Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins is looking forward to returning to the DC Extended Universe so she can make a sequel to her worldwide blockbuster. After the first film earned near-universal praise and broke box office records, it was all but a guarantee Warner Bros. would move forward on Wonder Woman 2. Star Gal Gadot has a standalone sequel option as part of her multi-picture contract with the studio, but contrary to previous reports, Jenkins remains unsigned for the followup. Negotiations on a new deal will begin soon, and all parties involved hope to reach an agreement in the near future.
Even before Wonder Woman became the phenomenon it is, Jenkins was discussing her ideas for sequels, so it's clear she has a lot of passion for the material. Given how successful her initial DC outing was, WB would be quite wise to lock her in for the longterm (before another rival property scoops Jenkins up). From the sound of things, the filmmaker is game to come back as long as all the pieces fall into place.
While on Conan (hat tip Comic Book), Jenkins briefly touched on the prospect of her helming Wonder Woman 2, mentioning that it remains a work in progress:
“We’re working on it. I hope to. I’d love it. I love the world, and we are all very excited about it.”
WB is in the earliest stages of putting Wonder Woman 2 together, as they're now incorporating a "wait and see" approach before green-lighting projects for their key franchise. Per the latest reports, executives wanted to hold off until after the opening weekend numbers came in before forging ahead. Now that they know there's a high amount of interest in the adventures of Diana Prince, they're more confident in making the character a major part of the DCEU. The future slate for the brand is very much up in the air at this point, with several projects in various stages of development - such as Gotham City Sirens and Batgirl. It appears the studio is still in the process of figuring things out and is waiting for the right time to unveil their new plan.
In all likelihood, Jenkins will be able to score a lucrative deal with WB, but ideally money won't be an issue in securing her return. Wonder Woman has left a huge impact on the pop culture landscape, marking the next step forward for the superhero genre as a whole. As the director, Jenkins was obviously an integral part of that, and she's become as synonymous with the movie as Gadot. Since Jenkins wants to come back, WB will probably do whatever it takes to ensure her creative voice and talents stick around for the next handful of years.
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Source: Conan (via Comic Book)
