989) is fondly remembered mostly because it was the first Batmovie in a couple decades. It isn't actually very good, though. The reveal that a younger version of the Joker killed Bruce Wayne's parents is as hamfistedly dumb as it gets in a "Batman" movie.
8. "Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition" does so much to improve the experience of watching it that it warrants its own entry -- it's basically a completely different move with all the important story beats and character moments it adds.
7. "Batman Forever" (1995) hits just the right tone for what Joel Shumacher was trying to do with the two films he directed. Tommy Lee Jones, as Two Face, is doing stuff in this movie that is hard to believe even today, given his perpetual sour face in nearly every other movie he's been in.
6. "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" (1993) Remember that time they released a "Batman" cartoon theatrically? It gets lost amongst all the live-action ones, but "Mask of the Phantasm" is better than most of them.
5. "The Dark Knight" (2008) should be way shorter, but Heath Ledger's Joker is far and away the best villain in any of these movies. Ledger elevates what would otherwise be just another self-indulgent Christopher Nolan exercise into an endlessly watchable picture.
4. "The LEGO Batman Movie" (2017) is funny, sweet and self-deprecating -- exactly what we needed in the wake of the disaster that was "Batman v Superman."
3. "Batman Begins" (2005) is the most complete film, on its own, in the entire franchise. It's just, like, a regular movie except it's about Batman. It has actual characters and everything, and Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne even has emotions. It's weird.
2. "Batman Returns" (1992) is one of the best of the franchise because it's really just a political thriller. The Penguin emerges from the sewer and runs for mayor of Gotham! It's great stuff, especially now that Donald Trump is president.
1. "Batman: The Movie" (1966) has a timelessness that none of the other films do, and it's just a delight from beginning to end thanks to Adam West's winking Batman and the coalition of villains who can't stop cackling maniacally. Watching it again recently, I found it functions almost perfectly as a parody of the super-serious Christopher Nolan Batfilms, which is incredible.
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Celebrate the anniversary of Tim Burton’s “Batman” by arguing about which Batman movie is the best
We've arrived at the 30th anniversary of the release of Tim Burton's "Batman," the film that you could argue ushered in the modern age of big screen superheroes. But whether or not you agree with that idea, you can rest assured that you will almost certainly disagree with our rankings of all the Batman movies. Because that's just how these things go.
