Why No Wonder Woman? - Jacki Zehner On Women, Money, and

Why No Wonder Woman? A REPORT ON THE HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN
AND A CALL TO ACTION!!
Created for Wonder Woman Fans Everywhere
Introduction by Jacki Zehner with Report Written by Laura Moore
April 15th, 2013
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 2 April 15th, 2013 AN INTRODUCTION AND FRAMING “The destiny of the world is determined less by battles that are lost and
won than by the stories it loves and believes in” – Harold Goddard.
I believe in the story of Wonder Woman. I always have. Not the literal baby
being made from clay story, but the metaphorical one. I believe in a story
where a woman is the hero and not the victim. I believe in a story where a
woman is strong and not weak. Where a woman can fall in love with a man,
but she doesnʼt need a man. Where a woman can stand on her own two
feet. And above all else, I believe in a story where a woman has
superpowers that she uses to help others, and yes, I believe that a woman
can help save the world.
“Wonder Woman was created as a distinctly feminist role model whose
mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality
to ʻa world torn by the hatred of men.ʼ”1
While the story of Wonder Woman began back in 1941, I did not discover
her until much later, and my introduction didnʼt come at the hands of comic
books. Instead, when I was a little girl I used to watch the television show
starring Lynda Carter, and the animated television series, Super Friends.
Like so many other little girls I wanted to be Wonder Woman. I twirled, I
lassoed the bad guys, I pretended I had an invisible plane, and I dressed
up in that iconic costume.
But then Wonder Woman went off the air, and I forgot about her and went
on with my life. Or so I thought. I fearlessly rode horses. I started working
at age 14. I graduated top of my class from high school. I became a
Canadian Junior Body-Building Champion. I got into an elite program at the
University of British Columbia that allowed me to become the first
undergraduate recruit from the school to be hired at Goldman Sachs in
New York. And in 1996, I became the youngest women and first female
trader to be made partner at Goldman Sachs. I also became a wife and a
mother of two. I was busy trying to become my own kind of Wonder
Woman. One who had a successful career, served her family, was there
for her friends, and gave back to her community.
1 Crawford, Philip Charles, http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6417196.html, 03/01/2007 Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 3 April 15th, 2013 It was at the height of my struggle to try to balance it all that I rediscovered
Wonder Woman. The year was 2001. At the time, I was working in
Goldmanʼs executive office reporting directly to the most senior leaders of
the firm on issues relating to the firmʼs culture, diversity, compensation,
promotion, retention and most importantly, leadership. I became obsessed
with the concept of leadership, and I would devour anything that was
written on this topic. One such piece was an article written by Tom Peters
in Fast Company Magazine called “50 Rules of Leadership”. It became my
favorite and I would pass it along to anyone and everyone because it
represented diverse, creative, and bold thinking. Peters left one rule blank,
and invited readers to submit their own rule of leadership. I sat there trying
to determine what was missing, and for whatever reason a thought popped
into my head: “Be a Superhero.” The leadership principle followed and this
is how it read.
“Remember what it was like to jump out of bed on those Saturday
mornings so you could rush to turn on the TV to get another dose of
Superman, Batman or in my case, Wonder Woman! These characters
inspired us to change the world and to do the right thing. To fight evil
wherever it reared its ugly head. To be an example, and yet hid your true
identity because it was not about personal glory. They never asked, “What
is in it for me?” They never let the bad stuff get them down. They had a job
to do and damn it they approached it with absolute enthusiasm and
discipline. Be a superhero!”
I typed up this statement and shared my idea with a colleague. She added
some great visuals of superheroes to my new motto, including Wonder
Woman, and I proudly displayed the finished product on my desk. Wonder
Woman was back in my life, and this time, she was here to stay. From that
moment on, whenever I was facing challenges at work, at home, or in life
in general, I would think to myself, BE A SUPERHERO JACKI. BE A
WONDER WOMAN. Not THE Wonder Woman, A Wonder Woman.
At this point my story becomes very, very long, and one day I plan to tell it
in all its detail. It is the story of the past 11 years of my life, years that
began with Wonder Woman inspiring me to leave Goldman Sachs in 2002
to pursue a different path. She has been with me, guiding me, and
manifesting herself in the countless women with whom I have come to
know and love and collaborate. Wonder Woman has been with me as I
discovered and then pursued my personal destiny to use my time, my
treasure, and my talent to create a more gender balanced world. A world
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 4 April 15th, 2013 where women, WOMEN, are more equally represented in positions of
power and influence, and to encourage women to use all of their resources,
including financial, to help other women and the world in general.*
Pursuing this destiny has taken me on quite the journey, a journey that has
brought me to where I am now, serving as the Chief Engagement Officer of
Women Moving Millions (WMM)*. WMM is a community of nearly 200
people who have given gifts of $1million or more to organizations or
initiatives that work on behalf of women and girls. Our mission is to
mobilize unprecedented resources for the advancement of women and
girls. We work for justice, for peace, for love, and for our world that has
been torn apart. Moreover, I know that I will never stop fighting for what I
know in my heart and head to be true, that a more gender balanced world
is a better world for everyone.
I am also a past and current board and advisory board member of many,
many womenʼs organizations and networks. Increasingly, my service and
funding has gone towards driving collaborations, collective impact, and
more and more, towards film. Through Impact Partners, and now
Gamechangers, a feature film fund for women directors, I am leveraging
my resources to shape and influence popular culture, because I know it
matters. I believe that “we cannot be what we cannot see.”
What is missing from all if this is a film to inspire us. What is missing is a
superhero film that has a WOMAN in the lead. What is missing in a world
full of wonder women, is THE Wonder Woman.
In the 11 years since I left Goldman Sachs this film has never left my mind.
It started with an idea for the story, and from there I took a screenwriting
course, I founded a film production company, I met with film people, and I
tried to figure out how we could get this done. To this day I clip articles and
jot down ideas, and I stick them all in a giant plastic box with a label that
reads WONDER WOMAN MOVIE. I thought my destiny was to eventually
write the screenplay, or get involved with the movie in some capacity. I
reasoned that this was why a film had failed to materialize; it was waiting
for me!
* Please visit www.jackizehner.com (Resource Section) or pick up the book Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn to read about how far we have come and how far we still have to go to achieve a gender balanced world * Women Moving Millions http://www.womenmovingmillions.org/ Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 5 April 15th, 2013 The fact of the matter is that no, it is not waiting for me. It is waiting for us.
It is waiting for Wonder Woman fans like you and me to stand up and
demand a great film that will inspire a new generation of girls to be all that
they can be. Just like the Wonder Woman of the 1970s did for me. Just like
she has done for so many other women. Right now I have a 13 year old
daughter and 16 year old son, and they have both grown up in an era
where superheroes are everywhere in pop culture. These characters
provide entertainment and escapism at a time when the world is in turmoil,
and they allow us all to imagine what we could do for this world if we had
superpowers. Whether we like it or not, superheroes are role models, and
so far the only role models my children have seen at the cinema are male.
Enough is enough.
My frustration with the absence of Wonder Woman on screen led me to the
creation of this report. I wanted to chart Wonder Womanʼs history in all
forms of media and prove just how far her influence reaches. Contained in
the report is a brief summary of her storyline, the history of Wonder
Womanʼs film development, the various other mediums in which she has
appeared, and a chart outlining the history of superhero stories on screen,
as well as the budgets and grosses of these films. Over two years in the
making, I chose April 15th, 2013 as the date for this reportʼs release
because it is the same day as the release of Kristy Guevara-Flanaganʼs
documentary Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American
Superheroines* on PBS. As this film demonstrates, I am not alone in my
frustration for more female role models in the media.
So here is my request to the
powers that be who have the
decision making power over the
future of Wonder Woman on the
big screen. Please hire the most
amazing feminist writer you can
find to write the screenplay.
Before she sits down to write,
have her meet with the feminist
leaders of our world. Women like
Gloria Steinem, who happens to
be a Wonder Woman expert. Women like Hillary Clinton, Musimbi Kanyoro,
Leymah Gbowee, Carol Gilligan, Marion Write Edelman, Helen LaKelly
* I am proud to have supported this film through a small financial contribution. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 6 April 15th, 2013 Hunt, Abigail Disney, Eve Ensler; the list goes on and on. And yes, me, I
would very much like to sit in on one of those meetings too.
Above all else, please do this right and honor the fact that you are not just
making another movie; you are creating a film that could change the world.
Wonder Woman changed mine.
May this closing quote serve as your inspiration:
“If ever the world sees a time when women will come together purely for
the good of humanity, it will be a power as the world has never seen.” –
Matthew Arnold, circa 1800
Now thatʼs superpower!
Respectfully yours,
Jacki Zehner
A Passionate Wonder Woman Fan
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 7 April 15th, 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
p. 8
BASIC FACTS
p. 10
BRIEF STORY HISTORY
p. 11
LIVE ACTION FILM TIMELINE
p. 17
POTENTIAL PLOT
p. 23
WONDER WOMAN IN OTHER MEDIA
p. 27
ANIMATED FILM
p. 30
LIVE ACTION TELEVISION SHOWS
p. 32
CULTURAL INFLUENCE OF WONDER WOMAN
p. 38
WARNER BROTHERS ENTERTAINMENT INC.
p. 40
DC ENTERTAINMENT INC.
p. 43
HISTORY OF SUPERHERO FILMS
p. 44
CONCLUSION
p. 53
REFERENCES
p. 54
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 8 April 15th, 2013 INTRODUCTION
For over 70 years, Wonder
Woman has stood as an icon of
female empowerment, the
embodiment of feminine strength,
and ultimately, a fiercely
determined superhero who fights
side by side with Superman and
Batman, superhero icons in their
own right. With the release of
Superman in 1978, superheroes emerged from the back shelves of dusty
comic book stores and into mainstream pop culture. Today, half a dozen
films inspired by comic books are released a year, with budgets reaching
up to $300,000,000 and bringing in billions of dollars at the box office.
Batman has just completed a franchise-rebooting trilogy, Spider-Man is in
the middle of a reboot, while Superman will soon begin his third. Even
second tier or little known comic book heroes such as The Hulk and
Hellboy have managed to rack up a pair of sequels between them. Yet
throughout all this, Wonder Woman remains conspicuously absent. Where
is Diana, princess of the Amazons? Continually published since 1942, her
popularity and place in pop culture can not be disputed, yet for all that she
has achieved, Wonder Woman remains in that most hated of industry
spaces: development hell.
