Wonder Woman | |
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File:Wonder Woman (2017 film).jpg | |
Directed by | Patty Jenkins |
Screenplay by | Allan Heinberg |
Story by |
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Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Matthew Jensen |
Edited by | Martin Walsh |
Music by | Rupert Gregson-Williams[1] |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 141 minutes[2][3] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $149 million[4] |
Box office | $223 million[4] |
Wonder Woman is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the fourth installment in the DC Extended Universe. The film is directed by Patty Jenkins, with a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and a story by Heinberg, Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs. Gal Gadot stars as the titular character, with Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen and Elena Anaya in supporting roles.
Wonder Woman is the first live action theatrical film starring the character, following her first live-action theatrical appearance in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the film, after American pilot Steve Trevor crashes offshore of the island of Themyscira and tells Diana Prince about World War I, Diana leaves her home to try to stop the war.
Development for the film was on-going since 1996, with Jenkins signing on to direct in 2015. Principal photography began on November 21, 2015, with filming taking place in the United Kingdom, France and Italy before wrapping up on May 19, 2016. Additional filming took place in November 2016.
Wonder Woman premiered in Shanghai on May 15, 2017, and was released in the United States on June 2, 2017, in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D. It received positive reviews from critics, with many praising Gadot's performance, and has grossed $223 million worldwide.[5]
In present-day Paris, Diana Prince, a staff member of the Louvre's antiquities department,[6] receives a World War I-era photograph sent by Wayne Enterprises' CEO Bruce Wayne and recalls her past.
Born and raised on the island of Themyscira, the home of the Amazons, the child Diana dreams of becoming an Amazonian warrior. However, her mother, Queen Hippolyta forbids it. She tells her daughter that their people were enslaved by mankind after Ares, the god of war, corrupted them. Ares also slaughtered his fellow gods on Mount Olympus, including his father Zeus. Before he died, Zeus left the Amazons a ceremonial sword that was intended to kill kill his renegade son. Her mother also claims that Diana was sculpted from clay and given life by Zeus prior to his death.
During her teen years, Diana disobeys her mother and is secretly trained by her aunt Antiope. When Hippolyta discovers her daughter and sister's secret, she reluctantly allows Diana's training to continue, due to Diana exhibiting godlike powers and the Amazons' fear that Ares would return.
As a young woman, Diana rescues pilot Steve Trevor after his plane crashes off the coast of Themyscira. The Amazons engage and kill the German soldiers in pursuit of him, but Antiope dies protecting Diana. Interrogated with the Lasso of Truth, Steve reveals that he is an Allied spy in World War I and has stolen information from a weapons facility run by German general Erich Ludendorff, whose scientist Doctor Maru is producing a deadly form of mustard gas. Certain that Ares must be responsible, Diana defies her mother's orders, and arms herself with a shield and the ceremonial sword. She then leaves Themyscira with Steve in order to find and destroy Ares.
In London, Steve delivers Maru's notes to his superiors at the Imperial War Cabinet, including Sir Patrick Morgan, who is trying to negotiate an armistice with Germany. Steve believes Ludendorff will complete and use the gas regardless of an armistice. Diana believes Ludendorff is Ares himself, and slaying him will end the war. With Sir Patrick's blessing, Steve and Diana secretly travel to the Western Front in Belgium, accompanied by Steve's team: spy Sameer, marksman Charlie, and smuggler Chief. Their group's progress is halted by enemy trenches, until Diana pushes alone through the German lines, rallying the allied forces behind her to liberate a village from German control. Diana and the team celebrate the freedom of the villagers, and Diana grows close to Steve.
Learning that Ludendorff will attend a gala at a nearby castle, Steve infiltrates the party and is followed by Diana, who intends to kill Ludendorff. Steve stops her to avoid jeopardizing the mission to destroy the chemical stores. When Ludendorff uses the gas to bomb the nearby village, Diana blames Steve for the devastation. In a blind rage, Diana pursues Ludendorff to a complex where the gas is being loaded into a bomber bound for London. Diana fights and kills Ludendorff, but is stunned when his death does not stop the war. Sir Patrick appears to her, revealing that he is the true Ares; he tells her that though he has subtly influenced mankind to destroy themselves, they always have the impulse to cause war and violence.
