A satisfying contemporary screen rendition of feminist comic book icon Wonder Woman has thus far proven to be an undecipherable riddle for the male-dominated film and television entertainment industry. That’s despite the best efforts of people like Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers) and David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, Boston Legal), whose interpretations were either rejected or went amiss due to an admitted lack of familiarity with comic tropes, in the latter’s case.
TV veteran writer/producer Allan Heinberg (The O.C., Grey’s Anatomy) has been putting together the pilot script for a CW show titled Amazon, an origin series that does for Diana of Themyscira what Smallville did for Kal-El; namely, humanize the character during their pre-superhero days. However, network heads are staving off another potential failed Wonder Woman adaptation – by allowing Heinberg more time to refine the script to their satisfaction, before ordering the pilot.
Deadline is reporting that CW ordered eight pilots for the Fall 2013 season, but has rolled Amazon back to 2014; though, the site also claims network officials are mulling over an off-cycle order (like, say, a mid-season premiere) that would allow production to begin sooner, assuming Heinberg’s final draft impresses.
The series began casting before a script was finished; just two weeks ago, Amy Manson (Torchwood, Being Human) was tapped as front-runner for the Diana role. However, progress was ultimately halted, in part because Amazon presents such a potentially lucrative opportunity (see: ten seasons of Smallville and the current CW superhero hit Arrow). The CW intends to avoid a fiasco on par with the hostile fan reception for – and, in the end, wasted investment of – the NBC Wonder Woman TV show from Kelley, so moving ahead with caution doesn’t seem like a bad idea (especially for all those hoping Amazon doesn’t prove to be yet another failed WW project).
Amazon takes place in the present (similar to Kelley’s series), but Warner Bros. TV president Peter Roth indicated to THR last year that the CW’s superhero program won’t be taking its cues from that pilot, for obvious reasons:
“I think Wonder Woman was a very well crafted pilot… As well crafted and contemporized as it was, it was a big and radical shift for viewers to embrace this new idea — and that may, to some degree, have had to do with why it didn’t make it.”
Indeed, leaked audition scenes from the Amazon pilot suggests Heinberg – who also wrote “Young Avengers” for Marvel Comics – might be taking inspiration from director Lauren Montgomery’s well-received animated Wonder Woman movie, alongside other forms of credible source material (re: actual WW comics). Indeed, the CW believes that Heinberg’s on the right track; according to THR, it’s leaving the door open for Amazon to receive a pilot order within the near future, should the final script turn out well.
More on Amazon as the story develops.
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I think a Wonder Woman series will be a great idea and I think the Origin of Princess Diana be alot different. I think the Pre-Crisis/Current Versions should be tight in.
I like to see Princess Diana taken down Ares (The God of War) and Cheetah. Remember she is stationed in the U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon with Steve Trevor during War World 2. I will like to see her as Sgt. Diana Prince instead Yeoman.
bad name for a tv show name amazon who idea is that
A show would be cool. But is rather see a movie. I think a movie could work. It just has to be done the right way.
Two things:
She needs to be extremely hot and bad a$$!
The story needs to fit with the movie universe some how and not a completely different character…
Please!
Back in 1998 Warner Bros announced that Catherine Zeta-Jones was considered to play “The Amazing Amazon”. The Wonder Woman movie was going to be directed by Ivan Reitman. I think Catherine Zeta-Jones can make an effort playing Queen Hippolyte. But I choose Cate Blanchett to play Queen Hippolyte. I heard every Wonder Woman fans decided to see Lynda Carter playing Queen Hippolyte. But Lynda can make a great cameo in the Wonder Woman movie. If she decide not to. It’s up to her.
But for the AMAZON series I like to see Heather Locklear or Lauren Graham playing Wonder Woman’s mother Hippolyte.
No TV show. Stick to the big screen.
Yes they should stick to the bigscreen!!!
I would love a good TV show, but I think that film is a better medium for Diana’s backstory. It should really be genuinely epic – especially if they are going to set it in Themyscira.
As far as the other television shows, they are good ideas in theory, but Smallville got pretty ridiculous in its later seasons, and Arrow strikes me as kind of boring – that is, I wouldn’t be watching it if I didn’t know that it was about Green Arrow. So…TV can be hit-and-miss.
WB has NO f*kcing idea WHAT to do with Wonder Woman. It’s failure, after failure, after failure.
How does Warner Brothers expect to put together a Justice League flick when they don’t even know what to do with Wonder Woman?!
It doesn’t have to be that hard. People KNOW who Wonder Woman is! She’s been around for a long time and she has street cred.
WB blew it with the last Superman flick ( Superman Returns ). Disaster. And they also failed miserably with The Green Lantern.
The only good thing I see happening is that FINALLY we will get THE Superman movie we all deserve. A successful one.
Batman? He’s done ( Nolan’s version ) and won’t even be a part of the Justice League. Batman will have to start ALL over again.
I’m a DC fan and I’m just disgusted with them. They have no idea as to how to get their house in order.
Disney and Marvel know how to get things done. I salute them.
I… have to agree with you on this.
For a company who is trying to launch Justice League in 2015, they need to introduce their characters in a way that people would become familiar, and TV is one of the best media. However, with the whole rumor about Young Justice and Green Lantern TV, and then this news… it sounded like they simply couldn’t do their thing… ‘right’? I’m not sure about the word I’m trying to say, but yeah… I’m sure everyone get the whole idea.
I seriously think all of these will affect the 2015 movie, but hey… let’s hope for the best, but expect the worst too
Take your time and do it right. Rush it and we ALL pay.
I agreed with the other poster, I would prefer a movie but if a TV Series is all we can get at this time it’s okay. I would said to CW/WB you all ready have the perfect Wonder Woman appearing on Beauty and the Beast….Bridget Regan. Did you see her in the last episode. If you want hot and sexy Bridget is the one.
Agree Bridget Regan would the perfect Wonder Woman for movie or TV series. However if they don’t cast Bridget, might as well not even attempt it at all.
As an almost 30 years or so fan, I think the main problem is that none of the people who intend to do something with the character seems to be very ignorant about the story of it. Once I saw an interview with Whedon saying that she didn’t really “have much of an enemy gallery you can use… my only thought at the time was “he must be high”.
WB as much as DC Entertainment itself seems to be very lost about the character itself and focus on stupid issues like her uniform.
A Wonder Woman film should be as big as a Supes or Bats flick.