The cast of Birds of Prey keeps on growing. We now have word that newcomer Ella Jay Basco is in negotiations to play Cassandra Cain in the upcoming live-action DC Comics adaptation. It's not only a major break for an up-and-coming actress, but it could mean very big things for the on-screen DC universe, as Cassandra Cain is one of the characters who eventually becomes Batgirl.

According to a new report, Ella Jay Basco is only expected to be playing Cassandra Cain in Birds of Prey, so this doesn't mean that Batgirl is going to show up. And the previous indication was that the hero would appear at a later date, as Warner Bros. also has a Batgirl movie in development, which Joss Whedon was attached to write and possibly direct at one point. Other cast members confirmed up to this point include Margot Robbie, reprising her role as Harley Quinn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress and Jurnee Smollett-bell as Black Canary, With Ewan McGregor set to portray the villain Black Mask.

For those who may not be familiar, Cassandra Cain, in the world of DC Comics, is the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, both accomplished assassins. They raise her without much human contact and deprive her of speech so that she may become a great assassin. Eventually, she meets Bruce Wayne and that leads her on a path to becoming Batgirl. Barbara Gordon, daughter of Jim Gordon is the other, probably more well-known Batgirl. This report also comes with some new plot details. Apparently, Cassandra Cain stumbles across a diamond that belongs to Black Mask, a nefarious kingpin in Gotham City's criminal underworld. It's then up to Harley, Huntress and Black Canary to protect her. It was previously reported that this version of Gotham City won't have Batman around to protect it, so don't expect to see Batfleck show up to back them up. Ella Jay Basco is only twelve years old, so this version of Cassandra Cain will be very young.

This will be the next DC movie to enter production. It's just one of several spin-offs centered on Harley Quinn that entered development after the success of Suicide Squad. It also, somewhat surprisingly, will enter production before Suicide Squad 2, which looked like it was going to begin filming early next year before the studio decided to move forward with this instead. Currently, Wonder Woman 1984 and the Joker origin movie, not connected to the current live-action DC movies, are filming.

Prior to this, Ella Jay Basco only had minor roles in shows like Grey's Anatomy, Veep and Superior Donuts. Needless to say, this is a big step up. Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs) is in the director's chair, working from a script by Christina Hodson (Bumblebee), who is also working on the Batgirl movie. Bird of Prey is currently scheduled to hit theaters on February 7, 2020. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any additional details on the project are made available. This news was first reported by Variety.