As they fight, Ares attempts to convince Diana that humanity does not deserve to be saved and to join him. After destroying the ceremonial sword, Ares reveals that Diana's mother lied about her origins: Diana herself is Zeus' weapon, his youngest and natural born child--making her Ares' half-sister. As Ares overpowers Diana, Steve hijacks the bomber containing the gas and sacrifices himself to incinerate it at a safe distance. Inspired by Steve's selflessness and his final words, Diana dedicates herself to defending the world and summons her power to finally destroy Ares and spare humanity. In London, the team solemnly celebrates the end of the war.
In the present day, Diana sends an e-mail to Wayne thanking him for the photograph of her and Steve and reaffirms her mission to protect all life.
Additionally, Lisa Loven Kongsli portrays Menalippe, Antiope's lieutenant.[21] Mayling Ng, Florence Kasumba, Madeleine Vall Beijner, and Ann Wolfe play Orana, Acantha, Egeria, and Artemis, respectively.[32][33][34][35] Dutch model Doutzen Kroes portrays the Amazon Venelia.[34] Samantha Jo, who played Car-Vex in Man of Steel, was cast as Euboea.[36]
"How would I want to live that's badass? [...] To me, [the Amazons and Wonder Woman] shouldn't be dressed in armor like men [...] It should be different. It should be authentic and real – and appealing to women [...] It's total wish-fulfillment [...] I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time – the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body. That makes them feel like the hero they want to be. And my hero, in my head, has really long legs."
— Director Patty Jenkins[37]
Development for a theatrical Wonder Woman film began in 1996, with Ivan Reitman attached as producer and possible director.[38] Three years later, the project was attached to Jon Cohen, who adapted Wonder Woman for producer Joel Silver, with the hope that Sandra Bullock would star.[39] Silver approached Todd Alcott two years later to write the screenplay, with Silver Pictures backing the project.[40] Leonard Goldberg, speaking in a May 2001 interview, named Bullock as a strong candidate for the project.[41] Bullock has said that she was approached for the role, while wrestler Chyna expressed interest. Turning down the part in the past, Xena's Lucy Lawless indicated that she would have been more interested if Wonder Woman was portrayed as a "flawed hero."[42] The screenplay went through various drafts written by Alcott, Cohen, Becky Johnston, and Philip Levens,[43] and by August 2003, Levens had been replaced by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis.[44]
In March 2005, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures announced that Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) would write and direct the film,[45] with a reported salary was of $2 to $3 million.[46] Since Whedon was directing Serenity at the time, and required time to research Wonder Woman's background, he did not begin the screenplay until late 2005.[47][48][49] While Whedon stated in May 2005 that he would not cast the part of Wonder Woman until he finished the script,[50] Charisma Carpenter,[51] Morena Baccarin,[52] and Priyanka Chopra[53] were all rumored to be under consideration for the role. However, after nearly two years, Whedon had not written a finished draft,[54] and in 2007 left the project.[55]
A day before Whedon's departure from Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures purchased a spec script for the film written by Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland. Set during World War II, the script impressed executives at Silver Pictures.[55] However, Silver stated that he had purchased the script because he did not want the rights reverting; while stating the script had good ideas, Silver did not want the film to be a period piece.[56] By April 2008, Silver hired Jennison and Strickland to write a new script set in contemporary times that would not depict Wonder Woman's origin, but explore Paradise Island's history.[57]
In 2010, Warner Bros. stated that a film was in development, along with films based on DC Comics superheroes the Flash and Aquaman.[58] Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were still under consideration for solo film subjects as of June 2013.[59] DC Chief Diane Nelson said Wonder Woman "has been, since I started, one of the top three priorities for DC and for Warner Bros. We are still trying right now, but she's tricky."[60] On October 5, 2013, WB chairman Kevin Tsujihara said he wanted to get Wonder Woman in a film or on TV.[61] Shortly afterward, Paul Feig said he had pitched the studio an idea for Wonder Woman as an action-comedy film.[62][63] The studio then began to search for female directors to direct the film.[64] While Michelle MacLaren was the studio's initial choice to direct (and while she initially indicated interest),[65][66][67] she eventually left the project due to creative differences.[68]
In 2015, Patty Jenkins accepted an offer to direct Wonder Woman,[69] based on a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and a story co-written by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, Geoff Johns and Jason Fuchs.[70][71] This version was conceived of as a prequel to the first live-action, theatrical appearance of Wonder Woman, in the 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,[72] placing Wonder Woman in the 1910s and World War I (a decision which differs from her comic book origins as a supporter of the Allies during World War II).[73] It also follows DC Comics' origin changes in The New 52 reboot, where Diana is the daughter of Zeus.[7][74] Jenkins' role as director makes her the first female director of a studio superhero movie.[75]
