In Martin's view, in the original timeline, if the first Suicide Squad film's box office success was due to Harley Quinn brazenly flaunting her sensuality...

Then the sequel's dismal box office was probably because Margot Robbie, now famous and married, didn't want to show off her curves anymore.

The first film's triangular tight shorts turned into knee-length fringed skirts in the sequel, complete with safety shorts underneath. It looked nice in action, but not "sexy" enough.

But the old pervs buying tickets to the theater were there precisely for the "sexiness."

Without the flair, Harley Quinn, though still unhinged, lost most of her charm.

And Birds of Prey's box office flop was probably for the same reason—or at least one of them.

In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn wore shorts again, but not those shorts—the waist was loose, the legs too long, totally unsexy. The supporting cast was too ugly as well.

Honestly, that Yan-surnamed female director had no clue what audiences wanted. [Ching Chong director]

She might have been trying to appeal to female viewers, stuffing the film with sisterly bonds—who knows, but female audiences have never liked these "anti-hero" villain leads. They prefer Katniss from The Hunger Games, Isabella from Twilight...

The main supporters of anti-hero films are males—the ones who love violence, gore, and chilling visuals. They're the core audience for this kind of movie.

......

In a Hollywood cafe.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Drew Barrymore sat facing each other.

Drew stirred her coffee cup, producing a ding-ding-dang sound.

Anya Taylor-Joy watched Drew's action, hesitating to speak.

Drew noticed the girl's expression and asked curiously, "What's up, Anya?"

Anya Taylor-Joy smiled awkwardly. "Ever since watching Get Out, I've been a bit sensitive to the sound of spoons clinking against cups. Sorry, Ms. Barrymore."

"I've told you to just call me Drew," Drew Barrymore smiled. "If Martin heard that, he'd be thrilled."

For some reason, Drew felt a strange fondness for this eighteen-year-old girl.

Anya smiled too. "I do really like Get Out. The story touches the soul."

Then, shifting topics, she asked, "Drew, why did you ask me out? Is there something?"

Drew smiled. "Nothing much—just a casual chat. After all, you're about to join the The Witch crew, and as a producer, I should get to know the lead actress a bit."

"Alright," Anya narrowed her eyes with a smile—her expression almost identical to Drew's—and said, "What do you want to know?"

"Anything—your family, why you came to Hollywood, your love life. Think of it as girl talk."

"OK, I'll just ramble a bit."

"My mother's a Spanish-English mixed photographer and interior designer; my father's a Scottish-Argentine rower. I'm the youngest of six kids..."

"At school, I wasn't popular because I was tall and looked okay—the girls didn't like me."

"You were bullied?" Google seaʀᴄh novel⦿fire.net

Drew was a bit surprised, because...

How to put it—Anya's vibe didn't seem like the easily bullied type.

Anya smiled. "Yeah, I was bullied. That's why I didn't want to stay in school at seventeen. I was really skinny then, and a few girls always took pleasure in picking on me."

"What a bunch of nasty brats," Drew cursed, then asked, "What happened after?"

Anya said, "When I was bullied for my looks and felt sad, my mom always comforted me: 'You have to look into people's hearts, not their actions. Don't focus on superficial stuff; don't see what they're doing on the surface. They're bullying you because they're scared of you, jealous of you...'"

"Wow, your mom said it pretty well," Drew remarked.

"Yeah, I really have to thank her—it helped a lot. After that, I wasn't bothered anymore."

"But you still left school?" Drew said again.

"Yeah, even though I didn't care about those people, I grew disillusioned with the school environment. I needed to believe there's a place where I'd be valued and appreciated, where I could contribute, instead of always feeling like something's wrong with me, like I'm the one who can't fit in."

"No, you're cool, you're interesting. I saw on your resume you like dancing, like Sex and the City? As a fellow girl, I really like you now. I even want to go to a dance with you."

Anya smiled genuinely, feeling Drew was truly a good person. "Yeah, I especially love Sex and the City. My idol is Sarah Jessica Parker (who plays writer Carrie in Sex and the City). It'd be great to act opposite her."

"You'll get the chance," Drew said. "What about romance? Do you have a boyfriend?"

Anya shook her head. "No—because I hated school, I often skipped, so I didn't get to really connect with boys my age."

"Really? That's their loss."

Anya smiled again. "Thanks."

The two chatted pleasantly—after all, Drew, being savvy, could make anyone warm up to her if she wanted.

Anya hadn't had such a relaxed, intimate chat with another girl in ages; she had almost no female friends.

Now, she saw Drew as a friend.

But neither knew.

In another timeline's 2022, they'd had a similar conversation—but on Drew Barrymore's talk show The Drew Barrymore Show, with Drew interviewing the then-famous Anya.

By then, Anya was a success—starring in the hit series The Queen's Gambit, with rave reviews and awards galore, earning her the nickname "Human Barbie" in Hollywood.

After finishing their coffee, Drew drove Anya away.

On the road, Drew casually asked, "Anya, what do you think of Martin as a person?"

Anya: "..."

On the Suicide Squad set, Martin had no idea Drew was scouting girls for him; he was busy coaching Margot Robbie's acting.

"No, no, no—you can't play this scene like that. What I want is..."