Patty Jenkins Is Not Attached to the “Wonder Woman” Sequel
With “Wonder Woman’s” box office numbers, 93 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and an “A” CinemaScore, you’d think Warner Bros. would be doing everything in their power to lock down director Patty Jenkins for the superheroine’s next story. Unfortunately, per The Hollywood Reporter, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Despite its previous report that Jenkins is contractually obligated to a second “Wonder Woman” film, the source has revealed that “Warner Bros. executives enlisted Jenkins for just one film.”
To which our only response is: “What the fuck?”
As THR writes, there are a few reasons for this snub. Apparently signing directors for a one-picture-only deal is the current norm at Warner Bros. And, even though audiences have had to wait an inordinate amount of time for a Diana Prince film, “execs also may have been a bit unprepared for the level of success and acclaim ‘Wonder Woman’ has achieved,” since the initial tracking reports anticipated a more modest opening.
Warner Bros. execs can defend their sexist bullshit as much as they want but it’s still sexist bullshit. This comes down to the company doubting the impact and bankability of women’s stories and women storytellers. The truth is that Warner Bros. is happy to roll out infinite films about Batman and Superman on a whim, but saw “Wonder Woman” as a risky venture because the word “woman” is in the title.
That being said, there is still hope that Jenkins will return for Diana Prince’s sequel. “Wonder Woman’s” box office success and positive buzz will only strengthen her reputation — she has already signed on to helm a horror film for AMC’s streamer Shudder, according to THR. This “major leverage” “could end up costing the studio millions of dollars if Jenkins’ reps drive a hard bargain for her to return,” THR writes. It could possibly lead to a development deal between Warner and the director as well. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Jenkins does return for “Wonder Woman 2” and makes a tidy sum in the process.