Created by William Moulton Marston in 1941, Wonder Woman was a stark
departure from the female comic book characters of the day, and she has
developed over the years into an inspiring role model for what women can
achieve. She is a strong, independent, and intelligent warrior of the
Amazons, and is someone who fights for truth, justice, and peace. Wonder
Woman is loyal, honest, and courageous, and seeks to improve the world
of humans; leading by example as she teaches the values of her Amazon
sisters. Wonder Woman has allies, allegiances, villains, and some
impressive gadgets in the form of an invisible airplane and bullet deflecting
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 9 April 15th, 2013 bracelets. Yet, in spite of this treasure trove of rich material from which to
draw inspiration, Hollywood claims to be unable to come up with a good
script for the big screen. At this point, this explanation is simply
unacceptable.
It is time for Wonder Woman to emerge out of the depths
of development hell and take her rightful place on
celluloid alongside her male counterparts. Whether it is
studio indifference, sexual discrimination, or a simple but
widespread case of writerʼs block that is causing Wonder
Womanʼs delay, it is time for the excuses to stop.
Superheroes represent the very best of humanity; what
we are capable of when we are held accountable to a
higher cause. What better cause then to ensure that
every superheroʼs voice has equal opportunity to be heard?
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 10 April 15th, 2013 BASIC FACTS
Creator:
Publisher:
Premiere:
Background:
Alias:
Alter Ego:
Team Affiliations:
Partnerships:
Abilities:
Weapons:
Notable Villains:
William Moulton Marston
DC Comics
All Star Comics #8; December 1941
Amazon
Diana Prince
Princess Diana of Themyscira
Justice Society of America
Justice League of America
Amazons of Themyscira
Department of Metahuman Affairs
Black Lantern Corps
Star Sapphires
White Lantern Corps
Steve Trevor
Batman
Superman
Trevor Barnes
Nemesis
Superhuman strength, speed, and stamina
Flight (after 1960)
Superior hand-to-hand combat skills
Proficient in Amazon martial arts
Regeneration and healing
Resistance to the supernatural
Extensive knowledge of tactical warfare
Limited telepathy
Extensive scientific knowledge
Lasso of Truth, Indestructible bracelets, Projectile tiara,
Invisible plane, Sandals of Hermes, Gauntlets of Atlas,
Star Sapphires, Purple Ray
Cheetah, Silver Swan, Circe, Hera, Ares, Doctor Psycho
Dr. Cyber, Giganta, Angle Man, White Magician, Egg Fu
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 11 April 15th, 2013 BRIEF STORY HISTORY OF WONDER WOMAN
Wonder Woman began publication during
what is now known as the Golden Age of
Comics. In her first appearance in All Star
Comics #8, the world is in the midst of
World War II, and American military pilot
Steve Trevor crash lands on Paradise
Island. This island, unknown to the
outside world, is the home of the
Amazons, and Diana, daughter of Queen
Hippolyte, discovers this strange man
among the wreckage. Diana nurses Steve
back to health, and in the process she
falls in love with this mysterious stranger.
When the time comes for Steve to return home, a tournament is held
among the Amazons to decide who will escort Steve on his journey back to
the United States, and Diana emerges as the victor. Upon returning Steve
home, Diana assumes the identity of a US military nurse, Diana Prince, in
order to remain close to Steve and to learn how she can help the US
military fight the Nazis under the alias of Wonder Woman. Steve knows her
as both his nurse, Diana, and as the superhero Wonder Woman, but he
does not realize that the two women are one in the same. Another
character to debut at this time was the enormously popular Etta Candy, the
leader of a local sorority group named The Holiday Girls, who frequently
helped Wonder Woman on her adventures. Originally, Wonder Womanʼs
powers came from her Amazon upbringing and training, and her weapons
included her bullet deflecting bracelets and the Lasso of Truth. Wonder
Woman also joined the Justice Society of America during this time,
although it should be noted that she initially only served as their secretary,
despite being one of the more powerful members of the group.
Upon Marstonʼs death in 1947, Wonder Woman began to lose her
independence and defining feminist traits in order to better resemble other
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 12 April 15th, 2013 American heroines of the time. In contrast, this was a time of growth with
regards to her powers and abilities, as this was when Wonder Woman
acquired her invisible airplane and unbreakable tiara.
1956 ushered in the Silver Age of Comics, and many superheroes and
characters of the time were revamped, including Wonder Woman. Most
notable at this time was the changes to Wonder Womanʼs origin story, and
in particular, the more detailed explanation of how the Greek Gods played
a role in Wonder Womanʼs creation. It was described how the Gods gifted
Dianaʼs powers to her as a baby so that she could have the beauty of
Aphrodite, the wisdom of Athena, the speed of Mercury, and the strength
of Hercules.
By the late 1960s, comic books were entering their
Bronze Age, and Wonder Womanʼs character was
dramatically altered. It was during this period that
Wonder Woman gave up her powers to remain
with Steve Trevor in the world of humans, and to
compensate, Diana begins training under the
mentorship of marital artist, I Ching. The Wonder
Woman stories of this age focused more on tales
of espionage, and were heavily influenced by the
British TV series The Avengers.
In issue #204 in early 1973, Wonder Woman regains her powers, and her
character once again comes to resemble the Wonder Woman of the
Golden Age. At this time, Wonder Woman undergoes twelve trials that are
administered by the Justice League over the course of two years in order
to regain her status as a member.
Following the 1985 DC Comics multi-verse crossover series, Crisis of
Infinite Earths, Wonder Woman was rebooted and returned to her feminist
roots. In this new incarnation, Diana is a princess ambassador to the world
of humans from the Amazon island Themyscira. She does not hide her
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 13 April 15th, 2013 identity as Wonder Woman, and receives each of her strengths and
abilities from different Greek Gods. Stories during this time focused on the
mythology of these Gods and the heritage of the Amazons, adding more
complexity and richness to the Wonder Woman character. Additional
changes included the reinvention of several supporting characters, most
notable being the aging of Steve Trevor to eliminate the possibility of a
romantic interest in Wonder Woman.
In 2005, DC Comics published a sequel to Crisis of Infinite Earths titled
Infinite Crisis, which was another multi-verse crossover series involving
most of the major Justice League characters. Wonder Womanʼs lead in
series to this sequel was Sacrifice, and it is notable because its conclusion
sees Wonder Woman breaking the DC Comicsʼ do-not-kill code of conduct
among its superheroes when she murders Maxwell Lord in order to end his
mind control of Batman and Superman. Infinite Crisis deals with the
aftermath of this event, and chronicles Wonder Womanʼs quest to regain
her reputation and the trust of her fellow superheroes.
Following Infinite Crisis, Wonder Woman was relaunched yet again with the character of Donna Troy,
formally Wonder Girl, taking over as Wonder Woman
while Diana Prince leaves to do some soul searching
following Maxwell Lordʼs death. Diana eventually
returns to resume her work as Wonder Woman, and
she works with Batman and Superman to reform the
Justice League. This re-launch numbered its first issue
as #1 in an attempt to completely restart Wonder
Womanʼs story, but this development was met with
much criticism. Following a fan campaign to restore the
original issue numbers, Wonder Woman #600 was
published on June 30, 2010, and received widespread
mainstream media attention due to an almost complete
revamp of Wonder Womanʼs iconic stars and stripes
costume. The costume change received almost
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 14 April 15th, 2013 uniformly negative reviews, although the rebooted storyline that
accompanied the costume change received mostly positive reviews from
critics. This reboot did not last long, however, and in 2011 DC Comics
cancelled their entire line of monthly comic book stories in an effort to relaunch the entire DC universe of characters. 52 series were selected to be
re-set back to issue #1, and the line began publication with The Justice
League #1 in August of 2011. This initiative has been named The New 52
by DC Comics.
The New 52 allowed DC to significantly alter
charactersʼ history and background during the
re-launch, and Wonder Woman was no
exception. At this point, numerous origin stories
for Wonder Woman had been told over the prior
seven decades of her publication, but arguably
the most widely known was the story of how
Queen Hippolyta created a baby from clay on
the shores of Paradise Island, and the Gods
brought the baby to life to give birth to Diana,
Princess of the Amazons. In a move that both
paid homage to this story, but also gave the
character an entirely new direction, it was
revealed that the clay story was in fact a cover up devised by Hippolyta
and the Amazons. In truth, Diana is the natural born daughter of Hippolyta
and the Greek God Zeus, a fact that was hidden from Diana in order to
protect her against the wrath of Zeusʼ wife Hera. This revelation leaves
Diana reeling from the scope of the cover up, and to make matters worse,
Diana now has to contend with the extraordinarily dysfunctional family of
Greek Gods she has suddenly inherited, including a stepmother who wants
to see Diana dead. The new Wonder Woman stories of The New 52 bring
a significantly darker tone to the series, but at the same time, they signal
the return of Wonder Womanʼs familiar red and blue bodice costume.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 15 April 15th, 2013 The move to re-launch DC Comicsʼ entire universe was met with overall
approval from publishers, as it was viewed as a shrewd move in order to
continue to compete in the ever increasingly competitive comic book
market. Indeed, sales of DC Comics have risen since the re-launch, and
The New 52 has garnered much talk and discussion within the comic book
community. However, the reception has not been uniformly positive. Many
fans initially met the re-launch announcement with both skepticism and
suspicion. As the new titles began their publication, many readers
lamented the loss of storytelling depth that occurs when characters lose
decades of history and character development.
DC Comics was also hit with claims of sexism from both critics and fans
alike. Many people noted that the number of female contributors at DC
Comics dropped from 12% to 1% in the wake of the re-launch, and critics
have pointed out that many female characters were demoted in their status
or dropped altogether. To address this criticism, DC Comics broke with
their usual tradition of staying silent on issues of gender and race, and
posted a letter on their official website dated, July 29, 2011. This letter
highlighted several upcoming projects of female generated content, and
more importantly, acknowledged the problem and pledged to address it in
the future.
Perhaps one of the most interesting points of this story is that simultaneous
with these claims of sexism, Wonder Woman has been often ranked as the
best of The New 52 re-launch by both critics and fans. Everything from the
storyline, to the new depths and complexity of Wonder Womanʼs character,
to the artwork of the new series has garnered rave reviews. Writer Brian
Azzarello and artists Cliff Chiang and Tony Akins have succeeded in
creating a Wonder Woman who is both intelligently written and gorgeously
rendered, and their narrative reveals just how far Wonder Woman has
come since her debut over 70 years ago.
