The 2017 box office hit sees Wonder Woman embark on an adventure which takes her from the idyllic hidden paradise of Themyscira into the action and tragedy of World War 2.
On its original release cinema audiences flocked to the film which has become one of the most successful of the DC Extended Universe with a Box Office take of more than $821m, and its Home Entertainment release charted in all major markets.
The movie, its production team and cast have also enjoyed a host of award wins including four separate gongs for Gadot, Empire’s Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy accolade, the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo, wins for co-star Chris Pine plus a host of other, albeit unsuccessful, nominations.
The film’s success meant a sequel was never in doubt and both Gadot and Pine have already returned to their roles for Wonder Woman 1984 which was filmed over a six month period last year at the Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, plus at various London and US locations.
A June 2020 release has already been announced and IMAX fans will be pleased to know that the sequel will be released at IMAX cinemas the same day.
Warner Bros. is already planning a third film and while there’s currently no confirmation of filming or release dates, Jenkins has confirmed that work on a script is underway and earlier this year suggested that the action could move into a more contemporary setting next time around.
With at least three entries already guaranteed the current movie franchise§ can be safely considered to have eclipsed the success of the 1970s Lynda Carter TV series – previously the character’s only major live-action outing.
Fans of the Carter series might like to know that all three seasons are also available on Prime Video, although only via its ‘buy to keep’ service.
Also available to buy are several animated Wonder Woman films and the 2017 biopic Professor Marston & the Wonder Women which explores the real-life story of Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston who invented the character having been inspired by his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne.
That same year the character’s origins and subsequent legacy were also explored in the AMC series Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics in which both Carter and Gadot appeared, though sadly separately.
They were however both present at a 2016 United Nations ceremony where Wonder Woman was named a UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls, however that accolade proved controversial with some and was later reversed following a petition claiming the character was “not culturally…sensitive”.
And this wasn’t the only controversial decision surrounding the character – Warner Bros earned itself an angry backlash after agreeing an advertising tie-in for the film with weight loss brand thinkThin.
However one fairly minor slip-up in the handling of such a major brand is unlikely to cause executives much stress – the presumably lucrative Wonder Woman merchandising machine spans almost every sector from toys, costumes, crockery, CDs, posters, DVDs and Blu-rays and even, we learn from bcasino, an online slots game based on the Carter incarnation, and following appearances in the Injustice games franchise, there are also rumours of a standalone Wonder Woman console and PC game being developed.
Fans of Carter might like to know that nostalgic merchandise might not be her final association with the character – diary clashes between her concerts and the 2017 movie’s filming dates meant she was unable to accept the offer of a cameo but the actress has indicated she’d be willing to appear in the second film if “a decent part” was available and has recently been reported as being in talks with producers.
Let’s hope this time the scheduling Gods are playing nice…