Gal Gadot won the role of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice over Élodie Yung and Olga Kurylenko.[12][14][76][77] Chris Pine was cast as Steve Trevor,[18][78] and Sean Bean and Eva Green were considered for the villains Ares and Circe, respectively.[79] In November 2015, Saïd Taghmaoui was cast in an unspecified role.[80] While Nicole Kidman was in talks to play Wonder Woman's mother,[81] she eventually withdrew from the project.[82][83][84]
Production began on November 21, 2015,[85][86] under the working title Nightingale.[87][88] Among the film sets were Australia House, Kings Cross Station and Trafalgar Square in London, with several attractions in Southern Italy, such as the Sassi di Matera, Castel del Monte, Palinuro, and Camerota.[89][90][91] Matthew Jensen was the director of photography,[92] filming in the United Kingdom, France and Italy.[93] Production in London ended on March 13, 2016.[94] On March 20, 2016, filming was underway in Italy. In late April, filming took place at The Louvre, where a Wayne Enterprises truck was spotted alongside Gadot.[95] Production ended on May 9, 2016.[96] Patty Jenkins and director of photography Matt Jensen revealed that the film's look was inspired by painter John Singer Sargent.[97] Reshoots took place in November 2016, while Gadot was five months pregnant. A green cloth was placed over her stomach to edit out her pregnancy during post-production.[98]
Bill Westenhofer is the visual effects supervisor for the film[99] and Martin Walsh is the editor.[92]
On November 3, 2016, Rupert Gregson-Williams was hired to write and compose the film's music.[100] He was joined by Tom Howe,[101] Paul Mounsey,[102] and Andrew Kawczynski,[103] who provided additional music. The soundtrack was released the same day as the movie on CD, digital, and vinyl.[104]
Australian musician Sia sang a song for the film, titled "To Be Human", and featuring English musician Labrinth. Written by Florence Welch and Rick Nowels, the track also featured on the soundtrack.[105]
Wonder Woman held its world premiere in Shanghai on May 15, 2017.[106] The film's London premiere, which was scheduled to take place on May 31, 2017 at the Odeon Leicester Square, was cancelled due to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.[107] The film premiered in the United States in Los Angeles May 25, and had its Latin America premiere in Mexico City on May 27. It was released in most of the world on June 2, 2017, after originally being scheduled for June 23, 2017.[108][109] It was released in IMAX.[110] Belgium, Singapore and South Korea received the film first, with Wonder Woman having opened in those countries on May 31, 2017.[111][112][113] On April 17, it was announced that Wonder Woman would be released in China on June 2, day-and-date with its North American release.[114] On May 31, Wonder Woman was banned in Lebanon after the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel asked the Lebanese government's Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, served in the Israeli military.[115]
The success of the superhero television series Supergirl informed the marketing and promotion strategy used for Wonder Woman.[116] According to Time Warner chief marketing officer Kristen O'Hara, they wanted to approach the Wonder Woman marketing campaign in a light manner, similar to how they did with Supergirl. O'Hara elaborated that the modest campaign route they took for Supergirl aided in establishing a large central female fanbase well in advance of the series, which reportedly generated 5 million female superhero fans in one week.[116] They were then able to model over time, and grow that audience leading up to the 15 months later release of Wonder Woman.[116] Though neither the film nor the series are just aimed at females, the latter's campaign gave them their first opportunity to begin collecting data about female superhero fans.[116] In May 2017, a promo for Wonder Woman was released during the season finale of Supergirl, featuring a remix of the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) wearing Wonder Woman's bracelets and boots.[117] The promo included an appearance by Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s Wonder Woman, who plays the American president on Supergirl.[117]
The costs for television advertisements for Wonder Woman are higher in comparison to that of previous DCEU film Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. has spent over $3 million on advertisements for Wonder Woman, whereas they spent $2.6 million on advertisements for Suicide Squad.[118]
Ticket selling site Fandango reported that Wonder Woman rounded the final leg of its marketing campaign as the most anticipated blockbuster of summer 2017, according to a poll conducted by 10,000 voters, the biggest survey in company history.[119] Separately, Fandango also found that 92% of people surveyed said that they are looking forward to seeing a film that features a standalone female superhero, and 87% wished Hollywood would make more female-led superhero films.[120]
In May 2017, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick drove her No. 10 car with a Wonder Woman paint scheme at the Go Bowling 400 in Kansas and at the Monster Energy Open in Charlotte.[121]
As of June 4, 2017[update], Wonder Woman has grossed $100.5 million in the United States and Canada and $122.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $233 million, against a production budget of $149 million.[4] Estimates for the number the film needs to surpass internationally in order to cover its production and promotional costs and break even range from $300 million[122] to $460 million.[123]