When Wonder Woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in December of
1941, the character was revolutionary for the era. She was a woman who
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 16 April 15th, 2013 was fully capable of taking care of herself, a woman who was physically
stronger than the men around her, and a woman who was intelligent and
didnʼt need a man to come to her rescue. In fact, it was Wonder Woman
who constantly had to come to the rescue of Steve Trevor. Yet, despite
these groundbreaking characteristics, Wonder Woman could not fully
escape from the stereotypes of the time. The first stories show Wonder
Woman falling instantly in love with the first man she sets eyes upon, and
she proceeds to leave behind her family and home in order to be with him.
Once seeing Steve safely to an army hospital, the first thing Wonder
Woman does in this mysterious new world is go shopping, because she is
after all, “Always the woman.”2 The characters around her are constantly
expressing their disbelief that a woman could have such strength and
agility, and the first story ends not with Wonder Woman celebrating her first
victory over the Nazis, but rather with lamentations over her unrequited
love for Steve Trevor.
Seven decades later, the Wonder Woman of The New 52 is surrounded by
a large supporting cast of woman, all of whom are forceful, determined,
and sexually liberated. Wonder Woman herself is a strong and formidable
character, but she is not without her flaws. There is a notable absence of a
love interest in the first few stories, and more importantly, the storyline is
driven by Wonder Womanʼs actions and not her gender. Considering the
quality of Wonder Womanʼs comic storylines at the moment, it is hard to
imagine a better time than the present to try and bring her story to the big
screen.
2 Martson, William Moulton. The Wonder Woman Chronicles – Volume One. St-­‐
Romuald: World Colour Press, Inc., 2010, p. 16. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 17 April 15th, 2013 LIVE ACTION FILM TIMELINE
Jan 2001:
2001-2003:
Aug 2003:
Mar 2005:
Feb 2007:
Feb 2007:
Oct 2007:
Dec 2007:
Jan 2008:
April 2008:
May 2010:
June 2010:
May 2012
Producer Joel Silver approaches Todd Alcott to write
screenplay; Silver Pictures is backing the project
Script goes through various drafts by Todd Alcott, Jon Cohen,
Becky Johnston, and Philip Levens
Todd Alcott replaced as screenwriter by Laeta Kalogridis;
Kalogridis begins script from scratch and concentrates on
Wonder Womanʼs origin
Joss Whedon is hired as screenwriter and director
Joss Whedon departs project citing creative differences
Joel Silver buys a spec script from Matthew Jennison and
Brent Strickland; script is a period piece set in WWII and
impresses studio executives; Silver Pictures later hires
Jennison and Strickland to write a new screenplay in a
contemporary time frame, but Warner Brothersʼ interest in the
project ultimately fizzles
Joel Silver announces that due to the upcoming Justice
League film, at the time slated for a 2009 release and in which
Wonder Woman would appear, the solo Wonder Woman
movie is put on hold
Australian Megan Gale is cast as Wonder Woman in Justice
League film
Justice League film delayed due to 2007-2008 Writerʼs Guild
of America Strike
Justice League film put on indefinite hiatus
Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Barry Meyer claims Wonder
Woman movie is still in development
Lauren Shular Donner, producer of X-Men franchise,
campaigns to produce Wonder Woman movie
Marvelʼs The Avengers opens to record-breaking box office
revenues
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 18 April 15th, 2013 June 2012 Warner Brothers and DC Entertainment announce that the
Justice League film is back in development with Will Beall
contracted to produce a script
June 2012 Michael Goldenberg is commissioned to write the script for a
Wonder Woman film
Feb 2013 It is reported that Will Beallʼs script for the Justice League film
has been rejected by Warner Brothers; Warner Brothers will
reportedly wait to gage the success of Man of Steel (June
2013) before deciding on whether or not to continue with
development of a Justice League film
April 2012 As of April 2013, www.imdb.com still lists the Wonder Woman
film as in development with no stated release date
The Internet is filled with theories as to why Wonder Woman has been left
out of the recent boom of comic book films, with these theories ranging
from problems in creating a good script, to Warner Brothers studio
indifference, to simple sexual discrimination. While any or all of these
theories may be true, none are an acceptable reason for such a lengthy
delay in Wonder Womanʼs journey to the big screen.
Screenwriters tasked with writing a script for Wonder Woman have shed
light on the obstacles they have faced in creating a good Wonder Woman
story. One argument is that Wonder Woman lacks the proper origin story
needed to create a successful superhero movie. While it is true that her
origin story has changed numerous times over the course of her
publication history, this should not hinder the writing process. Instead, it
should merely provide more material from which a writer can draw
inspiration to craft a good story. Others have claimed that Wonder Woman
does not have her own fictional city to protect, such as Batman and
Gotham City or Superman and Metropolis. Yet, Spider-Man seems to get
along just fine with New York City, having recently starred in a successful
film trilogy that made $2.5 billion in box office receipts. A mere five years
after Spider-Man 3 was released, a franchise reboot was released in July
of 2012 that grossed over $750 million at the worldwide box office, and a
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 19 April 15th, 2013 2014 sequel was announced before the first movie was even released. It
would appear that non-fictional cities do not hinder a superheroʼs success.
Another commonly cited obstacle is that Wonder Woman suffers from a
lack of notable villains, as she originally just battled the Nazis during World
War II. Yet, Captain America: The First Avenger, released in July of 2011,
was a period piece set in World War II, and the film was met with both
critical acclaim and box office success. Moreover, a villain does not need
to be famous in order to be successful, as Christopher Nolanʼs hugely
successful Batman trilogy proved in its first film Batman Begins. Instead of
choosing the most famous Batman antagonist, The Joker, Nolan decided
to use the lesser known Scarecrow. In the hands of talented actor Cillian
Murphy, this character rose far above his lack of recognition to become a
formidable villain who was downright evil. Batman Begins ultimately went
on to be a critical darling that grossed over $370 million at the worldwide
box office.
Finally, some have suggested that Hollywood simply canʼt understand the
character of Wonder Woman, a claim that is entirely without merit. If there
ever was a writer more capable of creating strong female characters, it is
Joss Whedon, and he devoted two years of his life to creating a Wonder
Woman script, only to eventually depart the project over the meekest of
industry excuses: creative differences.
This begs the question as to whether or not studio executives at Warner
Brothers truly are indifferent to the cause of getting Wonder Woman to the
big screen. Joel Silver, the producer in charge of developing the film for
nearly a decade, recently departed the project and has since remained
tight-lipped as to the cause of the delay. Sources claim studio executives
are simply uninterested in backing an action franchise fronted by a woman,
and people often point to the box office bombs of Catwoman and Elektra
as examples of the genreʼs failure. However, these excuses fail to point out
that these two films most likely bombed because they simply were badly
made movies, and in the case of Catwoman, bore little resemblance to the
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 20 April 15th, 2013 characterʼs source material. Furthermore, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was
successful enough to spawn a sequel, while the Underworld and Resident
Evil action franchises both star a woman and have thus far produced nine
films between them.
Perhaps more alarming was a report in 2007 that then President of
Production at Warner Brothers, Jeff Robinov, issued an edict within the
studio that Warner Brothers would cease to produce female fronted films.
Although Warner Brothers issued a denial on the accuracy of the report,
the original reporter publically stood by the story and indicated that it was
Robinov who made the decision to stop the development of the Wonder
Woman film. Without concrete evidence of this edict, it is impossible to
know Robinovʼs true intensions, but it is notable that the timing of this
report coincides with the demise of two Wonder Woman scripts. Moreover,
since 2007, Warner Brothers has released less than a dozen films with a
sole female protagonist, and less than half a dozen films with a
predominantly female cast. All the while, Robinov was promoted to
President of Warner Brothers Picture Group in 2011.
However, regardless of the studioʼs attitude towards female leads, it is
simply bad business sense to not take advantage of an asset with such
widespread recognition as Wonder Woman. While the media is often, and
quite rightly, criticized for its lack of quality roles for women, there has been
a recent surge of strong, quality, female characters in both film and
literature. Novels, and their subsequent film adaptations, such as The
Hunger Games and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo are all centered on
strong, independent, and resourceful young women. 2011 was heralded for
the success of Bridesmaids and The Help, two films consisting almost
entirely of female characters, and their successes prompted many to claim
that women were poised to take over the box office. While 2012 yielded the
female fronted hits The Hunger Games, Brave, and Snow White and the
Huntsmen, the two most financially successful films of the year were The
Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, two superhero films comprised
almost entirely of men with one lone woman in a black, skintight bodysuit.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 21 April 15th, 2013 It should be noted that while DC Comicsʼ main rival, Marvel Comics, spent
five years developing the cinematic universe that ultimately culminated in
The Avengers, DC maintained for years that they were not interested in a
similar venture. Batman was enjoying a hugely successful revival under the
direction of Christopher Nolan, Zack Synder was rebooting Superman for
2013, and Green Lantern bowed in the summer of 2011, albeit to pitiful box
office returns. DC consistently maintained that these projects were
separate in their continuity, and expressed no interest in reviving the
shelved Justice League film. When The Avengers debuted in May of 2012
to record breaking box office results, DC Comics abruptly changed course
and announced the following month that a Justice League film was in
development with the aim of a 2015 release.
Screenwriter Will Beall was hired to produce a script that would feature
Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, and it
was rumored that several directors were approached for the project. At the
same time, but almost as a side note, DC Entertainment announced that
Michael Goldenberg had been hired to write a stand-alone Wonder Woman
script, however, unlike the continuous news updates regarding the Justice
League film, nothing has been heard about Goldenbergʼs script since.
Furthermore, it is troubling that the screenwriter entrusted with Wonder
Womanʼs story is the same screenwriter that helped pen Green Lantern,
one of the biggest superhero box office failures of the past decade.
In February of 2013, word got out that Beallʼs script was thrown out by
Warner Brothers for lack of quality, and instead, Warner Brothers has
decided to wait on the success, or lack thereof, of Man of Steel before
deciding whether or not to continue pursuing a Justice League project.
Indeed, in April of 2013, Warner Brothers President Jeff Robinov confirmed
to the press that Man of Steel was being used as a potential gateway to
further projects within the DC universe, and hinted at announcements in
the near future regarding the fate of DCʼs major characters. However, with
all of these plans hinging on the success of Man of Steel, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 22 April 15th, 2013 has once again been plunged into the limbo of development hell; an arena
with which at this point she is all too familiar and wholly undeserving.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 23 April 15th, 2013 POTENTIAL PLOT
Jon Coen and Todd Alcottʼs Wonder Woman script reportedly did not focus
on Diana Prince, but instead revolved around her daughter Donna Troy,
and her journey to succeed Diana as Wonder Woman. The script is said to
have began with a spectacular action sequence, during which it appears
that Diana is killed. The Wonder Woman costume is found by Donna, and
soon after Donna begins developing the powers and abilities of Wonder
Woman. After discovering that Diana is still alive, Donna tracks her down
and the truth of Donnaʼs parentage is revealed. Soon after, Diana dies and
Donna takes over the mantle of Wonder Woman.
