Wonder Woman (2017)

[Kromm]

It's real enough there's actually footage being leaked now. Seems like the time to get its own topic.

[Kromm]

For those who haven't seen it in other threads, here's the footage:

 

https://youtu.be/i9Ur4De7yT8

 

 

I will say I was skeptical (and who knows how Gal's acting will be, because none of this really tells us), but you CAN see some clearly good decisions in not only this footage, but what the filmmakers are saying.  First, although the Superman v. Batman stuff with her is modern, it does look like the Steve Trevor part of her story is older (we see period costumes that are definitely mid-20th century or older), so it means they're keeping her immortality. Good decision.  It's actually a change from the current comics I think, which seem to act like she's younger than Supes and Batman (despite being from an Immortal race), but I think it's a very good change.  

 

Also if they know enough to talk about her goodness and kindness in an interview... that's something a lot of people writing her (even in recent comics) have fucking totally ignored. It makes me hopeful these folks actually finally get her. And the look of her costume actually DOES seem to work in three dimensions and in motion (and I even liked our look at what Diana Prince looks like--in fact I wasn't sure we were even getting a Diana Prince and am happy that we are). 

Edited January 20, 2016 by Kromm

[VCRTracking]

I love the dichotomy of her being the fierce warrior fighting a couple of German soldiers and then her putting on her glasses as Diana Prince for the first time and looking in the mirror and being adorable.

Edited January 20, 2016 by VCRTracking

[SeanC]

 

I will say I was skeptical (and who knows how Gal's acting will be, because none of this really tells us), but you CAN see some clearly good decisions in not only this footage, but what the filmmakers are saying.  First, although the Superman v. Batman stuff with her is modern, it does look like the Steve Trevor part of her story is older (we see period costumes that are definitely mid-20th century or older), so it means they're keeping her immortality. Good decision.  It's actually a change from the current comics I think, which seem to act like she's younger than Supes and Batman (despite being from an Immortal race), but I think it's a very good change.  

The version of Diana that I'm most familiar with in the Perez version, where she's immortal but very young, which he did because he wanted her introduction to the modern DCU to be a true bildungsroman, which I think was a good idea.  In this case she's arriving in the outside world war earlier than she did in canon, though I'm not clear whether this is a temporary thing or if she'll be shown as having been BTS for the rest of the 20th century.  Traditionally she left Themyscira to try to combat Ares and end war; it would be odd for her to come out in 1918 or wherever, then back her bags and ignore an even bigger global conflict years later.

 

I don't really care for the Diana Prince identity as an ongoing thing (it serves no real purpose for the character), but as something for a give assignment, fine.

Edited January 20, 2016 by SeanC

[KatWay]

As this is WWI I'm slightly worried about whose side she's going to be on - this isn't "let's kick some Nazi asses", this was a highly complex war based on territorial ambitions and old alliances on all sides, and if she's automatically fighting for US/UK just because it's a Hollywood movie, I could see some criticism directed at the film. Portraying the other countries as the bad guys just because they were fighting against UK/US would be really lazy.

Edited January 20, 2016 by KatWay

[MarkHB]

Quote

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

Cast:

Gal Gadot : Wonder Woman / Diana Prince

Chris Pine : Capt. Steve Trevor

Robin Wright : General Antiope

Danny Huston : General Erich Ludendorff

David Thewlis : Sir Patrick

Connie Nielsen : Queen Hippolyta

Elena Anaya : Dr. Poison

Ewen Bremner ; Charlie

Saïd Taghmaoui Sameer

Lucy Davis : Etta Candy

Lisa Loven Kongsli : Menalippe

 

Directed by Patty Jenkins

Anticipated release date: June 2, 2017

Official Site

[Bruinsfan]

If they keep the pilot-Steve-Trevor-crashes-on-Paradise-Island-and-draws-Diana-into-Man's-World aspect of her origin, she would at least have good reasons to sympathize with the Allies. Though of course the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary weren't the evil incarnate of the Third Reich, and I hope they don't resort to depicting the Germans as jackbooted monsters in the conflict.

[SeanC]

If they keep the pilot-Steve-Trevor-crashes-on-Paradise-Island-and-draws-Diana-into-Man's-World aspect of her origin, she would at least have good reasons to sympathize with the Allies. Though of course the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary weren't the evil incarnate of the Third Reich, and I hope they don't resort to depicting the Germans as jackbooted monsters in the conflict.

Now that I think about it, would that origin work in World War I? Long-range aviation wasn't really a thing then, certainly not flying way out over the ocean. Unless Steve is going to crash a Zeppelin.

Edited January 21, 2016 by SeanC

[Kromm]

Really I think the lesson from the footage and statements we've seen so far is that even though they're forced into sharing the same film universe, that Patty Jenkins isn't Zach Snyder, thank god.

