Anais Gutierrez
Wonder Woman amassed $100.5 million on its debut weekend. The superhero flick starring Gal Gadot and directed by Patty Jenkins also became the biggest blockbuster ever directed by a woman. According to Warner Bros, the much-anticipated movie easily surpassed industry expectations with one of the summer’s biggest debuts.
Wonder Woman broke records in its first weekend:
Wonder Woman definitely conquered milestones and movie myths and delivered the greatest surprise to the summer’s movie debuts. Wonder Woman grossed an estimated $500.5 million on its debut weekend in the U.S and Canada. opening in 4,165 locations.
These numbers make it not only the best-reviewed superhero film of all time and the highest domestic opening for a female director. But also officially make it the first female-fronted superhero blockbuster.
The numbers came in well above analyst projections, which calculated somewhere between $80 to $90 million; and the studio’s more modest expectations of $65 million to $70 million. The film added $122.5 million internationally, including $38 million in China. The film has also received overwhelmingly positive reviews with a 93% positive rating on critic site Rotten Tomatoes.
Compared with other superhero flicks, Wonder Woman’s $100.5 million outranks the domestic openings of Iron Man ($98.6 million), Doctor Strange ($85 million) and Thor ($65.7 million).
The feature has also represented a much-needed charge for the summer box office. So far, the season’s only blockbuster has been Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which made $355.5 domestically.On top of that, Wonder Woman represents a turning point for Warner Bros. and DC Comics, who have struggled in recent years to match the Marvel-Disney duo.
Give it up for girl power
The astronomical success of the lasso-wielding Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, took the superhero’s panorama by storm and made clear there’s room for a much-needed girl power.
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ distribution chief, said “There is something special about Gal Gadot, but something timely about Wonder Woman. She is a character that just has been embraced worldwide.”
Diana Prince, Princess of the Amazons and better known as Wonder Woman has been around for about 75 years. The legendary warrior has long saved the world in DC comic books and TV shows. More recently, she fought alongside Batman and Superman. But it wasn’t until now that she claimed her well-deserved place in the pantheon of superheroes.
Wonder Woman changes the only male superheroes dynamic.The character moves into the top drawing the attention of both male and female fans. The film is all about girl power, on both sides, with a superhero in front of the camera, and an Oscar-nominated female director behind the camera.
Female represantation in the movie industry
The celebration comes in the ongoing conversation about diversity and representation in Hollywood. Women have long struggled to get behind the camera of Hollywood’s biggest productions. In fact, female directors accounted for just 9 percent of the 150 top grossing movies in 2015, and 7 percent in 2016. Which is why is so important that the $150-million film was directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins.
Her last film, ‘Monster’, for which star Charlize Theron won an Oscar, was made more than a decade ago. Jenkins stroke back and did well. Wonder Woman now holds the title for the best domestic opening by a female director, replacing Fifty Shades of Grey’s directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson ($85.1 million).
“This character on its own at any time would have resonated, but [Jenkins’] view of what this story is, her vision, this tone, just really connected,” Goldstein said. “She did a spectacular job tonally.”
Breaking Hollywood’s ceiling glass
The Wonder Woman success also contributes to an unmistakable moment for women in Hollywood, which has been under attack for pervasive sexism. Last month, Sofia Coppola became just the second woman in 70 years, to win the best director at Cannes. It was at the same Festival, that Jessica Chastain addressed the importance of female representation in the industry.
However, Wonder Woman seems to have opened the gate for more female-led, stories. Starting right now, with the summer titles. Kathryn Bigelow, the only woman to ever won an Oscar for directing, has one of the most anticipated films of the summer in Detroit. Which follows a 1967 police raid and set to release on August 4. Then there’s ‘The Mummy’, starring Sofia Boutella; the comedies Rough Night and Grils Trip. And Charlize Theron’s ‘Atomic Blonde’.
“You see certain properties strike a cultural nerve — hit the zeitgeist — and ‘Wonder Woman’ truly serves as a prime example,” Jeff Goldstein.
Wonder Woman’s success will probably encourage studios to do more to equalize the playing field. And that’s happening now. Sony and Marvel have both announced major superhero films about female characters (Silver Sable, Black Cat) that are directed or co-directed by women.
It was time to break that ceiling glass!
Source: LA Times.
