It’s official: Patty Jenkins will return to direct the sequel to “Wonder Woman.” Rumors and speculation had been circulating for months following the massive success of “Wonder Woman” this summer, but the deal became official this week.
Jenkins and Warner Bros had to negotiate and draft a contract for Jenkins, who was only guaranteed one movie. There was little doubt that she would return, since “Wonder Woman” became the highest grossing movie of summer 2017 and is among the highest grossing superhero movies ever. Not to mention that the film garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, revived the struggling DC Extended Universe, and was a strong source of female empowerment.
Not only was the character of Wonder Woman and her story empowering for women, but Patty Jenkins herself was as well. Female directors in Hollywood have repeatedly faced challenges, the most prominent being the pay gap. Additionally, only four women in history have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, and out of those four women, only one actually won the award: Kathryn Bigelow, for her 2009 film “The Hurt Locker.” “Wonder Woman” became the highest grossing live action film directed by a woman. It earned over $100 million in its opening weekend, and has amassed over $800 million globally. Hopefully the success of the film will lead to more success for female directors in Hollywood.
Not only will Jenkins direct the upcoming sequel, but she will also co-write and produce it. Her compensation for this increased role will make her the highest-paid female filmmaker of all time. Jenkins was paid $1 million for “Wonder Woman.” To put that into perspective, Nancy Meyers, another trailblazing female director, earned approximately $5 million at her highest. Jenkins compensation for the sequel will hopefully set a new precedent for other female directors.
Gal Gadot will also be returning as the titular superhero. This was another matter of which there was little doubt. However, there is much speculation about the plot of the sequel. Some say the film will take place during the Cold War, others say that Chris Pine will also return as Steve Trevor even though (spoiler alert) his character died at the end of “Wonder Woman.” It is also possible that this film will take place after the events of the upcoming “Justice League,” which will be released this November.
Audiences will just have to wait and see what the sequel will bring us. In the meantime, there is a whole slate of DC as well as Marvel films to keep audiences occupied for the next couple years.
The untitled Wonder Woman sequel is set to be released on December 13, 2019.