 

That asshole STILL doesn't get what he did wrong: http://io9.gizmodo.com/zack-snyder-will-defend-man-of-steels-miserable-ending-1754485965

 

Fuck him. 

[PepSinger]

Really I think the lesson from the footage and statements we've seen so far is that even though they're forced into sharing the same film universe, that Patty Jenkins isn't Zach Snyder, thank god.

 

That asshole STILL doesn't get what he did wrong: http://io9.gizmodo.com/zack-snyder-will-defend-man-of-steels-miserable-ending-1754485965

 

Fuck him. 

Maybe he doesn't get what he did wrong because he did nothing wrong. I had no problem with the end of MoS. 

 

I cannot wait for Wonder Woman. It looks to be headed in the right direction.

[Kromm]

Star Wars Episode 8 faces more bad news: Crew strikes could delay next instalment of sci-fi saga further
Nine major productions filming in the UK, including Wonder Woman and The Mummy, face disruption.

[MarkHB]

Not to mention, Paramount announced that Transformers 5 will release the same day as Wonder Woman.
 
In happier news, the production took over an iconic London location Saturday.  Set photos here and here and there's also a short video.  Possible role spoiler:

Lucy Davis sure as hell looks like Etta Candy

.
 

[Bruinsfan]

I hope this movie makes as much as Man of Steel and Xenophobic Vigilante v. Space Jesus combined, so studio execs can finally shut up about superhero movies with female leads not being marketable.

[Kromm]

This WWI setting really is weirding me out. I guess I'm SO conditioned to WWII Wondy. 

 

In other news: we now know who's playing Etta Candy (a fairly essential role if they're going beyond the TV show and into the comics themselves more).

 

EDIT - Okay, I just saw Mark B's post. Mark, I'm pretty sure castings that have been widely covered by the media are public enough we can talk about them in the clear.

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/02/22/wonder-woman-casts-the-offices-lucy-davis-as-dianas-best-friend-etta-candy

 

What's cool is that she actually LOOKS like Etta Candy. The recent comics did a later-day "Skinny Etta" (the same way they also "de-fatted" Amanda Waller) and I'm glad that hasn't happened here. Acting like overweight people don't exist isn't the way to deal with them--just don't try to demean them because they are overweight.

Although it's odd... all the photos I can find of Lucy Davis outside of this have her pretty skinny.  In this? Not so much. She's at least plump here. Which fits the role as I said.

 

EDIT - Okay, this is interesting.  A little research shows that Davis has a known eating disorder--one of those really complex ones where she's been both anorexic and an overeater at different times. Interesting choice for someone playing Etta.

 

Article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2216466/Lucy-Davis-On-anorexia-binge-eating-divorce-The-Office.html

Edited February 23, 2016 by Kromm

[MarkHB]

The only reason I spoilered that particular casting is that it hasn't been officially announced anywhere... but it's pretty obvious who she is (or at least, if it's someone else with red hair and that physique, they're trolling us).  In the original comics, Etta was kind of a badass... reminiscent of a younger version of DC's most-notable other overweight female character, Sheldon Mayer's Ma Hunkel, the original Red Tornado.

[VCRTracking]

Wow, I didn't recognize Lucy Davis there. I still have the image of her from the original UK Office as Dawn, who you could describe more as "curvy". Although some on Twitter think she must be wearing a fatsuit. I hope that's not the case.

Edited February 23, 2016 by VCRTracking

[Kromm]

The only reason I spoilered that particular casting is that it hasn't been officially announced anywhere... but it's pretty obvious who she is (or at least, if it's someone else with red hair and that physique, they're trolling us).  In the original comics, Etta was kind of a badass... reminiscent of a younger version of DC's most-notable other overweight female character, Sheldon Mayer's Ma Hunkel, the original Red Tornado.

Well you can't quite go the original route with Etta, because it played it for laughs (thus demeaning the character). And the recent comics were even worse, because their politically correct notion/fuckup was to make her lose weight--which in a way came off as even more politically incorrect because it kind of implied that fat people needed to be wiped out from such stories (Amanda Waller was even worse because in her case they implied with that rebooted version that she never HAD been fat). 

 

The best way is to treat the character honestly. Don't make her super-comically fat... just slightly pudgy. Don't be uncomfortable with implying she's not exactly in peak condition, but don't belabor the fact that she's not either (in other words don't allow more than passing jokes about it). She works with Wonder Woman because there's a mismatch--Etta doesn't have to be like Wonder Woman to be her friend, she can be UNLIKE Wonder Woman and be loved for her different qualities. 

[MarkHB]

There's a character description for Diana going around, that was pulled off a bit of merchandise, a Batman v Superman bust of the character.  It makes me think they've done a good job capturing her.  Spoiler is for a bit that tells what Diana Prince is doing in the modern world.

