‘Wonder Woman’ shows Hollywood how it’s done
From Jenkins to Gadot, girl power delighted viewers
It’s not even Labor Day and already we know who rules the summer box office: Wonder Woman.
Officially displacing Xena as pop culture’s favorite on-screen warrior princess, the DC Comics character played by Gal Gadot has won the hearts of critics and audiences.
Directed by Patty Jenkins, the movie has racked up $395 million and is running second for all of 2017 to Disney’s live-action Beau
ty and the Beast ($504 million). That’s good enough to put a sequel on the books (in theaters Dec. 13, 2019).
More than money, though, Wonder Woman “created a currency of goodwill and excitement on the part of moviegoers in a summer that’s been a real rollercoaster ride,” says comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian, who likens the film to other “cultural touchstones” like Titanic and Forrest Gump “that take on a life of their own.” Here are the biggest lessons Hollywood can learn from Wonder Woman’s success.
IT’S TIME TO CHAMPION FEMALE SUPERHEROES.
Catwoman and Elektra didn’t exactly set a high bar, but Wonder Woman obliterated it. “We’re entering a phase of the superhero movie genre where people want to see something that’s different and unexpected,” says Erik Davis, managing editor for Fandango .com and Movies.com. It bodes well for the upcoming
Captain Marvel and Batgirl: “Bringing to the forefront some of these female heroes at a time when the audience is very much demanding, that is a smart choice.”
REPRESENTATION AND DIVERSITY DO MATTER.
The one major thing Wonder Woman proved was “50% to 55% of the marketplace is underserved,” says Jeff Bock, senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations.
But it also was a tuning fork for what’s happening in a politically charged environment.
“We are a culture that is demanding this at this point in history, so if Hollywood can deliver more of it, they’ll see the rewards of committing to it,” says Davis.
GIVE FEMALE DIRECTORS MORE CHANCES.
While female filmmakers have been behind hits before (Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight, Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Fifty Shades of Grey), Jenkins’ feat of breaking the superhero movie glass ceiling was impressive.
“The outmoded, misguided notion that a woman couldn’t direct a big-budget action film got thrown out the window,” Dergarabedian says.
NEW TALENT IS A REFRESHING SIGHT.
Casting was integral to Wonder Woman’s success, Davis says.
“You can’t take your eyes off Gal Gadot. She just commanded every second of your attention.”
And for many moviegoers, she came out of nowhere.
“When we aren’t as familiar with that person, it allows us freedom to invest in that character more. She tapped into that in the best way possible.”
BLOCKBUSTERS STILL NEED A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING.
For Davis, Wonder Woman harks back to “benchmark” summer movies like Christopher Reeve’s Superman films that combined all the elements audiences like to see.
“Blockbusters have gotten away from the importance of romance mixed with action mixed with humor,” Davis says. “Wonder Woman offered up a recipe we just haven’t been seeing lately.”