Laeta Kalogridisʼ script reportedly returned to the Wonder Woman origin
story, and closely resembles the plot of the 2009 animated Wonder
Woman. Steve Trevor crash lands on the Amazonʼs island, and Diana
becomes fascinated not only by Steve, but of the world of men as well. The
villain was said to have been Ares, the God of War, and the film was
designed as a big budget action film.
Matthew Jennison and Brent Stricklandʼs script apparently was set in
World War II, with Steve Trevor working as a spy for the United States
trying to defeat the Nazis. He crash lands on the island of Themyscira in a
stolen German plane, where he is found by the Amazons. Diana rescues
him, and the two of them travel first to the United States, and then onto
Germany, where the Nazis are working on a treacherous plot involving
Themyscira. Diana and Steve join forces to defeat them and save Dianaʼs
homeland and her people from destruction.
Joss Whedonʼs Wonder Woman script has been shrouded in secrecy, and
there are conflicting reports as to whether or not the script made it past an
outline. All that is known about the potential plot are hints Whedon has
given himself in interviews, and in 2007, Whedon offered some insight as
to his vision of Wonder Woman. Below is a section of this interview as it
pertains to the plot of his now abandoned film:
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 24 April 15th, 2013 “Well, I'll tell you one thing that sort of exemplifies my feelings. The idea
was always that she's awesome, she's fabulous, she's strong, she's
beautiful, she's well-intentioned, she thinks she's a great big hero, and it's
Steve Trevor's job to go, "You don't understand human weakness,
therefore you are not a hero, and you never will be until you're as helpless
as we are. Fight through that, and then I'll be impressed. Until then, I'm just
going to give you shit in a romantic-comedy kind of way.”
There was talk about what city she was in and stuff, but by the end, she
had never actually set foot in America. Wonder Woman isn't Spider-Man or
Batman. She doesn't have a town, she has a world. That was more
interesting to me than a kind of contained, rote superhero franchise. I think
ultimately the best way I can describe the kind of movie I was wanting to
make—it was a fun adventure, not gritty, or insanely political, or anything
like that. There was meat to the idea of, "Well, why aren't you guys better?
What's up with that?" Her lack of understanding of how this world has
come to this pass.
My favorite thing was the bracelets. I mean, the bracelets are cool, but how
do I make that work? In the original comic book, they needed them
because they fire guns on Paradise Island. I don't think I'm going there. So,
I thought about it for a while, and I realized, "Oh, right, this is how this
works." So in my version, she left Paradise Island with Steve, who was a
world-relief guy bringing medical supplies to refugees, which is why he was
so desperate to get off the island. She goes with him, and the moment she
sets foot on land outside of Paradise Island, somebody shoots her in the
chest. And it hurts. [Laughs.] She's just so appalled. And obviously, she
heals within a few hours. She pulls the bullet out herself, and kind of looks
at it like, "What the hell is this?" She heals, but she's appalled and
humiliated, and the next time someone shoots at her, she puts her bracelet
in the way because she's terrified of getting shot. It's just a reflexive thing.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 25 April 15th, 2013 She has these bands that they all wear, just a piece of armor, and she puts
it up. And then she gets good at it. By the end, it's kind of her thing, but it's
because she got shot one time and didn't think that it was awesome. I think
that is probably not the feeling the producers wanted to have. Though
honestly, that could have been their favorite thing. I don't know, because
when I asked Joel Silver, point blank, "Well, if they don't want what I'm
doing, what do they want?" he said, "They don't know."
I loved what I was doing. I mean, it was really hard. It took me a long time
to break the story structurally to my satisfaction. When I did that, it was in
an outline, and not in a draft, and they didn't like it. So I never got to write a
draft where I got to work out exactly what I wanted to do. In terms of the
meaning, the feeling, the look, the emotion, the character, the relationship
with Steve Trevor, all of that stuff, I never wavered for a second. I knew
exactly what I wanted to do. It was really just a question of housing it. I
would go back in a heartbeat if I believed that anybody believed in what I
was doing. The lack of enthusiasm was overwhelming. It was almost
staggering, and that was kind of from the beginning. I just don't think my
take on Wonder Woman was ever to their liking.
I wasn't getting them to feel what they wanted to feel. They couldn't
describe what that was to me. We're talking about a huge investment. To
ask somebody to jump on that, what is going to be a few hundred million
dollars these days, if they just don't have that feeling… I had that feeling. I
got chills when I think of some of this stuff, but apparently I was the only
one who was chilly. Everybody was very gracious about it. It was a blind
date, and everybody thought we'd get married, but let's just leave it at the
door.”3
3 Robinson, Tasha, www.avclub.com/articles/joss-­‐whedon,14136/, Aug. 8, 2007. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 26 April 15th, 2013 In another 2007 interview, Whedon discussed the difficulties he had with
the Wonder Woman project and with working with Warner Brothers. Below
is an excerpt from that interview:
“I in no way want this to be a slam on Warner Bros., but the fact of the
matter is, it was a waste of my time. We never [wanted] to make the same
movie; none of us knew that. And it was a waste of their time because I
had a lot of trouble writing — not just writing that, but writing at all. Part of it
had to do with having just finished Serenity. I ran into James Gunn, who'd
just done his first film, Slither. And he was like, ''The director in me killed
the writer in me.'' And we fell on each other. It was like finding a support
group. After you direct and edit something, you just realize everything is
negotiable. The line that you died for, you pull without hesitation because
[the script] seems a little long. He was like, ''Every time I sit down to write I
think, Is this even going to make it in?'' And you can't write like that.
[Regarding Warner Brothers acquiring another Wonder Woman script while
Whedon was still on the project]: I was warned by a friend that it was
happening. And I was already well aware that people were not liking what I
was doing. So I don't feel like I was blindsided. I sent them an outline for a
new draft that I felt was exactly what I wanted, and they didn't want to do it.
Joel told me that. And I was like, ''Can you tell me what they want? Can
you tell me what they don't like?'' The answer was ''No.'' Then I was like,
''Okay, but I'm certainly not going to start from scratch.''”4
4 Gopalan, Nina, http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20049318,00.html Aug. 2, 2007. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 27 April 15th, 2013 WONDER WOMAN IN OTHER MEDIA
Comic Books
December 1941
January 1942
Summer 1942
First appearance in All Star Comics, issue #8
First cover, Sensation Comics, issue #1
First publication of stand-alone Wonder Woman comic
-Published continuously to present day, except for
a brief hiatus in 1986
1941-present
Appears in Justice Society comics
1960-present
Appears in Justice League comics
August 2011
The New 52: Justice League #1 re-launches
September 2011 The New 52: Wonder Woman #1 re-launches
Comic Strip
1944-1945
William Moulton Marston wrote a daily comic strip of
Wonder Woman; H. G. Peter was the artist
Video Games
Wonder Woman available as a Playable Character:
Justice League Task Force – Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Game Boy
Advance
Justice League Heroes – PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox, Nintendo DS
Mortal Combat vs. DC Universe – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Justice League: Injustice for All – Game Boy Advance
Justice League: Chronicles – Game Boy Advance
Injustice: Gods Among Us – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U
Lego Batman 2: DC Superheroes – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 28 April 15th, 2013 Wonder Woman available as a Summonable Striker:
Justice League Hereos: The Flash – Game Boy Advance
Wonder Woman appears as a Non-Playable Character:
DC Universe Online – Playstation 3, PC
Cosmetics
Jan 2011:
Mar 2011:
MAC announces line of cosmetics inspired by Wonder Woman
Launch date for Wonder Woman cosmetics; this collection
was only available through Spring 2011
Direct to Video Animated Films
2008:
2010:
2009
2010:
2012
Justice League: The New Frontier; Wonder Woman voiced by
Lucy Lawless
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths; Wonder Woman voiced
by Vanessa Marshall
Wonder Woman; Wonder Woman voiced by Keri Russell (see
below)
Batman/Superman: Apocalypse; Wonder Woman voiced by
Susan Eisenberg
Justice League: Doom; Wonder Woman voiced by Susan
Eisenberg
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 29 April 15th, 2013 Television
1972
The Brady Kids animated TV series, guest in one episode
1973-1986 Super Friends animated TV series, series regular
1974
Wonder Woman live action TV movie starring Cathy Lee
Crosby
1976-1979 Wonder Woman live action TV series starring Lynda Carter
(see below)
1988
Superman animated TV series, guest in one episode
2001-2006 Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated TV
series
2011
Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated TV series, guest
two episodes
2011
Wonder Woman, David E. Kelley pilot for NBC (see below)
2010-2012 Young Justice animated TV series
2012-2013 Amazon, live action prequel to Wonder Womanʼs story in
development by The CW
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 30 April 15th, 2013 2009 WONDER WOMAN ANIMATED FILM
Animated Wonder Woman released direct to video on March 3rd, 2009
Directed by Lauren Montgomery
Wonder Woman voiced by Keri Russell
Studio: Warner Bros. Animation
Distributed by Warner Home Video
Gross Revenue: $7,527,417 as of April 10th, 2013
DVD units Sold: 505,489 as of April 10th, 2013
Received an 86% critical approval rating
Wonder Womanʼs plot
draws its inspiration from
George Pérezʼs reboot of
Wonder Woman in 1987,
and depicts the origin story
of Wonder Woman. In
ancient times, Queen
Hippolyta of the Amazons
leads them into battle
against the God of War,
Ares. On the verge of
claiming victory, Zeus and Hera intervene and order Hippolyta to spare
Aresʼ life. In exchange for this mercy, Hippolyta and the Amazons are
given the island of Themyscira as a homeland, as well as the gift of eternal
youth. Ares is bound with bracelets that can only be removed by a God,
and which render him mortal. He is taken to Themyscira, and the Amazons
are tasked with guarding Ares and keeping him away from the human
world. In return, Hippolyta is granted a daughter named Diana, created
from the land of Themyscira and the blood of Hippolyta. For centuries, the
Amazons live in peace and prosperity on Themyscira, hidden from the
outside world. During this time Diana grows into a fierce and talented
warrior who yearns to see the world beyond the confines of her island
home.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 31 April 15th, 2013 In present day, American fighter pilot Steve Trevor is shot down over
Themyscira, and after a successful emergency landing, he immediately
encounters Diana. Steve is brought before Hippolyta, who declares that he
will be returned to his home country. A contest is held among the Amazons
to determine who should carry out this task, and Diana, competing in
disguise, is the eventual winner. At the conclusion of the contest Diana
reveals her true identity, and Hippolyta grants Diana permission to travel
with Steve back to New York City. It is while the contest is in progress that
Persephone, one of Aresʼ guards, betrays her Amazon sisters and
releases Ares from his prison on Themyscira. Having fallen in love with
Ares, Persephone travels with him to the Underworld, where he is able to
convince his uncle, Hades, to remove the bracelets that render Ares mortal.
