Screenwriter Marti Noxon (Buffy, Fright Night, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies) talked to FearNet about her dream project which would be Wonder Woman. Currently the only other name contending for the film is writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Bronson) who wants Ryan Gosling for a role and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) for Princess Diana. Apparently Nicolas' involvement will be factored on if Warner Bros. is happy with Logan's Run. I'm glad to hear more and more talk of a serious take on the female hero. Rather than rehashing the terrible sexist attributes of the television show.
"I would love to. To be honest - as scary as it is - part of me wishes I could take a crack at Wonder Woman. There was a moment where it looked like I might get involved in the TV version. She is one of the few in the canon that hasn't been exploited. There are reasons for that; there is stuff in her mythology that are really silly. The costume - she's in a star-spangled bathing suit! And she uses a "lasso of truth" and rides around in an invisible plane. But they don't have to be that way. I definitely have a point of view about that. If I could do it, and nobody could "yell at me"... if the internet wasn't poised to explode in hate, no matter what you did, I would be out there, really pushing for it"
We haven't heard much since director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Pusher Trilogy) began his campaign to make his gritty Wonder Woman film. Previously Ryan Gosling said he'd be up to take a role in the purposed projected if offered just to work with Nicolas again. The pair are about to start work on the Logan's Run remake for Warner Bros.
During promotion for the upcoming heist thriller Drive the director gave another bit of casting hopes this time involving the lead. Nicolas wants Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, Drive) for the Wonder Woman role and also would like a crack at writing the film.
Along with the news of a reboot for Batman Warner Bros' Jeff Robinov also spoke out on other DC hero projects. He confirms that script a for a new Justice League film is currently in the works. It's unknown if this a completely new take or a reworking of the previous script for George Miller's Justice League of America that got scrapped. What is known that Christopher Nolan will likely be involved as he is producing both the Superman and Batman reboots. I wouldn't be shocked to see him also producing Justice League and other future DC films. As it sits Ryan Reynolds and Henry Cavill seem like the only actors set for the film.
He also confirms that The Flash and Wonder Woman are still in development. Last we heard of Wonder Woman there was a version in the works with Joss Whedon directing and Joel Silver producing. It's possible it could be a different take and be reworked to fall in a similar world of the new films. It's great news as fans have reservations of the new Wonder Woman television series which looks like it could end up really bad. Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Pusher Trilogy, Bronson, Logan's Run) had openly campaigned to direct a gritty Wonder Woman film and now that he's directing Warner Bros' Logan's Run it's strong possibility he could be hired. As for Flash, script had been delivered to the studio back in December but no director has been announced.
Of course this sounds in line with previous talk of the DC heroes taking over for the Harry Potter franchise. So I expect we could be seeing two DC films a year one in the summer and one during the Christmas season. Not mentioned is the fate of the Green Arrow film Supermax written by David S. Goyer (Superman: Man of Steel, Nolan's Batman Films, Blade) or the rumored Aquaman project. If they are on the road of a Justice League film they really should put Supermax back in development as Green Arrow would be needed to ground the film slightly as he doesn't have superpowers. One thing that grounds the Avengers is the fact that characters like Hawkeye, Black Widow, Maria Hill and Nick Fury don't have superpowers but are still great heroes.
With the success of Marvel Comics films, DC Comics has been desperately making efforts to keep things competitive in Hollywood and cash in on America’s resurrected love of graphic novels. Justice League’s Wonder Woman has been a film that DC Comics have been working on developing of over the past three years. From Megan Fox, to Amber Heard and even Jessica Biel many names have been rumored and attached to the film, that has recently been abandon. But fear not, Friday Night Lights Adrianne Palicki is taking over…in a new TV series. A Wonder Woman television show is currently in pre-production and is expected to air its pilot on NBC soon. So for those of you who were hoping to see a Justice League movie or even a Wonder Woman movie any time soon, unfortunately with the development of this show, its very unlikely.
Ryan Gosling is no stranger to the world of casting rumors he previous had been mentioned as a contender for Green Lantern. Now Ryan is starting his own comic book rumors while talking to ThePlaylist during his current press junket for Blue Valentine.
He mentions director Nicolas Winding Refn's passion for Wonder Woman. Along with the possibility of starring in The Flash if Refn was directing. Gosling is working with Refn on Drive which he mentions could get a sequel. Going with director Nicolas Winding Refn would be similar to hiring Christopher Nolan for Batman and Darren Aronofsky for The Wolverine.
“I mean, I’m not actively looking for [a franchise],” Gosling qualified, “It would be like, ‘Who’s directing it, what’s the story? ....He’s [Refn] talked to me about Wonder Woman. They should totally let him do it.”
“If Nicolas wanted to do ‘The Flash’....I don’t know. I’d probably have to think about it.”
Auteur director Nicolas Winding Refn has been campaigning to direct Wonder Woman. He recently talked about the film and hopes his next project Drive starring Ryan Gosling will give him some Hollywood-cred. His approach sounds interesting enough that DCE would be crazy not to think it over.
"I'm very optimistic about 'Drive.' The people [working on it] are great. So ask me in a year if I liked my Hollywood experience, but I have this dream concept: I want to make Wonder Woman as a feature And I thought in order to access to that I should probably become a bit more Hollywood friendly."
"They've been working on it for 40 years, he said. "It's going to be a concept that keep evolving for decades unless someone makes it. There's a million takes on it. She is, along with Batman and Superman one of the three original, iconic super heroes. And I think that it being a woman and she being created by a psychologist who was very interested in certain fetish elements — if you look at the original Wonder Woman its all about woman in very little clothes tying each other up, I don't know what you would call that, but I would call it quite fetish. And then giving her interesting powers and having her come from an island of woman. To me the real rosebud lies in the fact that its really about, what if women were stronger than men on all fronts: how would the world look like? If you do her as an average crusader in hot pants running around — which of course you have to do to some extent— but if you don't go beyond that its going to be really cheesy or silly and sure they'll be action, but its nothing special."
HeatVision was able to get confirmation that the Superman reboot will be released December 2012. Flash is moving towards getting greenlit. There is also word that Wonder Woman and Aquaman films are currently in development. I still believe that Wonder Woman should be DC Entertainment's priority before Flash.
DC Entrainment and Warner Bros. have made some interesting directorial choices in the past. Previously with Christopher Nolan for Batman Begins, Zack Snyder for Watchmen, Neveldine/Taylor for Jonah Hex (before they left) and recently Vincenzo Natali (Splice) for Swamp Thing. Now there is word from a BBC interview that Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Pusher Trilogy) is interested in directing the Wonder Woman film. This could be one of the biggest gutsy moves from the studio if this happens. Refn has one of the best track records in making cool as shit films. If anyone can make a serious film about Wonder Woman it would be Nicolas. He comes from a similar auteur film making sensibility as Nolan and could really pump new life into the character.
"After Valhalla Rising I thought the most surprising thing for me would be to go to Los Angeles and do a studio movie. Coming from a movie where I had complete control — I also own the movie — and had complete, kind of like, accessibility around me, and then going to Hollywood and doing a film within the studio, which is very much the opposite, I thought could be a very interesting experience for me."
"I guess one of the aims I am having, but at the very early stage, I always wanted to do Wonder Woman as a feature film…Well, I would say that Wonder Woman is probably something that, to me, would be not just a satisfaction, but almost a [catharsis], and I was born to make it."
