Margot Robbie: I feel obligation to attack statistics on female-driven content

Margot Robbie has said she feels an obligation to “attack the statistics” and create female driven content.

The Oscar-nominated actress, who is also a successful producer with her company LuckyChap Entertainment, said she wants to fill a gap in the market with stories for, and about, women.

Robbie reprises her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn in her new film Birds Of Prey, which was produced by her outfit.

She told the PA news agency: “It definitely fits the ethos of our company to tell different stories, and we do like to subvert social expectations surrounding gender.

“First and foremost, we love stories, we love telling stories, we love compelling characters.

“That’s really it and I think we naturally gravitate towards female driven content because a) there’s a lack of it and we feel a responsibility to kind of attack the statistics in the industry but b) that’s really where our interest lies and there’s a gap in the market, an opportunity for something like an R-rated girl gang action film hasn’t been done.”

The film boasts a female director and writer and mainly female cast – including Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rosie Perez – and Robbie said: “It wasn’t until we got on set that it felt it did have that energy, and it had a particular kind of bond.

“I think just the mere fact it was a young set run by a lot of women, featuring a lot of women, it gave it definitely a different energy.

“But it also had a bit of an indie spirit, I think. Because it is a much smaller budget than comic book films normally are, because it’s R-rated, so there was very much that collaborative atmosphere and roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty and just get the job done, and have fun while doing it.

“Often I think when it’s a big production value kind of set, sometimes you miss that, you feel like you’re in a bit of a machine.”

Robbie also explained why the Joker does not make an appearance in the film, which begins with the end of Harley’s romance with the supervillain.

She said: “Hey, I love love stories, but in Harley’s case, if you’re going to have the Joker, it’s so all-consuming.

“There’s not going to be room for much else, and so it was a conscious decision to begin with, to not include that relationship, as the driving narrative because there was so many other interesting things we wanted to explore, and it’s kinda all or nothing with him so get the boot at the beginning.”

Birds Of Prey is released in UK cinemas on February 7.