 

The world’s first and foremost female Super Hero, Wonder Woman at once embodies the unrivaled force and supreme grace of a born warrior, and the genuine compassion and understanding of a true humanitarian. As a symbol of equality, power, and truth, her natural confidence and unmistakable intelligence make her an unequalled (sic), if unexpected, ally.

 

The immortal Amazonian Princess Diana keeps her eyes and ears open for intrigue as the beautiful and mysterious antiquities dealer, Diana Prince.

 

Instagram user TheChanteuse was the first to capture this..

[Kromm]

It's a bizarre way to go with her, but I suppose since her Batty v. Soupy aspect is kind of filler, it doesn't much matter.  They're not likely to go into her life circumstances much during that time period.

[MarkHB]

First look at Diana, Hippolyta, Antiope and Menalippe!

[Kromm]

Have they eased away from the multiracial society aspect of the Amazons that the comic books eventually implemented? I mean we're only seeing four of them there, admittedly, and Diana and Hippy have to be the same (since the idea of Diana being made of mud has long been abandoned and she's actually biologically Hippolyta's child now), but you'd think they'd be smart enough in their leaks and ad copy to show at least one brown face. Nubia might be a bit too on the nose, but most DC readers from the George Perez era (the most famous one after Martson's own issues) will know Philippus, who was basically the very definition of a character "training" Diana--it was overtly her character's stated role in the comic other than being a bodyguard as well--and would have been a natural to appear in those film sequences and thus in that photo (the headline of which is literally "Wonder Woman exclusive: Meet the warrior women training Diana Prince"). I also remember the character being used by at least three other writers after Perez as well.

 

Unless of course they just blithely ignored the diversity issue when a well known DC-comics Amazon existed that could have served the role not simply as well, but maybe even better than those other characters (per dc.wikia Philippus appeared 89 times--in other words she was undeniably a major character, given the fact that the WW books actually spent long periods away from the Amazons and so 89 appearances by one is likely as any of them got other than Hippolyta, during the years from Perez onward, I mean).

 

If other words, fuck you Warner Brothers. You guys act all butthurt when people bitch about diversity, but if there really are "Amazon trainers" for Diana, and they're big enough to built some publicity around, and Philippus is NOT part of that?  You deserve every bit of "so white" scorn people are going to lob at you. 

 

 

 

She's even in the DCAU.

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by Kromm

[MarkHB]

Patty Jenkins just Tweeted:

Thanks all. Excited to share! And no worries. Lots of great, diverse characters on Themyscira. This is Diana's direct family. More soon!!

[Kromm]

Hmm. I don't recall Menalippe being related to her, but... whatever. Antiope is, yes (she's her aunt). Menalippe, in fact, isn't even a warrior (she's an oracle) so I don't exactly get putting her under that category. 

 

That said, I still hope there's an actual Philippus as a named character. Perhaps not in the role she SHOULD be in, but even in the background would be better than not at all.

[Matt K]

First look at Diana, Hippolyta, Antiope and Menalippe!

That's pretty bad looking.  So washed out with a very CG looking background.  Looks like an extension of the MoS, BvS look which is an immediate turn off.

[Bruinsfan]

Well, Jenkins will have her own preferential style and look for the film. But I think Tarsem Singh's Immortals (starring Cavill before he was Superman!) could have been a good visual reference for a film dealing with Greek myth, aesthetics, and larger-than-life heroics. Though the batshit crazy writing should be left untouched—Singh makes Snyder look like a coherent storyteller in comparison.

[Trini]

I think they look great! But I'm also a sucker for costume porn.

[Trini]

I'm glad at least the reaction to Wonder Woman in BvS is positive.

Edited March 30, 2016 by Trini

[Kromm]

I glad at least the reaction to Wonder Woman in BvS is positive.

30% Rotten Tomatoes score for that film. Not surprised. I mean from Day 1 of it being announced it had the smell of doom about it.  It's time for DC to tell Zack Snyder to take a hike and never come back. 

[JessePinkman]

That's pretty bad looking.  So washed out with a very CG looking background.  Looks like an extension of the MoS, BvS look which is an immediate turn off.

 

Unfortunately promotional images for every blockbuster looks like that, all fake and composite like. 

[Bruinsfan]

I just got back from seeing a $250 million extended trailer for Wonder Woman, and cannot wait for the film to be released!

[lion10]

Is Diana fighting Ares in this movie? And is Diana the only child on the island?

[MarkHB]

The Daily Mail has some more spy photos taken of on-location shooting, including Diana, Steve and others.  Could be considered spoilery in parts, although mainly it would be "here's how this piece of long-standing canon is going to look on film."