In May 2017, early tracking had Wonder Woman opening with $65–75 million, and possibly as high as $105 million.[124][125][126][127][122] The film opened Friday, June 2, 2017, across 4,165 theaters and made $38.7 million on its opening day, including $3.7 million in IMAX. It was the biggest single-day gross for a female-directed film, ahead of the $35.9 million opening Friday of Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight (around $44 million adjusted for inflation) in 2008 and the biggest opening day for a female-led comic book superhero film, ahead of Ghost in the Shell ($7 million).[128] This included $11 million it made from Thursday previews, also the best start for a film directed by a female, surpassing Fifty Shades of Grey's $8.6 million which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and the third biggest of the year, behind Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Of that, $1.5 million came from IMAX screenings.[129][130]
Earning a total of $100.5 million on its opening weekend, the film recorded a number of records: the biggest opening of all-time for a female director (surpassing previous record holder Fifty Shades of Grey), the biggest DC Comics release without Batman or Superman (ahead of Constantine), the biggest debut ever for this first weekend-in-June slot, the sixth-biggest non-sequel comic book superhero debut ever, as well as the sixth-biggest June debut weekend. Its three-day opening alone made it the biggest-grossing female-led comic book superhero film ever (surpassing Ghost in the Shell) and the biggest film set in World War I (breaking Steven Spielberg's War Horse's record).[131] It is also the sixteenth superhero film to cross $100 million in its domestic box office launch.[132] About 9% ($9 million) of the opening weekend came from IMAX screenings from 343 theaters.[133]
Internationally, the film is scheduled to be released day-and-date with its North American debut in 55 markets (72% of its total marketplace), and is set to debut with anywhere between $92–118 million, although analysts believe $100 million will be the most probable outcome, with performances in South Korea and China set to be notable from the rest. The major markets where it will open later in the month are France (June 7), Germany (June 15) and Japan (August).[122]
Wonder Woman received positive reviews, with many critics calling it the best DCEU film and praising Gadot's performance.[5][136] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 248 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion."[137] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 49 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[138] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[139]
Many critics directed much of their praise towards Gadot's portrayal of the titular character.[140][141] Andrew Barker of Variety praised the film's more lighthearted tone: "Never prone to stewing in solitude, and taking more notes from Richard Donner than from Christopher Nolan, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman provides a welcome respite from DC's house style of grim darkness—boisterous, earnest, sometimes sloppy, yet consistently entertaining—with star Gal Gadot proving an inspired choice for this avatar of truth, justice, and the Amazonian way."[142]
A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that it "briskly shakes off blockbuster branding imperatives and allows itself to be something relatively rare in the modern superhero cosmos. It feels less like yet another installment in an endless sequence of apocalyptic merchandising opportunities than like … what’s the word I’m looking for? A movie. A pretty good one, too."[6] Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune compared the film to Captain America: The First Avenger, noting that as with "the first Captain America movie over in the Marvel Comics universe, DC's Wonder Woman offers the pleasures of period re-creation for a popular audience. Jenkins and her design team make 1918-era London; war-torn Belgium; the Ottoman Empire; and other locales look freshly realized, with a strong point of view. There are scenes here of dispossessed war refugees, witnessed by an astonished and heartbroken Diana, that carry unusual gravity for a comic book adaptation."[143] Katie Erbland of IndieWire commended its thematic depth, explaining that "Wonder Woman is a war movie. Patty Jenkins' first—and we hope not last—entry into the DC Expanded Universe is primarily set during World War I, but while the feature doesn't balk at war-time violence, it's the internal battles of its compelling heroine that are most vital."[144] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap also praised the approach to war in the film: "Diana's scenes of action are thrilling precisely because they're meant to stop war, not to foment it; the idea of a demi-god using love to fight war might sound goofy in the abstract, but Jenkins makes the concept work."[145] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post complimented Gadot's and Pine's performances while also praising the film's detailed plot and narrative.[146]
Steve Rose in The Guardian criticised the film for failing to explore the material's potential for "patriarchy-upending subversion".[147] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone criticized the film's overreliance on exposition: "Wonder Woman is hobbled by a slogging origin story and action that only comes in fits and starts. Just when Gadot and director Patty Jenkins...are ready to kick ass, we get backstory."[148]
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