With Ares returned to power as a God and set loose in todayʼs world of
modern warfare weapons, Diana and Steve return to New York and join
forces to defeat Ares for good.
Wonder Woman was met with
critical acclaim, and was praised
for both the strength of its
characters and its action
sequences. While the script
may lack subtlety at times, it
was commended for its
portrayal of post-feminist
themes, particularly with respect
to Diana and Steveʼs attempts
to understand their respective worlds. With a running time of only 74
minutes, perhaps subtlety was a luxury the film could not afford, but this
film does offer a tantalizing preview of what a live action Wonder Woman
film could do with the right script and budget.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 32 April 15th, 2013 1975-1979 WONDER WOMAN LIVE ACTION TV SERIES
In 1974, ABC produced and aired the television movie Wonder Woman,
starring Cathy Lee Crosby, in the hopes of generating enough interest to
warrant a full television series. Airing on March 12th, 1974, the television
movie drew respectable ratings, but earned lukewarm reviews for its
departure from the traditional Wonder Woman story and costume. ABC
decided to give Wonder Woman another try, and in 1975 the network
produced another television film that was curiously titled The New Original
Wonder Woman.
Starring Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, this television movie closely
followed the original World War II origin story, and it was a huge ratings
success for ABC. Additional episodes were ordered, and the first season
began its run on ABC in September of 1976 for a total of 13 episodes. After
the first season, ABC grew concerned about the costs of producing a
weekly hour-long period piece, and was undecided about whether or not to
renew the series. While ABC remained undecided, Wonder Woman was
presented to the other television networks, and CBS picked up the series
for production on the condition that the showʼs timeline be moved to the
present day. Wonder Woman aired on CBS for an additional two seasons,
for a total run of 59 episodes for the series.
The television show Wonder Woman has ultimately became the most
famous incarnation of Wonder Woman, and the role to which Lynda Carter
has become the most associated. Elements that originated on the show,
such as Wonder Womanʼs spinning costume changes, went on to become
incorporated into other media depictions of Wonder Woman, and despite
being cancelled after only three seasons, Wonder Woman is now
considered a television classic. Today, all three seasons of the show are
available on DVD, and Lynda Carter has gone on to be become a feminist
icon.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 33 April 15th, 2013 2011 WONDER WOMAN LIVE ACTION TV PILOT
Sept 2010
Jan 2011
David E. Kelley pitches a new Wonder Woman TV series
NBC picks up pilot for production with the premiere scheduled
for Fall 2011
Feb 2011 Pilot script is leaked online; script is slammed as “laughingly
bizarre and…tragically un-hip”5
Feb 2011 Adrianne Palicki is cast as Wonder Woman
March 2011 Pilot episode shot in Los Angeles
May 2011 NBC announces they are not picking up the series for
production
According to reports, David E. Kelley met with DC Comics in September of
2010 to gain permission to develop a television series starring Wonder
Woman. With permission granted, Kelley completed work on a pilot script
and began shopping it to television networks in January 2011.
Initially, ABC showed the most interest in the project, but they were unable
to pursue the project further due to ABCʼs ownership by the Walt Disney
Company, who in turn is the owner of Marvel Comics, DC Comicsʼ main
competitor. It was rumored that this conflict of interest ultimately led ABC to
pass on the series.
NBC was the final network to initially pass on the Wonder Woman pilot, yet
merely a week later, after the corporate shake up caused by the Comcast
takeover of NBC, the new Chairman of primetime programming, Robert
Gleenblatt, decided to pick up the Wonder Woman pilot for production.
With the announcement of a new Wonder Woman TV series,
commentators speculated that television may be the better medium for the
character, and might offer a higher chance for success than the cinema. It
5 Lacob, Jace, http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-­‐and-­‐stories/2011-­‐02-­‐
02/wonder-­‐woman-­‐a-­‐sneak-­‐peak-­‐at-­‐david-­‐e-­‐kelleys-­‐script/, Feb. 2, 2011. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 34 April 15th, 2013 is easy to understand this reasoning, as television has a strong track
record when it comes to featuring a strong, complex, and fully realized
female character at the centre of a show. Indeed, the current television
landscape is littered with compelling and three-dimensional female
heroines, and in recent years, television was home to arguably the most
important female heroine of the past 20 years, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Buffy originally appeared in a failed movie, but later blossomed in a TV
series that became a modern classic whose influence is still being
discussed and debated today.
However, to simply regulate Wonder Woman to television because it may
be the faster route to success is a disservice to both the character and her
fans. Superman has found plenty of success in both mediums, and in the
hands of the right producers, directors, and writers, there is no reason to
think that Wonder Woman could not do the same.
It would appear that Kelly thought along these lines, and his pilot was sold
under the premise that the show would be "a reinvention of the iconic D.C.
comic in which Wonder Woman -- aka Diana Prince -- is a vigilante crime
fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern
woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life."6
While the pitch may sound promising, once the script leaked online, many
people derided Kelleyʼs vision of Wonder Woman, some going as far as
calling it sacrilege and gasp inducing in its execution. The Wonder Woman
of Kelleyʼs script was described as being more Ally McBeal than
empowered female heroine; someone who is “alternately vain, selfabsorbed, weepy, and so desperately trying to be cool [that it] is a major
turn-off on every page”7 She is someone who gets her feelings hurt when
people comment on her breast size, and goes weak in the knees once
Steve Trevor shows up. Others were more optimistic in their analysis of the
6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_woman#cite_note-­‐84, Feb 21, 2010. 7 Lacob, Jace, http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-­‐and-­‐stories/2011-­‐02-­‐
02/wonder-­‐woman-­‐a-­‐sneak-­‐peak-­‐at-­‐david-­‐e-­‐kelleys-­‐script/, Feb. 2, 2011. Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 35 April 15th, 2013 script, praising the strength of the villain, Veronica Cale, as the perfect
counterpoint to Diana Prince, and pointing out that Kelley’s Wonder
Woman is notably fearless in the face of danger. However, even those with
the most positive views of the script still conceded that as an interpretation
of Wonder Woman, there was much to be desired.
This sentiment was reinforced in March 2011, when
the first promotional shots of Adrianne Palicki wearing
a re-imagined Wonder Woman costume were officially
released on the Internet. The costume featured Palicki
in shiny blue pants, blue high-heeled boots, and a
shiny red sleeveless bodice. Wonder Woman’s iconic
lasso of truth, bracelets, and tiara remained intact, but
the outfit as a whole received near universal scorn and
negative reviews from fans and commentators alike.
The condemnation was so widespread, that when
photos from the filming of the pilot later leaked online,
Palicki was dressed in an altered costume with darker,
cotton looking blue pants and red boots.
The revisions didn’t end at Wonder Woman’s
costume, as the finished pilot bears little
resemblance to the original leaked script. The
overall premise remains the same, but gone are
the pop songs, most of the pop culture
references, the reviled evidence team of
teenagers, and Myndi Mayer, Wonder’s
Woman’s best friend. More importantly, the
overly emotional, heart broken, weepy Wonder
Woman from the script is nowhere to be found,
along with the infamous ice cream fueled
sleepover sob fest between Diana and Myndi.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 36 April 15th, 2013 Instead, the Wonder Woman of the pilot is a strong and confidant fighter
who will stop at nothing to get her job done. The public knows her as both
Wonder Woman and Diana Themyscira, the head of Themyscira Industries,
along the lines of Tony Stark being known to be Iron Man. In order to get
away from these very public personas, she maintains an unknown alter
ego, Diana Prince, who lives alone with her cat Sylvester.
On May 12th 2011, it was announced that NBC was not picking up the
Wonder Woman pilot for production. There were many speculations as to
the reasons behind this decision, but Robert Greenblatt simply stated that
the show did not fit in with NBC’s fall schedule and the direction the
network was taking in the 2011-2012 television season.
As a result, another Wonder Woman project failed to materialize,
disappointing many longtime fans of the character. The original script may
have been a disaster, but the script that was ultimately shot did show
promise. There were issues to be addressed, such as Wonder Woman
torturing a suspect for information, a completely unnecessary action given
her possession of the Lasso of Truth, and the fact that Wonder Woman at
one point kills a man with a lead pipe to the throat, an action firmly out of
place with Wonder Woman’s character. However, pilot episodes are often
altered, edited, and in some cases re-shot once picked up for production,
and therefore there is no reason that these issues could not have been
addressed. The failure of this incarnation is even more disheartening when
taken into consideration how much the show had improved from its original
script. Given a chance to develop further and iron out the remaining
problems of the pilot, this show could have potentially grown into
something great.
While this version of Wonder Woman did not make it onto primetime, the
television network The CW is currently developing a new Wonder Woman
television series tentatively titled Amazon. Vulture first reported in
September of 2012 that Warner Brothers Television and The CW were in
the early script phase of development, with no word if or when this project
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 37 April 15th, 2013 would go into production. However, it was reported that this series would
focus on the early years of Wonder Woman, similar to The CW’s origin
series of Superman, Smallville. If this project does come to fruition, it is
entirely possible that a Wonder Woman project may finally not only actually
happen, but it has the potential to be an enormous success. Smallville ran
for ten highly successful seasons, and currently The CW has a hit with
their other DC Comics television show, Arrow, based on the character
Green Arrow. This show has proven itself to be massively popular, despite
the Green Arrow recently appearing on Smallville for several seasons as a
series regular, and Arrow has already been renewed for a second season.
Given that audiences have embraced two versions of a minor DC Comics
character, Wonder Woman may have finally found the network with the
audience ready to welcome her back to television.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 38 April 15th, 2013 CULTURAL INFLUENCE OF WONDER WOMAN
Wonder Woman is one of the most popular and well known superheroes,
and her influence can be see in nearly every artistic medium. References
to Wonder Woman can be found on television, in music, and in feature
films, and the character has spawned countless fan fiction, tributes, short
films, and parodies. However, beyond these appearances in pop culture,
Wonder Woman has become an important symbol of female empowerment.
