Patty Jenkins is close to closing a deal to direct Wonder Woman 2 with terms that will make her the highest paid female director in Hollywood. Warner Bros. launched their DC Extended Universe early last year with Zack Snyder's Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, a follow up to the director's Man of Steel that introduced all the major heroes of the burgeoning superhero universe. While Henry Cavill's Superman and Ben Affleck's Batman were the titular heroes of the blockbuster, Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman also made a big impression on fans as one of the universal highlights of Snyder's film. Batman V Superman was followed by David Ayer's Suicide Squad, but Diana Prince next appeared in the DCEU leading her own film in Jenkins' Wonder Woman.

Prior to the debut of Wonder Woman, the narrative surrounding the DCEU was divisive at best, with many criticizing Warner Bros' superhero universe for being too dark - among other things - while others had enjoyed Snyder and Ayer's movies. Wonder Woman, however, was the first unmitigated success of the DCEU, earning largely positive reviews from critics and moviegoers alike and scoring big at the box office; Wonder Woman is the biggest movie of the Summer 2017 season and will soon pass the $800 million mark at the worldwide box office. As a result, Warner Bros has already announced Wonder Woman 2, with the sequel set to hit theaters in December 2019. Now, the followup is close to locking down a director.

Deadline is reporting that Jenkins is close to closing a deal to direct Wonder Woman 2 that will see her being paid "substantially" more than she made on Wonder Woman and put her on par with a male director whose movie had performed much better at the box office than projections indicated. As such, Jenkins will become the highest paid female director in Hollywood.

Gal Gadot and Patty Jenkins on the Wonder Woman set

Of course, many wondered why Warner Bros. hadn't announced Jenkins as the director of Wonder Woman 2 when the sequel was confirmed at Comic-Con International in San Diego earlier this summer - or even before then, when it was reported the studio had plans to announce the followup. Many expected Jenkins to return as director given the success of the first film, and she even made comments seemingly indicating it was a done deal. Now we know the deal wasn't quite done, and that's because she was justifiably negotiating for a more substantial payday. Since there has been a great deal of discussion pertaining to the low number of female directors in Hollywood, as well as the pay gap among directors, Jenkins' deal will be a step forward.

Though it's unclear whether Gadot has done the same renegotiating for Wonder Woman 2, her initial contract with Warner Bros. for the Diana Prince role only included her appearances in Batman V Superman, Wonder Woman, and the still upcoming Justice League. If the actress hasn't yet renegotiated her contract for additional appearances, it's likely that will be done in the time before Wonder Woman 2 begins filming.

DC Films head Geoff Johns already revealed he started working on the script for the Wonder Woman sequel and with the DCEU entry locking down a late 2019 release date, it will likely head into production early next year. Now that Wonder Woman 2 is extremely close to locking down its director - the deal hasn't yet been officially completed - Warner Bros, Johns, and Jenkins can move ahead on one of the more highly anticipated films on the upcoming DCEU slate.

Next: How Chris Pine Can Return for Wonder Woman 2

Source: Deadline

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