Warner Bros. will soon be introducing audiences across the world to a Wonder Woman that's entrenched in history and mythology, and the studio has offered fans a stunning insight into the movie with their latest concept art release. While the studio is keeping a lid on reviews for the solo DC Extended Universe film for now, early reactions have been largely positive and the movie has quickly become the most anticipated release of summer 2017. All that hype is due, in part, to the unique setting of World War 1 and the deep mythological background of Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), the eponymous Amazonian warrior.
The exotic island of Themyscira and the smoggy industrial cityscapes of industrial-era Europe have featured prominently in the movie's marketing too. However, WB has now delved deeper than ever into the conceptual background to the movie, with the release of some stunning pieces of concept art.
Wonder Woman production designer Aline Bonetto shared some insights about the artwork with Entertainment Weekly, showing how the sense of grandeur and mythology was meant to be conveyed through the visuals of the movie. The first image in the concept art gallery below, offers a wonderful look at Diana's luscious home island Themyscira, which Bonetto describes as a fusion of the Greek isles and Chinese mountains, threaded together with a lot of flowing water:
"We really wanted to have water everywhere...The water in Themyscira was really feminine, a kind of energy that's across this island."
The images also delve into the throne room of Themyscira, which reflects the democratic monarchy of the island. A lack of walls leaves the room open to the elements to represent harmony with nature. Bonetto said of the distinctive spiral throne:
“The spiral, it’s a really primitive element...It’s a shape that you can find a lot in nature, in perfect things: in ferns when they grow and in the Nautilus shell.”
[vn_gallery name="Wonder Woman Concept Art" id="976493"]
One of the most lasting images from the Wonder Woman footage released thus far is the battle on the beach, which was filmed in southern Italy with some rock features being added in during post-production with special effects.
Wonder Woman is about Diana's journey into the industrious world of men, and Bonetto described that as an enormous inspiration for the visual aesthetic of the film. There's a definitive contrast between the locations of Europe and that of Themyscira, with darker palettes, smoke, and grittier weather blurring the frame. Yet there're also moments of warmth as Diana comes to find allies and even a "moment of magic" in these dark times.
Every hero is only as good as their villain however, and in Wonder Woman, Diana will have a few of them. Not only will she come up against Doctor Poison and the God of War Ares, she also comes directly into conflict with the increasing horrors of advanced, technological warfare (see the concept art for Doctor Poison's laboratory and the eerie toxic orange of a bomb factory).
Patty Jenkins has also confirmed that Wonder Woman doesn't have a single deleted scene, so expect to see all of these gorgeously-rendered locations in live-action when the movie hits theaters next week.
NEXT: Watch 6 Clips from Wonder Woman Now
Source: EW