[Kromm]

The Daily Mail has some more spy photos taken of on-location shooting, including Diana, Steve and others.  Could be considered spoilery in parts, although mainly it would be "here's how this piece of long-standing canon is going to look on film."

Yeah. The only incongruous thing is of course him being in sort-of-WWI gear rather than WWII gear. But we've all known that was coming for a while.

We all know exactly what the scene is though. It's been otherwise written for 75 years.

[MarkHB]

Warner Bros. moves Wonder Woman, adds two new DC film dates.

Warner Bros. has shifted the release dates for its upcoming films Wonder Woman....

In DC cinematic universe news, Wonder Woman, which will star Gal Gadot (who made her debut in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), is moving up from June 23, 2017, to June 2, 2017.

 

I have to note that the new date is still in June 2017, which will mark the 100th anniversary of the first US troops landing in Europe as we entered WWI.  I don't believe this is a coincidence.

[MarkHB]

Also, a few new set photos have surfaced, still Amazons on the beach, facing an apparent German invasion boat.

[Zuleikha]

Definite diversity in the Amazon crowd shots, so now the question is whether any of the PoC Amazons will get names, lines, and characterization. But good to see confirmation of at least that much.

[Kromm]

Definite diversity in the Amazon crowd shots, so now the question is whether any of the PoC Amazons will get names, lines, and characterization. But good to see confirmation of at least that much.

With some things I could take it or leave it, since actual history isn't loaded with racial integration, but Wonder Woman is a character based heavily on idealism, supposedly born of a culture that rebelled against the realities of an intolerant man's world, and I'm sorry WB, but Philippus is just too established a character to ignore and with a straight face to act like you're giving us a version that's integrated, and also reads as non-campy and so acknowledges the Perez era as much as the Marston.  I'm afraid that either yes, the dark faces will all be background ones, or we'll have some silly/campy "Nubia" character rather than a more serious take like Philippus.  Worst of all, even though the movie is still shooting, its really too late for them to change whatever they intended. They can stick in additional extras with different skin tones, and if that's all we see I think we'll have a pretty good idea exactly when and why that was decided.

[MarkHB]

More spy photos, this time of Gal's stunt double doing some swordfighting.

 

And we may have found Philippus.

[Kromm]

More spy photos, this time of Gal's stunt double doing some swordfighting.

 

And we may have found Philippus.

One can hope (and then it's only the P.R. campaign for the movie putting out lines like "Wonder Woman exclusive: Meet the warrior women training Diana Prince" we'd have issue with).

 

Assuming of course it's even a part of more than a few moments in the movie. I could easily see Philippus being "montaged"--which technically wouldn't make her a background character, but...

[MarkHB]

It looks like they've wrapped production (or at least Gal's scenes...)!

[MarkHB]

Update: Patty Jenkins Tweeted these this morning (note that William Moulton Marston's birthday is May 9):

[MarkHB]

Another small Amazon casting leak: Swedish MMA fighter Madeleine Vall will play Egeria.

Also, this happened yesterday:

[MarkHB]

DC talks Wonder Woman's 75th Anniversary, and Diane Nelson confirms that the film

Spoiler

will NOT have the invisible jet.

Also, the "Kitana Fan Page" on Facebook ran some more BTS set photos of Amazon warriors on the beach, focusing on actress Samantha Jo as, it is believed, Diana's friend Euboea.

[MarkHB]

It appears the official font with the lettering is now out... Not sure where this is from.

 

[JessePinkman]

That's beautiful!

[Bruinsfan]

Nicely done, the golden curves in the letters are evocative of her lasso.

[MarkHB]

In preparation for SDCC, Warner Bros. has put out a press release with the first synopsis of the WW movie.  Note that Jason Fuchs is apparently off the official writers list:

Quote

According to a Comic-Con press release that Warner Bros. just put out this evening, the Wonder Woman screenplay was written by Allan Heinberg and Geoff Johns, from a story by Zack Snyder and Allan Heinberg. We also got the first plot synopsis!

“Wonder Woman” hits movie theaters around the world next summer when Gal Gadot returns as the title character in the epic action adventure from director Patty Jenkins. Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, when an American pilot crashes on their shores and tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world, Diana leaves her home, convinced she can stop the threat. Fighting alongside man in a war to end all wars, Diana will discover her full powers…and her true destiny.

[SeanC]

Allan Heinberg and Geoff Johns both suck at writing Wonder Woman, going by their comics work.

[Zuleikha]

I need this movie to be an incredible Wonder Woman movie, so I'm going to pretend I didn't read that.

[MarkHB]

I just looked at his WP article... I had heard about some of his TV credits, but until just now I didn't realize he was actually on the Wonder Woman book after Infinite Crisis, or that he was an EP on the pilot for Amazon. So he's been working with her for a while, but I haven't seen that work myself.