The Rebirth of Wonder Woman?

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

Since the end of the Lynda Carter era in 1979, there have been several efforts to bring Wonder Woman back to life - or, at least, live-action. In the late 90's, Deborah Joy LeVine, the creator of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, was involved in a project, but the attempt foundered, apparently due to problems casting the lead.

A live-action feature has also been kicking around Hollywood since the turn of the millennium. Joss Whedon was announced as writer-director in 2005, but backed out a couple of years later, citing the inevitable "studio differences." That project now appears to be back in development hell, with vague promises of a release date sometime in 2013.

But last month, a bombshell was dropped, with news that David E. Kelley - the creator of Ally McBeal and Boston Legal - was working on a treatment for Warner Bros Television. Beyond that, and the subsequent speculation, actual news regarding the show has been very limited. It was reported "NBC has picked it up, and the show is tentatively slated to run in 2011."

The news follows the comic-book heroine's costume change at the start of July, designed by DC Comics' Co-Publisher Jim Lee. While fan reaction was "mixed," shall we say, series artist Don Kramer said it was necessary. "I'm of the contention that her running around in a bathing suit didn't work well for her in battle, so I'm a big fan of the pants. That's my favorite part of everything. That needed to happen."

The question on everyone's lips is, naturally, who will play the heroine? Whoever it is, it won't be Megan Fox, who [url]told the London Times[/url]

Quote:

“Wonder Woman is a lame superhero. She flies around in her invisible jet and her weaponry is a lasso that makes you tell the truth. I just don’t get it. Somebody has a big challenge on their hands whoever takes that role but I don’t want to do it.”

A bit of a shame, since the lovely piece of Photoshop work below suggests she would fit the role:

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

Quote:

There’s really only one actress Joss Whedon sees in the role. When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator was writing his never-produced WW script for Warner Bros. five years ago, he modeled the character on the closest thing he could find to a real Amazon goddess. “For me, Wonder Woman was basically Angelina Jolie,” he says. “She spends a lot of time flying around. She works in a lot of different countries. She’s very global. And she’s appalled by the way people treat each other.”

Link

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

Or not...

Wonder Woman Rejected by All Major Networks

Quote:

[David E.] Kelley intended to do a contemporary take on the popular DC Comics heroine for Warner Bros. TV. Fox was not considered a good fit for the show's subject matter, and ABC has too strong of a connection with Disney, who recently acquired the rights to Marvel, and have been developing projects for the network such as the new Hulk series. So ABC considered taking on DC's Wonder Woman a conflict of interests. The series then went to the CW, home of Smallville, where it was quickly decided that they couldn't afford it. NBC and CBS both also passed on the project.

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

David E. Kelley 'Optimistic' Viewers Will See 'Wonder Woman' Next Year

Quote:

"I think the likelihood is we'll see it next year," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm being optimistic but I don't think I'm being unrealistic." Kelley noted that the script was "rolled out very late in the game" and said that he would bring the project back to NBC, which reportedly passed. The project reportedly failed to move forward there due to executive reshuffling.

He said that the network, premiering his new legal drama Harry's Law on Monday, which he was promoting at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, would be a "good home for it" under incoming programming chief Robert Greenblatt. "I like to think of it as a smart script and I know he responds to smart material," Kelley said Thursday of his vision in which Wonder Woman would be explored as a "real complex woman and not just a superhero." Kelley also mentioned that it's a "possibility" Wonder Woman could land at cable.

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

NBC Picks Up David E. Kelley's 'Wonder Woman'

Quote:

New NBC entertainment president Bob Greenblatt capped a day of high-profile pilot pickups with a surprise order to David E. Kelley's Wonder Woman reboot... WBTV took Kelley's Wonder Woman spec out to the networks in the first week of January. At the time, NBC was the most interested but, with Greenblatt still on the sidelines, the network couldn't commit to the type of license fee that the studio was seeking in order to do the show Kelley had envisioned, and WBTV decided to shelve the project.

With Greenblatt now firmly taking the reins and Kelley just delivering one of the most promising new series for NBC this season, Harry's Law, NBC stepped up to greenlight Wonder Woman. The project is described as a reinvention of the iconic D.C. comic in which Wonder Woman -- aka Diana Prince -- is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life.

Russ_1uk · **Joined:** Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:08 am **Posts:** 15

I'm always leery of the term "reimagining"...

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

Why Wonder Woman Belongs on Television, Where Female Superheroes Thrive
Not certain about the logic, with claims such as:

Quote:

With the exception of the Alien franchise (starring Sigourney Weaver) and the handful of action pictures starring Angelina Jolie (Tomb Raider, Wanted, Salt, etc), there has never been a truly female-driven action franchise.

I think Milla Jovovich and her four Resident Evil movies might want a quiet word with the author... However, I can see this point:

Quote:

On the big screen, Wonder Woman would be judged as a gender experiment first and a film second, analyzed within an inch of its life for its feminist qualities or lack there-of. On television, Princess Diana is just one of the gals, standing with pride alongside the likes of Buffy Summers, Dana Scully, and She-Ra.

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

BleedingCool.com got their hands on a copy of a draft script for the Wonder Woman TV pilot, and have posted their review. To summarize:

Quote:

It’s a slightly goofy comedy-drama about a hotshot business woman who moonlights as a superheroine, packed with Girl Power pop-songs and including the awkward phrase “You go, girl.” But does it work? Well, some of the jokes are good, but the general dramatic situation seems a bit thin, the character relationships are, to be kind, familiar, and there’s nothing in the plot that merits any special recognition. As Buffy-inspired as this script no doubt was, Joss Whedon it ain’t.

Meanwhile Deadline reports that Jeffrey Reiner "is finalizing a deal" to direct the pilot reboot. Reiner has directed a number of episodes of The Event, and also did the pilot for now-cancelled SyFy series, Caprica. He replaced Charlie's Angels director, McG, who had been connected to the pilot.

Yāoguài · **Joined:** Mon Feb 07, 2011 2:06 am **Posts:** 68

Oh good lord.

Jim McLennan · **Joined:** Thu Oct 21, 2010 8:03 pm **Posts:** 470

The title role for the reboot has been cast, and has gone to Adrianne Palicki, who is (somewhat) known as the bad girl on Friday Night Lights - the director of the pilot, Jeffrey Reiner, also worked on that show. I never watched it, but I did see her recently, playing the diner waitress carrying the unborn last hope of humanity in Legion. She's 5'11" without shoes, so would certainly seem to have the physical presence, and doesn't seem like she had much competition - Deadline.com reports she was the only one to screen-test.

What? You want a poorly-Photoshopped picture of Palicki in the costume? Here you go, courtesy of MTV.

The Rebirth of Wonder Woman?

The Rebirth of Wonder Woman?

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