After Warner Bros. announced an ambitious slate of upcoming superhero movies scheduled to arrive in theaters through 2020, speculation naturally turned to the cast and directors that would be matched up with many of the features — particularly the filmmaker that would helm Wonder Woman, the upcoming solo film that will star Gal Gadot as the iconic heroine. According to a new report, the studio is hoping to find a similarly strong woman to direct the project.
In an article about WB’s crowded calendar of superhero films on the horizon, The Hollywood Reporter indicates that the studio is looking for a female director to helm Wonder Woman, which will follow the famous goddess of war (or Amazon princess, depending on which comics continuity the film draws from) in an adventure that will likely lead into Justice League, Part One later that year. Gadot will make her debut as Wonder Woman in the upcoming Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, directed by Zack Snyder.
Hollywood isn’t exactly brimming with high-profile female filmmakers, so the studio’s quest could involve bringing a lesser-known director into the spotlight. The most high-profile female filmmaker currently active in the industry is Kathryn Bigelow, who won an Oscar for The Hurt Locker. Jennifer Yuh’s Kung Fu Panda 2 received an Oscar nomination in 2012 as the prior year’s best animated feature.
Thus far, the only female director to helm a recent comic-book movie is Lexi Alexander, who helmed 2008’s uber-violent Punisher: War Zone, which was both a commercial and critical flop. Monster director Patty Jenkins was initially attached to direct Thor: The Dark World, but eventually left the project and was replaced by Alan Taylor.
Wonder Woman is scheduled to hit theaters June 23, 2017, so there’s still quite a bit of time to continue the studio’s search.