Wonder Woman Director Tripled Her Salary For Sequel

After the success of Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins negotiated for a higher salary to direct the film's upcoming sequel, Wonder Woman 2; now we know what her salary is for the sequel an how much of an improvement it is. Warner Bros. and DC Films released Wonder Woman last spring to great critical and financial success. It was the most well received DC Films Universe entry, and earned more than $821 million at the worldwide box office. Thanks to the film's success, Warner Bros. announced Wonder Woman 2 at Comic-Con International in San Diego last summer.

Both Diana Prince portrayer Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins returned for the sequel. Additionally, it was reported Jenkins was negotiating for a higher salary on Wonder Woman 2, using the success of the first film as leverage. Thanks to a new report about celebrity salaries in Hollywood, we now know exactly what Jenkins is earning for the superhero sequel, and how it compares to her salary for Wonder Woman.

Variety is reporting Jenkins will earn $9 million to direct Wonder Woman 2, which is triple what she earned on Wonder Woman. Though the exact amount Jenkins earned for Wonder Woman isn't listed in Variety's report, it was previously reported by THR to be around $1 million. However, that's likely not the total of what Jenkins ended up earning for Wonder Woman since many actors and directors receive bonuses based on a film's box office. So it's possible she earned closer to a total of $3 million for Wonder Woman, explaining how her $9 million base salary for Wonder Woman 2 triples her earnings on the first film. Of course, after bonuses based on the sequel's box office, she could wind up earning even more than $9 million.

Even before Jenkins closed her deal for Wonder Woman 2, she was expected to become the highest paid female director in Hollywood. In comparison, romantic comedy director Nancy Meyers reportedly earned around $5 million at her most successful. Considering the success of the first Wonder Woman film, it's no wonder Warner Bros. would be willing to pay her a much higher salary to return - and it's one that's on par with male directors of the same caliber. Certainly, Wonder Woman is undeniably the biggest success of the studio's current DC Films Universe, which has struggled both with critics and at the box office.

However, the future of the DC universe is looking bright. Wonder Woman 2 starts filming this summer, with Kristen Wiig playing villain Cheetah and Wonder Woman star Chris Pine returning for the 1980s-set superhero adventure. Before the sequel hits theaters, though, James Wan's Aquaman debuts later this year and David F. Sandberg's Shazam! releases next spring. The future of the DC Films Universe is undoubtedly different than many expected it to be a few years ago.

That said, the fans that made Wonder Woman such a success are likely pleased to see Gadot's Diana Prince as one of the major figures in the superhero franchise's future. And, with Jenkins using that success to negotiate a higher salary for the sequel, breaking records for female filmmakers along the way, it's safe to say Wonder Woman 2 is championing progress for women both on and off screen.