She has come to represent feminine strength and the ideals of peace and
sisterhood, and she has proved on countless occasions that beauty,
strength, and intelligence are traits that are not mutually exclusive. In 1972,
Ms. Magazine put Wonder Woman on its first cover, and boldly proclaimed
“Wonder Woman for President”. Forty years later, no female politician has
become an official presidential nominee, but Wonder Woman still soldiers
on in publication, leading by example that woman have the capacity to be
strong and formidable leaders.
In March 2012, the South by Southwest arts festival hosted the premiere
screening of Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American
Superheroines. Since then, this film has been screened at dozens of
festivals, and will debut on PBS on April 15th, 2013. The film has earned
rave reviews at these screenings, and it has furthered the debate over the
lack of strong female role models in the mass media. Chronicling the
history of Wonder Woman and other strong female heroines, the film
reflects on how portrayals of female superheroes over the years have
mirrored societyʼs changing attitudes towards empowered women. More
importantly, the film shows the positive impact Wonder Woman has had on
both culture and fans, and reveals the necessity for more positive female
role models in todayʼs male dominated mass media.
Films like Wonder Women! and the countless tributes online prove that
there is a real and bankable fan base for a Wonder Woman film. Among
the many excuses for why a film has failed to materialize is the fact that is
it difficult to pin down just exactly what it is that Wonder Woman is meant
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 39 April 15th, 2013 to represent. As chronicled in Wonder Women!, the nature of Wonder
Womanʼs character has undergone considerable evolution over the years,
and as a result, it is remarkable how often the argument of characterization
comes up. What this argument fails to grasp, however, is that Wonder
Woman doesnʼt have to be summed up in just one tag line. The beauty of
Wonder Woman is that she represents so many different things to so many
different people. Instead of Supermanʼs “Truth, Justice, and the American
Way”, Wonder Woman encompasses a wide range of emotions, ideals,
and messages. She is both a hero and an inspiration to her fans, and has
been held up as a role model for generations. With a feature film finally to
her name, a new generation of fans would have the chance to discover this
character, and to see that superheroes can be found in all forms.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 40 April 15th, 2013 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
Warner Bros. and DC Comics hold the rights to Wonder Woman
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (Warner Bros.) is a subsidiary company of
Time Warner Inc. Additionally, Warner Bros. has its own subsidiary
companies, including Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Animation,
Warner Bros. Home Video, New Line Cinema, half of The CW Network,
and DC Entertainment Inc. Therefore, Warner Bros. holds the rights to the
entire DC Comics canon of characters and stories.
Warner Bros. was founded in 1918 by Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack
Warner, immigrants to the United States from Poland, and was formally
incorporated as Warner Brothers Pictures Inc. on April 4th, 1923. Warner
Bros. found its first success with a series of short films featuring the dog
Rin Tin Tin. Warner Bros. then signed Broadway actor John Barrymore to
a long-term contract, producing several hit films with Barrymore as the star.
By the end of 1924, Warner Bros. was the most successful independent
studio in Hollywood.
Despite this success, it was not until the advent of talking pictures, or
“talkies”, that Warner Bros. became a major Hollywood studio. Long a
pioneer of synchronized sound technology, Warner Bros. released The
Jazz Singer on October 6th, 1927, and the result was a complete revolution
of the movie industry. With this newfound success, both financially and in
reputation, Warner Bros. bought a new studio in Burbank California where
the companyʼs headquarters remain to this day.
In 1990, Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. merged, becoming at
present the worldʼs second largest entertainment conglomerate, behind the
Walt Disney Company, and the worldʼs largest media conglomerate. As of
2010, Warner Bros. Pictures, the major studio division of Time Warner,
commanded 18% of the US/Canadian box office market share, first place
among the six major studios.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 41 April 15th, 2013 Key Executives
Warner Bros.
Barry Meyer
Kevin Tsujihara
Edward A. Romano
Susan Fleishman
Richard J. Fox
Jeff Robinov
John Rogovin
Bruce Rosenblum
Kiko Washington
Chairman
CEO
EVP and CFO
EVP, Worldwide Corporate Communications and
Public Affairs
EVP, International
President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group
EVP and General Counsel
President, Warner Bros. Television Group
EVP, Worldwide Human Resources
Time Warner
Jeffrey L. Bewkes
Paul T. Cappuccio
Gary L. Ginsberg
John K. Martin
Carol A. Melton
Olaf Olafsson
Chairman of the Board and CEO
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
Executive Vice President, Corporate Marketing
and Communications
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy
Executive Vice President, International and
Corporate Strategy
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 42 April 15th, 2013 The Board of Directors of Time Warner
Jeffrey L. Bewkes
James L. Barksdale
Chairman and CEO, Time Warner Inc.
Chairman and President, Barksdale Management
Corporation
William P. Barr
Former Attorney General of the United States
Stephen F. Bollenbach Former Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
Hilton Hotels Corporation
Robert C. Clark
Distinguished Service Professor, Harvard
University
Mathias Döpfner
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Axel Springer
AG
Jessica P. Einhorn
Dean, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced
International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins
University
Fred Hassan
Former Chairman and CEO, Schering-Plough
Corporation
Kenneth J. Novack
Senior Counsel, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris,
Glovsky and Popeo, PC
Paul D. Wachter
Founder, Chairman and CEO, Main Street
Advisors
Deborah C. Wright
Chairman, President and CEO, Carver Bancorp,
Inc.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 43 April 15th, 2013 DC ENTERTAINMENT INC.
DC Comics was founded in 1934 by Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson under the
name National Allied Publications. In 1937, the first Detective Comic was
published, from which DC Comics derives its current name. DC Comics is
responsible for the creation of many iconic characters, including Superman,
Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and The Flash, as
well as famous villains such as Lex Luthor, The Joker, Catwoman, and
Darkseid. Today, DC Comics produces 52 titles per month and nearly 1000
titles per year. Together with its main competitor, Marvel Comics, DC and
Marvel publish nearly 80% of the American comic book market.
DC Comics is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary
company of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Created in September 2009, DC
Entertainment Inc.ʼs role is to fully integrate the characters of DC Comics
across all levels and companies of Warner Bros. Entertainment. DC
Entertainment was created in response to the announcement in August
2009 that the Walt Disney Company had purchased the rights to the entire
Marvel Universe. Warner Bros. wanted to ensure that the DC Comicsʼ
legacy could be competitive with the Disney marketing of Marvel
superheroes. Diane Nelson is the current president of both DC Comics and
DC Entertainment Inc.
Key Executives
Diane Nelson
Dan DiDio
Jim Lee
Bob Harras
Geoff Johns
John Rood
President
Co-Publisher
Co-Publisher
Editor in Chief
Chief Creative Officer
Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and
Business Development.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 44 April 15th, 2013 HISTORY OF SUPERHERO FILMS
Year
Film
Publisher
Distributer
Director
1951
Superman and the
DC Comics
Lippert Pictures
Lee Sholem
Mole Men
1966
Batman
Budget $
Gross $
N/A
N/A
1,400,000
N/A
Inc.
DC Comics
20th Century Fox
Leslie H.
Martinson
1978
Superman
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Richard Donner
55,000,000
134,218,018
1980
Superman II
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Richard Donner/
54,000,000
108,185,706
N/A
N/A
3,000,000
N/A
Richard Lester
1981
Condorman
Original
Walt Disney
Charles Jarrott
Pictures
1982
Swamp Thing
DC Comics
Embassy Pictures
Wes Craven
1983
Superman III
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Richard Lester
39,000,000
59,950,623
1984
Supergirl
DC Comics
TriStar Pictures/
Jeannot Szwarc
35,000,000
14,296,438
Willard Hukck
37,000,000
16,295,774
Warner Bros.
1986
Howard the Duck
Marvel Comics
Universal
Pictures
1987
Superman IV: The
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Sidney J. Furie
17,000,000
15,681,020
35,000,000
251,188,924
N/A
192,816
Quest for Peace
1989
Batman
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Tim Burton
1989
The Return of
DC Comics
Millimeter Films
Jim Wynorski
Marvel Comics
Artisan
Mark Goldblatt
10,000,000
unreleased
Swamp Thing
1989
The Punisher
Entertainment
1990
Teenage Mutant
Mirage Studios
New Line Cinema
Steve Barron
13,500,000
135,265,915
Original
Universal
Sam Raimi
16,000,000
33,878,502
Albert Pyun
10,000,000
unreleased
Michael
25,000,000
78,656,813
Ninja Turtles
1990
Darkman
Pictures
1990
Captain America
Marvel Comics
21st Century Film
Corporation
1991
Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles II
Mirage Studios
New Line Cinema
Pressman
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 45 April 15th, 2013 1991
The Rocketeer
Pacific Comics
Walt Disney
Joe Johnston
35,000,000
46,704,056
Pictures
1992
Batman Returns
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Tim Burton
80,000,000
162,831,698
1993
Teenage Mutant
Mirage Studios
New Line Cinema
Stuart Gillard
21,000,000
42,273,609
N/A
8,016,708
1,500,000
unreleased
N/A
50,693,129
Ninja Turtles III
1993
The Meteor Man
Original
MGM
Robert Townsend
1994
The Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics
Constantin Film
Oley Sassone
1994
The Crow
Caliber
Miramax Films
Alex Proyas
Universal Studios
Russell Mulcahy
40,000,000
32,063,435
New Line Cinema
Chuck Russell
23,000,000
119,938,730
100,000,000
184,031,112
25,000,000
4,064,495
Comics
1994
The Shadow
Street & Smith
Publications
1994
The Mask
Dark Horse
Comics
1995
Batman Forever
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Joel Schumacher
1995
Tank Girl
Dark Horse
United Artists
Rachel Talalay
Comics
1995
Black Scorpion
Original
Showtime
Jonathan Winfrey
N/A
TV Movie
1995
Darkman II: The
Original
Universal Studios
Bradford May
N/A
Direct to
Return of Durant
1996
1996
Video
The Crow: City of
Caliber
Angels
Comics
Barb Wire
Dark Horse
Miramax Films
Tim Pope
N/A
17,917,287
Universal Studios
David Hogan
N/A
3,793,614
Paramount
Simon Wincer
N/A
17,323,326
Bradford May
N/A
Direct to
Comics
1996
The Phantom
Various
Pictures
1996
Darkman III: Die,
Original
Universal Studios
Darkman, Die
1997
Black Scorpion II:
Video
Original
Showtime
Aftershock
Jonathan
N/A
Television
Windfrey
1997
Batman & Robin
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Joel Schumacher
1997
Spawn
Image Comics
New Line Cinema
1997
Steel
DC Comics
1998
Blade
Marvel Comics
Film
125,000,000
107,325,195
Mark AZ Dippe
40,000,000
54,870,175
Warner Bros.
