Wonder Woman

Started by MacGuffin, March 17, 2005, 01:57:43 AM

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MacGuffin

Whedon lassos 'Wonder' helm for Warners
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Joss Whedon is preparing to bring to life another formidable female character in his latest movie endeavor.

The creator of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" has signed to write and direct "Wonder Woman," a live-action film adaptation of the DC Comics character for Warner Bros. Pictures. Joel Silver and Leonard Goldberg are producing.
 
"Wonder Woman is the most iconic female heroine of our time, but in a way, no one has met her yet," Whedon said in a statement. "What I love most about icons is finding out what's behind them, exploring the price of their power. When Joel and I began discussing the character, I realized there is a woman behind the legend who is very fascinating, very uncompromising and in her own way almost vulnerable. She's someone who doesn't belong in this world, and since everyone I know feels that way about themselves, the character clicked for me."

According to the lore of the comic book, Wonder Woman is the superhero name of Diana, an Amazonian princess from Paradise Island, an uncharted island to which the Amazons fled to escape domination by the ancient Greeks and Romans. She has super strength, bracelets that deflect bullets and a golden lasso that ensnares victims and forces them to tell the truth. She has, at times, even had her own super vehicle, an invisible plane.

"There's no one better than Joss to adapt the legendary Wonder Woman comic book character created in the 1940s into a dynamic feature film for 21st century audiences," Silver said. "Wonder Woman was the first great female superhero to emerge from comic books and later inspire millions of fans in her television incarnation, but unlike her counterparts Batman and Superman, this groundbreaking heroine has yet to be reinvented for the feature film arena."

Wonder Woman was created by educational consultant William Moulton Marston and first appeared in All Star Comics in 1941. Because of her popularity, she got her own self-titled series six months later. The heroine was played by Lynda Carter in the TV series that ran on ABC and CBS from 1976-79.

Warner Bros. is known to have been eyeing a Wonder Woman feature for some time.

"We are excited about working with Joss," Warner Bros. Pictures president Jeff Robinov said. "He brings great energy and creativity to the process. His work on 'Buffy' makes him uniquely qualified to handle the Wonder Woman character."

Whedon created the influential WB Network/UPN drama series "Buffy" and its spinoff, "Angel." He is in postproduction on the Universal Pictures feature "Serenity," which he wrote and directed based on his short-lived Fox drama series "Firefly." His other writing credits include "Toy Story" and "Alien: Resurrection."

Whedon, who also is penning the Marvel comic "Astonishing X-Men," is repped by CAA and attorney Sam Fischer.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Joel Silver on Wonder Woman

Yahoo! has the skinny on the long-in-development hell Wonder Woman movie straight from producer Joel Silver himself. "When I make Wonder Woman I'll probably do it in Australia," the Matrix trilogy and V for Vendetta producer revealed. "It makes great sense to me."

"I love being in Australia and I love making movies there. Australia is just a comfortable place for me to work."

Silver offered little in the way of a start date for the film. "There's no timeframe yet. ... When we have a script we'll make a decision about what we're going to do."

As for casting, Silver informed Yahoo, "No, we're not there yet," adding, "We're still writing the script." The lengthy list of rumored Wonder-ful contenders include Mischa Barton and Jessica Biel.

Joss Whedon (TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer) was recently hired to pen the latest draft of the Wonder Woman script, the latest in a long line of scribes to take a crack at the project. He will also direct it.

Silver sang Whedon's praises when his deal was formally announced in March. "There's no one better than Joss to adapt the legendary Wonder Woman comic book character created in the 1940s into a dynamic feature film for 21st century audiences. ... Wonder Woman was the first great female superhero to emerge from comic books and later inspire millions of fans in her television incarnation, but unlike her counterparts Batman and Superman, this groundbreaking heroine has yet to be reinvented for the feature film arena."

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Whedon Talks Wonder Woman
Serenity helmer talks next project.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel creator Joss Whedon is about to release his first big-screen feature, the sci-fi flick Serenity, based on the short-lived TV series Firefly. And with that film pretty much in the can, Whedon is preparing to fully devote his time to his next movie project, the long-awaited adaptation of DC Comics' Wonder Woman.

Whedon briefly discussed his plans for the Warner Bros. flick with ABC Radio National (per a report on Superhero Hype!) saying he's planning a fresh take on the classic character, but assured fans that he won't stray too far from the Wonder Woman that everyone knows and loves. "We'll meet a Wonder Woman who is similar to the one from the original comics and from the TV series to an extent," he said. "Neither of them are really a template. I've never loved the comics and I didn't watch the television series, but I loved the character very much."

