Just days after the global release of Wonder Woman 1984, a follow-up film is already reportedly in the works at Warner Bros. Pictures. It’s a major deal for many reasons, but the biggest might be exactly what a Patty Jenkins-directed trilogy means for superhero culture and for Hollywood as a whole.
Jenkins made history in 2017 with Wonder Woman, directing leading lady Gal Gadot in the DC Comics heroine’s stunning origin story. The film was undoubtedly a success and went on to become one of the top ten highest-grossing movies to be directed by a woman. A sequel was the obvious next step, and three years (and a few filler films) later, Diana Prince returned to the film in a major way. Wonder Woman 1984 premiered exclusively on HBO Max, and its plot saw Diana tackling a new, more complex supervillain and even meeting her arch-nemesis Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). It’s been received with mixed reviews from critics and even the most passionate of superhero fans, but the path is clear towards a third installment in Diana’s powerful story arc nonetheless.
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Variety reports that Warner Bros. is already making plans for another Wonder Woman film, and both Gadot and Jenkins will return for the developing project. As she did in the sequel, Jenkins will be at the helm, which marks a major milestone within the film space. Blockbuster superhero films are so rarely directed by women — Jenkins is a member of the exclusive club of superhero movies directed by women which also includes Nia Dacosta, Chloé Zhao, and Gina Prince-Bythewood — and even fewer women get the opportunity to direct trilogies of any genre. As it stands, the Bridget Jones and Pitch Perfect series are the only trilogies to be directed by women, and Wonder Woman’s solo films will join that elite group.
It’s well-earned, too, especially given the circumstances surrounding Wonder Woman 1984. The film’s release was pushed back several times, and like many other movies being released mid-pandemic, its success hung in the balance. But its HBO Max premiere actually performed better than many expected, scoring the highest box office sales of the pandemic and bringing in more $17 million over the holiday weekend.
Warner Bros. and Jenkins are hoping to recreate that magic with a third Wonder Woman film, and the way the sequel's storyline played out, it's really just a matter of which bad guy Diana will take down next.