Kenneth Johnson
16,000,000
1,710,972
New Line Cinema
Stephen Norrington
45,000,000
70,087,718
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 46 April 15th, 2013 1999
Dark Horse
Universal
Comics
Pictures
The Crow:
Caliber
Dimension Films
Salvation
Comics
2000
X-Men
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Bryan Singer
75,000,000
157,299,717
2000
The Specials
Original
Regent
Craig Mazin
1,000,000
13,276
75,000,000
95,011,339
54,000,000
82,348,319
139,000,000
403,706,375
78,000,000
102,543,518
2000
Mystery Men
Kinka Usher
Bharat Nalluri
68,000,000
29,762,011
N/A
Direct to
Video
Entertainment
2000
2002
Unbreakable
Blade II
Original
Marvel Comics
Touchstone
M. Night
Pictures
Shyamalan
New Line Cinema
Guillermo del
Toro
2002
Spiderman
Marvel Comics
Columbia
Sam Raimi
Pictures
2003
Daredevil
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Mark Steven
Johnson
2003
X2: X-Men United
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Bryan Singer
110,000,000
214,949,694
2003
Hulk
Marvel Comics
Universal Studios
Ang Lee
137,000,000
132,177,234
2003
The League of
WildStorm/DC
20th Century Fox
Stephen
78,000,000
66,465,204
Extraordinary
Comics
66,000,000
59,623,958
33,000,000
33,810,189
Sam Raimi
200,000,000
373,585,825
100,000,000
40,202,379
65,000,000
52,411,906
100,000,000
75,976,178
N/A
Direct to
Norrington
Gentlemen
2004
2004
Hellboy
The Punisher
Dark Horse
Columbia
Guillermo del
Comics
Pictures
Toro
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Jonathan
Hensleigh
2004
Spiderman 2
Marvel Comics
Columbia
Pictures
2004
Catwoman
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Pitof
2004
Blade: Trinity
Marvel Comics
New Line Cinema
David S. Goyer
2005
Constantine
DC Comics/
Warner Bros.
Francis Lawrence
Lance Mungia
Dimension Films
Vertigo
2005
2005
The Crow: Wicked
Caliber
Prayer
Comics
Elektra
Marvel Comics
Video
20th Century Fox
Rob Bowman
43,000,000
24,409,722
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 47 April 15th, 2013 2005
Son of the Mask
Dark Horse
New Line Cinema
Comics
2005
Batman Begins
DC Comics
Lawrence
84,000,000
17,018,422
150,000,000
205,343,774
100,000,000
154,696,080
N/A
Direct to
Guterman
Warner Bros.
Christopher
Nolan
2005
Fantastic Four
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Tim Story
2005
Man-Thing
Marvel Comics
Cinemax
Brett Leonard
Video
2005
V for Vendetta
DC Comics/
Warner Bros.
James McTeigue
54,000,000
70,511,035
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Brett Ratner
210,000,000
234,362,462
270,000,000
200,081,192
N/A
Direct to
Vertigo
2006
X-Men: The Last
Stand
2006
Superman Returns
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Bryan Singer
2006
Lightspeed
Created by
Nu Image Films
Don E.
Stan Lee
2007
2007
Ghost Rider
Spiderman 3
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
FauntLeRoy
Columbia
Mark Steven
Pictures
Johnson
Columbia
Video
110,000,000
115,802,596
Sam Raimi
258,000,000
336,530,303
Pictures
2007
Fantastic Four:
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Tim Story
130,000,000
131,921,738
Marvel Comics
Paramount
Jon Favreau
140,000,000
318,412,101
Rise of the Silver
Surfer
2008
Iron Man
Pictures
2008
The Incredible Hulk
Marvel Comics
Universal Studios
Louis Leterrier
150,000,000
134,806,913
2008
Hancock
Original
Columbia
Peter Berg
150,000,000
227,946,274
85,000,000
75,986,503
185,000,000
533,345,358
35,000,000
8,050,977
N/A
19,806,188
Pictures
2008
2008
Hellboy II: The
Dark Horse
Golden Army
Comics
The Dark Knight
DC Comics
Universal Studios
Guillermo del
Toro
Warner Bros.
Christopher
Nolan
2008
Punisher: War
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Lexi Alexander
DC Comics
Lionsgate
Frank Miller
Zone
2008
The Spirit
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 48 April 15th, 2013 2009
2009
Watchmen
X-Men Origins:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
th
Zack Snyder
130,000,000
107,509,799
150,000,000
179,883,157
30,000,000
48,071,303
Marvel Comics
20 Century Fox
Gavin Hood
Icon Comics /
Lionsgate
Matthew Vaughn
IFC Films/
James Gunn
2,500,000
327,716
Jon Favreau
200,000,000
312,433,331
47,000,000
10,547,117
Wolverine
2010
Kick Ass
Marvel Comics
2010
Super
Original
StudioCanal
2010
Iron Man 2
Marvel Comics
Paramount
Pictures
2010
Jonah Hex
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Jimmy Hayward
2011
The Green Hornet
Holyoke
Columbia
Michel Gondry
120,000,000
98,780,042
Publishing/NO
Pictures
Kenneth Branagh
150,000,000
181,030,624
W Comics
2011
Thor
Marvel Comics
Paramount
Pictures
2011
X-Men: First Class
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Matthew Vaughn
160,000,000
146,306,247
2011
Green Lantern
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Martin Campbell
200,000,000
116,326,464
2011
Captain America:
Marvel Comics
Paramount
Joe Johnston
140,000,000
171,401,290
57,000,000
51,774,002
Joss Whedon
220,000,000
623,357,910
Marc Webb
230,000,000
262,030,663
Christopher
250,000,000
448,139,099
50,000,000
13,414,714
The First Avenger
2012
Ghost Rider: Spirit
Pictures
Marvel Comics
of the Vengeance
2012
The Avengers
Columbia
Neveldine/Taylor
Pictures
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Pictures
2012
The Amazing
Marvel Comics
Spiderman
2012
The Dark Knight
Columbia
Pictures
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Rises
Nolan
2012
Dredd
2000 AD
Lionsgate
Pete Travis
2013
Man of Steel
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder
TBD
TBD
2013
Iron Man 3
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Shane Black
TBD
TBD
Alan Taylor
TBD
TBD
Pictures
2013
Thor: The Dark
World
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Pictures
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 49 April 15th, 2013 2013
Kick-Ass 2
Marvel Comics
Universal Studios
Jeff Wadlow
TBD
TBD
2013
Ninja Turtles
Mirage Studios
Paramount
Jonathan
TBD
TBD
Pictures
Liebesman
2013
The Wolverine
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
James Mangold
TBD
TBD
2014
Captain America:
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Anthony and
TBD
TBD
Pictures
Joseph Russo
Columbia
Marc Webb
TBD
TBD
Paramount
Jonathan
TBD
TBD
Pictures
Liebesman
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Matthew Vaughn
TBD
TBD
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
James Gunn
TBD
TBD
Edgar Wright
TBD
TBD
Joss Whedon
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
The Winter Soldier
2014
The Amazing
Marvel Comics
Spiderman 2
2014
2014
Ninja Turtles
X-Men: Days of
Pictures
Mirage Comics
Future Past
2014
Guardians of the
Galaxy
2015
Pictures
Ant-Man
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Pictures
2015
The Avengers 2
Marvel Comics
Walt Disney
Pictures
2015
The Justice
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
TBD
Marvel Comics
20th Century Fox
Josh Tank
League
2015
The Fantastic Four
th
• Reported gross is Domestic Gross as of April 15 , 2013
• Only two films were directed by a woman, noted in blue
• Only six films feature a female superhero as the primary protagonist,
noted in red
It is important to note that according to the website
www.boxofficemojo.com the total revenue for all comic book adaptations is
an astonishing $11,205,864,044 at the domestic box office alone. This
does not include the lucrative international market that has an everincreasing demand for superhero films. This number works out to an
average of $103,758,000 per film, and an average of $109,459,790 for the
wide releases.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 50 April 15th, 2013 ANIMATED FILMS
1993
Batman: Mask of
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
the Phantasm
1998
Batman & Mr.
Eric Radomski and
N/A
5,617,391
N/A
Direct to
Bruce Timm
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Boyd Kirkland
Freeze: SubZero
2000
Batman Beyond:
Video
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Curt Geda
N/A
Direct to
Return of the Joker
2002
The Powerpuff
Video
Original
Warner Bros.
Craig McCracken
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Curt Geda
11,000,000
11,412,414
N/A
Direct to
Girls Movie
2003
Batman: Mystery of
the Batwoman
2004
The Incredibles
Video
Original
Walt Disney
Brad Bird
92,000,000
261,441,092
N/A
Direct to
Pictures
2005
The Batman vs.