He further explained, "She doesn't really understand this world, she's very strong but she's also very naive. She's not quite as little as the girls I'm used to writing, but she's definitely one of them in the sense of she'll undergo that kind of baptism of fire that used to be relegated to the male gender. She'll have to come into the world and see how corrupt it is and learn to deal with it and with her own powers. She is kind of, in a way, the grandma of everything I've been writing my whole life, so it makes sense that we should meet."

With a ridiculous number of actresses having been linked to the role over the many years of project development, there are still no firm leads on who may play the titular superheroine.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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polkablues

Quote from: MacGuffinWith a ridiculous number of actresses having been linked to the role over the many years of project development, there are still no firm leads on who may play the titular superheroine.

I've made my choice:

My house, my rules, my coffee

Ravi

I've made my choice...to avoid this.

polkablues

Quote from: RaviI've made my choice...to avoid this.

The only reason I haven't completely washed my hands of the whole project is Joss Whedon.  I don't give a flying shit about Wonder Woman, but I like Whedon's stuff.  The open mind ends with a bad casting decision, however.
My house, my rules, my coffee

MacGuffin

Wonder Woman Progress
Whedon gives an update.

In an interview with Empire Online, writer-director Joss Whedon spilled the beans about the progress of the long-anticipated Wonder Woman movie.

"I am still writing Wonder Woman. It is very awesome but incredibly unfinished, but I should be finishing that in a little while and then I'll have a better idea of which film is actually going into production," Whedon reveals.

"But I can tell you that the film will be about introducing you to Wonder Woman. She'll be wearing the outfit and there will be the bracelets, the golden lasso and Greek gods. She comes from a civilization where she's rather perfect, so she's the opposite to Buffy in many ways, but she's going through an adolescent rite of passage because she's new to the world."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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Pubrick

Quote from: Joss Whedon on March 02, 2006, 05:36:23 PM
so she's the opposite to Buffy in many ways
he needs to get over that. you don't see JJ Abrams referring to Felicity in interviews. it reeks of Kevin Costner commentary for The Postman.. "but Field of Dreams was good, wasn't it? made us all believe again."
under the paving stones.

pete

lemme guess, "for the 20th century audience" means she's gonna do karate.
"Tragedy is a close-up; comedy, a long shot."
- Buster Keaton

MacGuffin

Joss Whedon on Wonder Woman

Joss Whedon's top project right now is of course the silver screen adaptation of Wonder Woman, and as of a month or so ago we heard from the man himself his first draft of a script was finished and packaged. Then we heard nothing, which is quite unusual for the high-energy Whedon and his typically fantastic relationship with his fans.

Whedon recently checked in with Sci Fi Wire for a progress update, and the news seems to be good. His first draft has returned to him from the producers, and he is working on revisions so he can send the script along to the studio. He also suggested an announcement about the expected time frame for the film could likely come later this year, but noted the script was taking him longer than most projects typically do. His explanation? "Not all of them are my incredible incompetence. But some of them are. But the script is coming together in a way that's actually even surprising me, so I'm pretty excited. So we'll just have to wait." Whedon is also still holding out on his thoughts for a leading lady and other cast members, no doubt because it is still incredibly early in the process.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

New Villain for Wonder Woman Film

Here's an odd and somewhat unexpected bit of news from Joss Whedon regarding his script work on Wonder Woman. Apparently, Joss is going to avoid using any of the classic Wonder Woman villains in his new story,  instead opting to create a new nemesis. Joss has admitted to struggling more with this script than with anything he has previously written, because the studio has asked him to do quite a bit of rewriting. Whether or not the decision to go with a new hero comes from Joss or the studio is still unknown (if you've heard any info on that, please let us know).

It seems odd for a comic book film to depart so drastically from the actual story. I mean, it isn't like all comic book flicks are famous for their attention to canon or anything, but this is pretty big stuff.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Wonder Whining
Whedon on writing the script.

Comic book writer Brian Bendis interviewed comics scribe and filmmaker Joss Whedon for WizardUniverse.com, wherein Whedon discussed the troubles he is having bringing Wonder Woman to the silver screen.

