Director, DC's Birds of Prey
Cathy Yan: Biography at a Glance
- Cathy Yan is the director of Birds of Prey at Warner Bros/DC, starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn
- Yan is the first female Asian director ever tapped to direct a superhero film, and third female director to join DC after Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins and The New Gods' Ava DuVernay
- Her first feature, DEAD PIGS, won the Special Jury Prize for ensemble acting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at Dallas Film Festival, and the New Director's Grand Jury Prize, among others
- Before turning to filmmaking, Yan worked as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York, Hong Kong and Beijing
Biography
Cathy Yan is a filmmaker born in China and based in New York. She received a dual MFA in film and an MBA at New York University, as well as a BA from Princeton University. Previously, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York, Hong Kong and Beijing.
Her first feature, DEAD PIGS, won the Special Jury Prize for ensemble acting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at Dallas Film Festival, the New Director's Grand Jury Prize and China Star's Best First Feature at Seattle Film Festival and the San Francisco Film Critic's Award at CAAMFest, among others.
She is set to direct Margot Robbie as the character Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey (and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) at Warner Bros/DC, making her the first Asian woman to direct a superhero film.