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Dracula
Sam Liu, Brandon
Vietti, Seung Eun
Video
Kim
2006
2006
Hellboy: Sword of
Dark Horse
IDT
Phil Weinstein, Tad
Storms
Comics
Entertainment
Stones
Ultimate Avengers
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Curt Geda, Steven
N/A
Direct to
Video
N/A
Direct to
E. Gordon, Bob
Video
Richardson
2006
Superman:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Curt Geda
N/A
Direct to
Brainiac Attacks
2006
Ultimate Avengers
Video
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
2
2006
Teen Titans:
Will Meugniot,
N/A
Direct to
Richard Sebast
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Trouble in Tokyo
Michael Chang, Ben
Video
N/A
Direct to
Jones, Matt
Video
Youngberg
2007
Mosaic
POW
Anchor Bay
Roy Allen Smith
N/A
Direct to
Entertainment
2007
The Invincible Iron
Marvel Comics
Video
Lionsgate
Frank D. Paur
N/A
Direct to
Man
Video
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 51 April 15th, 2013 2007
Hellboy: Blood and
Dark Horse
IDT
Victor Cook, Tad
Iron
Comics
Entertainment
Stones
2007
TMNT
Mirage Comics
Lionsgate
Kevin Munroe
2007
The Condor
POW
Anchor Bay
Steven E. Gordon
N/A
Direct to
Video
34,000,000
54,149,098
N/A
Direct to
Entertainment
2007
Doctor Strange:
Marvel Comics
Video
Lionsgate
Frank D. Paur
N/A
Direct to
The Sorcerer
Video
Supreme
2007
Superman:
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Doomsday
Bruce Timm, Lauren
N/A
Direct to
Montgomery,
Video
Brandon Vietti
2008
Justice League:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Dave Bullock
N/A
Direct to
The New Frontier
2008
Batman: Gotham
Video
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Various
N/A
Direct to
Knight
2008
Next Avengers:
Video
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Gary Hartle
N/A
Direct to
Heros of Tomorrow
2009
Hulk Vs
Video
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Frank D. Paur
N/A
Direct to
Video
2009
Wonder Woman
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Lauren Montgomery
N/A
Direct to
Video
2009
Green Lantern:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Lauren Montgomery
N/A
Direct to
First Flight
2009
Superman/Batman:
Video
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Sam Liu
N/A
Direct to
Public Enemies
2010
Planet Hulk
Video
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Sam Liu
N/A
Direct to
Video
2010
Justice League:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Crisis on Two
Lauren Montgomery/
N/A
Direct to
Sam Liu
Video
Earths
2010
Batman: Under the
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Brandon Vietti
N/A
Direct to
Red Hood
2010
Superman/Batman:
Video
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Lauren Montgomery
N/A
Direct to
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 52 April 15th, 2013 Apocalypse
Video
2010
Megamind
Original
DreamWorks
Tom McGrath
2011
All Star Superman
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Sam Liu
130,000,000
148,415,853
N/A
Direct to
Video
2011
Thor: Tales of
Marvel Comics
Lionsgate
Sam Liu
N/A
Direct to
Asgard
2011
Video
Green Lantern:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Emerald Knights
Christopher Berkeley,
N/A
Direct to
Video
Lauren Montgomery,
Jay Olivia
2011
Batman: Year One
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Sam Liu, Lauren
N/A
Direct to
Montgomery
2012
Justice League:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Lauren Montgomery
Video
N/A
Direct to
Doom
2012
Video
Superman vs. The
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Michael Chang
N/A
Direct to
Elite
2012
Video
Batman: The Dark
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Jay Olivia
N/A
Direct to
Knight Returns
Video
Part 1
2013
Batman: The Dark
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
Jay Olivia
N/A
Direct to
Knight Returns
Video
Part 2
2013
Iron Man: Rise of
Marvel Comics
Technovore
2013
Iron Man & Hulk:
Song Pictures
Yuzo Sato
N/A
Direct to
Entertainment
Marvel Comics
Heroes United
Marvel
Video
TBD
N/A
Direct to
Animation
Video
Studios
2013
Superman:
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
James Tucker
N/A
Direct to
Unbound
2012
Flashpoint
Video
DC Comics
Warner Bros.
TBD
N/A
Direct to
Video
• Two animated films centre on a female protagonist, noted in red.
• Although eight films have been directed by a woman, noted in blue, it
should be noted that this was the same woman for all eight films.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 53 April 15th, 2013 CONCLUSION
Fans of Wonder Woman have been waiting for over a decade to see her
on the big screen. A litany of superhero films have come and gone in that
time, with several of these films spawning sequels and franchises that are
among the most successful in film history. Since 2001, when Wonder
Woman first went into development, over 35 superhero films have been
released, with nary a tiara or bullet-deflecting bracelet in sight.
With the recent boom of female driven entertainment on television, viewers
have shown that projects centered on female characters can not only
succeed but thrive, and recent summer blockbuster seasons have proven
that superheroes have never been more popular or more profitable. Nearly
a dozen more superhero films are slated for release in the next two years,
and still Wonder Woman remains without a script, director, or release date.
What is even more maddening is that there is simply no good reason for
this to happen. Sure, the excuses are piling up, but each and every one of
them has been found to be without merit. Wonder Woman is one of the
most iconic superheroes in history, and whatever the reason for Wonder
Womanʼs delay, itʼs time for the excuses to stop.
For over a decade, Wonder Woman fans have been asking, “Why No
Wonder Woman?” Well, the time for asking is over. Now is the time to
demand, “We Want Wonder Woman!” and we want her NOW.
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 54 April 15th, 2013 REFERENCES
Azzarello, Brian, Cliff Chiang, and Tony Akins. Wonder Woman: Volume 1 -­ Blood. New York: DC Comics, 2012. Azzarello, Brian, Cliff Chiang, and Tony Akins. Wonder Woman: Volume 2 -­ Guts. New York: DC Comics, 2012. Fleisher, Michael L. The Original Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes. Volume Two -­ Wonder Woman. New York: DC Comics, 2007. Marston, William Moulton. The Wonder Woman Chronicles -­ Volume One. St-­‐
Romuald: World Colour Press, Inc., 2010. Straczynski, J. Michael. Wonder Woman: Odyssey – Volume One. New York: DC Comics, 2011. Straczynski, J. Michael. Wonder Woman: Odyssey – Volume Two. New York: DC Comics, 2012. Wonder Woman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told. New York: DC Comics, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Woman
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n_villains_pg2.html?cat=38
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Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 55 April 15th, 2013 http://blastr.com/2010/06/x-men-producer-begs-dcco.php?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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http://www.avclub.com/articles/joss-whedon,14136/
http://www.slashfilm.com/a-look-at-what-joss-whedons-wonder-womanmight-have-looked-like/
http://culturemob.com/blog/joss-whedons-wonder-woman-killed-by-studioguys
http://whedonesque.com/comments/12385
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/thewondieroom/news/?a=13184
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/01/21/wonder-woman-project-finds-a-home-atnbc/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-mendelson/why-wonder-womanbelongs_b_817905.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2011-02-02/wonderwoman-a-sneak-peak-at-david-e-kelleys-script/
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/02/02/dc-women-kicking-ass-onwonder-woman-tv-pilot-script/
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/01/13/wonder-woman-mac-makeup/
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 56 April 15th, 2013 http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20447419,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_superhero_films
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/
http://boxofficemojo.com/
http://www2.warnerbros.com/web/wbsf/index.jsp?section=geninfo&subsect
ion=history
http://www.warnerbros.com/#/page=company-info/the_studio/wb_overview/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warner_Bros.
http://www.timewarner.com/our-company/corporate-governance/
http://www.dccomics.com/dccomics/about/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Comics
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/business/media/10warner.html
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/09/09/warner-bros-creates-dcentertainment/
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/scifimediazone/news/?a=27580
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/
http://www.wnky.net/news/entertainment/?feed=bim&id=116528293
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/Jamedog/news/?a=30247
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 57 April 15th, 2013 http://www.batman-on-film.com/scriptreview_wonderwoman_jett_2007.html
http://www.theepicnetwork.com/adrianne-palicki-is-wonder-woman-scripthowever-sucks/
http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/02/08/wonder-woman-tv-show-pilotdavid-kelley/
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/05/15/nbc-wonder-woman/
http://www.slashfilm.com/warner-wants-wonder-woman-script-josswhedon-cries/
http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/02/19/finally-some-girls-in-pop-culture-withgrit/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publication_history_of_Wonder_Woman
http://forums.comicbookresources.com/archive/index.php/t-362009.html
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/03/18/wonder-woman-adrianne-palicki-photo/
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/03/30/wonder-woman-costume-change/
http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/05/13/wonder-woman-nbc-david-e-kelley/
http://ifanboy.com/articles/review-wonder-woman-pilot/
http://comicbookmovie.com/fansites/spideydude/news/?a=42544
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5XF_m2Hcjc
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 58 April 15th, 2013 http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/12/harrys-law-parenthoodrenewed-by-nbc-wonder-woman-apparently-nixed/92429/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/01/dc-comics-women-writerscreators
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2011/11/18/21464/wonderwoman-we-love-her-so-why-doesnt-hollywood-s
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/11/04/wonder-woman-at-70-dcs-icongets-new-origin-but-still-no-film/
http://www.newsarama.com/comics/agent-of-style-wonder-woman111028.html
http://www.usatoday.com/life/comics/story/2011-11-14/Wonder-Womangets-a-new-origin-story-in-comic-series/51198256/1
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Justice-League-Movie-Gets-Life-WarnerBros-31272.html
http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/09/06/wonder-woman-origin-series-cw/
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Wonder-Woman-Movie-MovingForward-With-Green-Lantern-Screenwriter-31280.html http://www.tvequals.com/2012/10/17/thank-you-for-arrow-now-where-iswonder-woman/
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/09/21/wednesday-comics-reviewbatman-wonder-woman-legion-of-superheroes-supergirl-nightwing-birds-ofprey-captain-atom-catwoman-green-lantern-corps-dc-universe-presentsblue-beetle-red-hoodand/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%
3A+BleedingCool+%28Bleeding+Cool+Comic+News+%26+Rumors%29
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/dec/28/women-comic-book-sexism
Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 59 April 15th, 2013 http://litreactor.com/columns/getting-superheroinesright?fb_action_ids=10151038092476875&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_so
urce=other_multiline
http://litreactor.com/columns/does-marvel-need-to-pull-a-dc-comics-52relaunch
http://insidepulse.com/2012/10/21/review-wonder-woman-13-by-brianazzarello-and-tony-akins/
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/film-review-wonder-women386369
http://wonderwomendoc.com/ http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2007/10/wb-still-hates-chicks-wonder-woman
http://badassdigest.com/2013/02/07/justice-league-may-be-looking-fornew-writers/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Warner_Bros._films#2000s
http://www.deadline.com/2007/10/warners-robinoff-gets-in-catfight-withgirls/
http://www.deadline.com/2007/10/the-reality-behind-jeff-robinovs-denial/
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/04/11/man-of-steel-dc-comics-superheromovies/ Wonder Woman -­‐ p. 60 April 15th, 2013 *This report was pulled from publicly available information gathered on the
Internet and Wonder Womanʼs publications. We did our best to accurately
represent facts as they were presented in their original format. We
apologize for any unintentional inaccuracies. This was a labor of love and
should be read as such.
Jacki and Laura (two friends, cousins, feminists, and film lovers)
For more information on Jacki, please visit:
www.jackizehner.com
https://www.facebook.com/jacki.zehner?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/JackiZehner @jackizehner
For more information on Laura, please visit:
www.worththeticket.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Worth-The-Ticket/293469147344826
https://twitter.com/worththeticket @worththeticket