"I am having enormous trouble with the script," Whedon admitted. "It's going very well and I'm loving life, but because it's only at script stage and there will be no discussion of casting before, I don't really deal with that. No, it's weird, I'm in my office and it's just me."

Whedon continued, "It's kept me busy for a long time. I'm finally finishing the second draft. I'm very happy with it, but wow! Wow, this one was like pulling teeth. It's tough. I would watch Batman Begins and just grumble, just bitch and moan, because he's got everything. He's got so much of the work done for him. He's got the best rogues' gallery. He's got the best origin story. Wonder Woman is a lot more to figure out. But it's coming together."

Joel Silver will produce Wonder Woman for Warner Bros.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

A Bollywood Wonder Woman
Source: Moviehole

Sprinkle this one with a grain of the salty stuff for the moment, but according to SneakPeek.TV and Hollywood North Report, Sunnydale-born filmmaker Joss Whedon may have his eyes set on a Bollywood beauty for the role of the Amazonian princess, "Wonder Woman".

Actress Priyanka Chopra (star of "Krrish" and "Blackmail") may indeed by Whedon's favourite for the role, at present, she could be, but what we've got to remember is that this 'little' film is being overseen by a smallish little producer named Joel Silver. Yep, captain cabbage is inevitably going to have a huge say in who gets the lead role in this thing - and from what I've heard, he wants a 'name' (Jessica Biel is his fave for the part, I believe).

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Another 'Wonder Woman' for WB
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Warner Bros. Pictures and Silver Pictures are quietly in the process of buying a "Wonder Woman" spec script from newcomers Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland, sources said.

The studio and producer Joel Silver have been developing a big-screen rendition of the DC Comics superhero, with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator Joss Whedon writing the script and attached to direct.

So why does the studio want another "Wonder Woman" script? Sources said the purchase is a pre-emptive measure aimed at taking the spec off the market to protect itself against the possibility that any similarities between the scripts could be fodder for future legal action. It is understood that the Jennison-Strickland script is set against the backdrop of World War II, while Whedon's script is set in the present day.

Silver has no interest in making a period "Wonder Woman," sources said. But as the spec script made the rounds, it landed at Silver Pictures, and executives there were impressed by Jennison and Strickland's writing.

"Wonder Woman" has long been in the hopper as a feature at Warners, and it went through several writers before Whedon came on board in March 2005. Jennison and Strickland are repped by Underground Films and attorney David Fox. Reps for Warners and Silver Pictures declined comment.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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MacGuffin

Joss Whedon Off Wonder Woman!
Source:ComingSoon

Joss Whedon has announced on his official Blog that he will no longer be writing and directing the Wonder Woman movie at Warner Bros. Pictures.:

SATIN TIGHTS NO LONGER. Joss will not be fighting for our rights after all.

You (hopefully) heard it here first: I'm no longer slated to make Wonder Woman. What? But how? My chest... so tight! Okay, stay calm and I'll explain as best I can. It's pretty complicated, so bear with me. I had a take on the film that, well, nobody liked. Hey, not that complicated.

Let me stress first that everybody at the studio and Silver Pictures were cool and professional. We just saw different movies, and at the price range this kind of movie hangs in, that's never gonna work. Non-sympatico. It happens all the time. I don't think any of us expected it to this time, but it did. Everybody knows how long I was taking, what a struggle that script was, and though I felt good about what I was coming up with, it was never gonna be a simple slam-dunk. I like to think it rolled around the rim a little bit, but others may have differing views.

The worst thing that can happen in this scenario is that the studio just keeps hammering out changes and the writer falls into a horrible limbo of development. These guys had the clarity and grace to skip that part. So I'm a free man.

Well, sorta. There is that "Goners" movie I can finally finish polishing, and plenty of other things in the hopper I've wanted to pursue. I'm as relieved as I am disappointed, and both of those things lead to drink, so that's a plus. Truly, you may be hearing some interesting things brewing in the coming months. But all potential jets therein will be visible.

But most importantly, I never have to answer THAT question again!!!! And you don't have to link to every rumor site! Finally and forever: I never had an actress picked out, or even a consistant front-runner. I didn't have time to waste on casting when I was so busy air-balling on the script. (No! Rim! There was rim!) That's the greatest relief of all. I can do interviews again!

Thanks for your time. You are the people who make the world go 'round. Or, no, science does that.

This announcement comes on the heels of yesterday's news that Warner Bros. has picked up a script from script from newcomers Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


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