Who would have thought news about a superhero film would be this progressive? There is a dearth of strong female characters on film, and a paucity of women directors in Hollywood. Warner Bros. wants to change that, and “is actively seeking a female director to helm its upcoming Wonder Woman film.” Gal Gadot will star as the Amazon princess in the testosterone-filled Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in 2016, before the character is given her own stand-alone movie.
Collider points out that Punisher: War Zone is the only superhero film to be directed by a woman: Lexi Alexander. Forbes notes that Kathryn Bigelow seems to be first choice to helm the Wonder Woman project. “The next worst-kept secret about the studio’s plans was that they looked increasingly likely to seek out a female director to helm the project. The last two days have brought a flurry of speculation, rumors, and reports that Warner will indeed hire a female filmmaker for Wonder Woman, with one particular director being easily the most mentioned — by fans or the press — whenever such discussions arise. Kathryn Bigelow has long been a fan-favorite to take on any Wonder Woman production, and no doubt Warner has kept her in mind and would be quite happy to have Bigelow aboard. She can create remarkable action sequences that retain sense of character and dramatic storytelling, and importantly she could bring a heightened realism to the proceedings that might help keep it grounded despite whatever fantasy elements exist.” Wonder Woman will bring her lasso of truth into theaters in June 2017.