The Wachowskis On ‘Wonder Woman’? We Investigate The Latest On Princess Diana’s Missing Movie



Since there is no Justice (League) anymore in the movie world, let’s do a little check in with its members’ solo missions. Warner Bros. has summoned “Dark Knight” Director Christopher Nolan for a third box-office booty call (he has yet to holla back) and the company’s president voiced his intent to launch a “Dark Knight”-y Superman — even if that does mean potentially mixing nerd-lore metaphors.

But what’s up with Wonder Woman?

“We’re waiting for the script to come in,” says producer Leonard Goldberg (”Charlie’s Angels”), who’s working on the film alongside Joel Silver.

And Hera help them, indeed: Goldberg has been trying to get a “Wonder Woman” film to take flight since the ’70s when he and then-business partner Aaron Spelling tried to lasso in Raquel Welch for the lead.

More recently, writer-director Joss Whedon (”Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), who never delivered a finished script, quit the project after Silver purchased a rival, WWII-centered script drafted by unknowns Matthew Jennison and Matt Strickland. (Whedon ultimately cited a difference in vision as the sticking point — but before he departed, he spoke with MTV about his vision for the project.)

“We’ve tried that route. We’ve had a writer-director work on it,” said Goldberg, who declined to comment specifically on the Whedon dustup. “But I’m old school. When we have a script to present to directors, we’ll sit down with them and see who has a take that blows us away.”

One rumored possibility: the Wachowski brothers (”The Matrix,” “Speed Racer”). “At one time, Joel [Silver] said they might have an idea. But they got diverted to another project [and] never followed through,” he said, before adding, “There may come a time when they will be focused on ‘Wonder Woman’ and may come up with whatever their take on it was. They’re certainly very talented guys. Their vision for movies — whether they’re successful or not — is always singular.”

For the time-being, Goldberg won’t go into details about the notes he and Silver gave to the Jennison/Strickland brain trust for “Wonder Woman’s” second draft — but he will discuss his broad expectations. “I can only speak for myself.… I would like it to be more current,” said Goldberg. “I hope that we don’t finally wind up doing the same story again: Steve Trevor flying, and his plane crashes onto the island [of Themyscira, Wonder Woman’s matriarchal homeland]. He’s supposed to be executed, and she saves his life. Perhaps we’ll do that in a very abbreviated fashion up front, and then come up with a story that no one has seen yet.”

And don’t expect this fetching heroine to be overtly sexed up, either: “Originally, a friend of mine sent me the initial copy of Ms. Magazine. On the cover was Wonder Woman, which got me to thinking about what an iconic figure she was for women,” he recalled. “So I don’t see any reason to do it. That separates her from Catwoman.”

Goldberg claims he and Silver haven’t started discussing the lucky lass who’ll play the super-powered Amazon royal, but notes, “I would go with a right unknown. People are not, in my opinion, going to come [to the theater] for the actress. They’re going to come for Wonder Woman.”

And just when can we come to see her? “I wanted it to be released in 1983,” he joked, without committing to a big-screen date in this century. So for the time being, fans of spangled leotard-tiara combos will just have to sit tight with the Wonder Woman animated movie, out February 2009.

Fox NOT Wonder Woman



While the idea of Megan Fox starring as Wonder Woman is an intriguing idea worthy of debate, it's not happening. The rumors started last week when a site popped up online with the URL www.wonder-who.com. The conceit being that an image would slowly be revealed to a major announcement. That reveal and announcement came yesterday as said mysterious image was revealed to be an image of Megan Fox as Wonder Woman. While it's an admirably done Photoshop of Fox in costume - and I can certainly appreciate the skills of the artist and the desire to see Megan Fox dressed as Diana, Princess of the Amazons - it's a total fake. Relax yourself fanboys, the tattooed one will not be starring in WONDER WOMAN. A Warner Bros. rep (whose logo you see pasted to the bottom of this poster) confirmed the site and it's contents are "complete BS."

So Fox isn't Wonder Woman but would she have made a good Wonder Woman? I'm inclined to believe that no; she's too young, too skinny and too one-note as an actress to carry the film. Yet we still, as a fanboy nation have yet to come to a consensus as to who would make the best Wonder Woman on film. Please leave your suggestions below but beware, the first person to suggest Charisma Carpenter is getting smacked.

Beyonce wants to lasso the role of Wonder Woman



Beyoncé is ready for an Amazon-sized challenge -- the pop superstar wants to be the first actress to wear Wonder Woman's famed red, white and blue bathing suit on the silver screen.

"I want to do a superhero movie and what would be better than Wonder Woman? It would be great. And it would be a very bold choice. A black Wonder Woman would be a powerful thing. It's time for that, right?"

Beyoncé says that she has met with representatives of DC Comics and Warner Bros. to express her interest in a major role in one of the many comic-book adaptations now in the pipeline following the massive success of "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man" and the "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" franchises. Beyoncé's acting to career to date has included a comedic role in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and two notable music world roles, the first as a quasi-Diana Ross character in "Dreamgirls" and as the defiant and heroin-addicted Etta James in the upcoming "Cadillac Records."

"After doing these roles that were so emotional I was thinking  to myself, 'OK, I need to be a superhero,'" Beyoncé told me this week when I met her for an interview in a suite atop the Rivington Hotel in New York. "Although, when you think about the psychology of the heroes in the films these days, they are still a lot of work, of course, and emotional. But there's also an action element that I would enjoy."



The recent success of sophisticated comic-book adaptations is the main reason for Beyoncé's interest, she said, but her focus on Wonder Woman was intensified earlier this year when she saw Lynda Carter's costume from the 1970s television show on display at the Costume Institute’s “Superhero” show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Beyoncé is in amazing shape right now (she had gained more than 20 pounds for the James role and came back from that leaner than before), but she said the Wonder Woman costume is an unforgiving one.

"I would definitely have to keep it right for that costume. The way that Lynda Carter wore it, she was sooo fine. She was amazing. I saw her costume at the Met. Her waist was unbelievable. It was pretty crazy, actually, her proportions. But I love Wonder Woman and it'd be a dream come true to be that character. It sure would be handy to have that lasso. To make everybody tell the truth? I need that. It would come in very handy."

The 27-year-old Houston native also recently finished work on the Scott Shill thriller "Obsessed" and, in her role as a woman whose husband is being stalked, she got her first experience with a staging a brawl for the camera.



"I play a wife fighting for her family and I have this big, big fighting scene with Ali Larter, who is an incredible actress. It took us days just to film it. I had my boots on and, wow, I got into it. So I really want that now. Now I have to do an action film. It's like dancing and choreography. And the superhero movies now, they're not corny, not corny at all, so that's what I want to do. And I would love if it could be Wonder Woman."

It''s not clear if anyone will be able to deliver a Wonder Woman project anytime soon, however. The heroine, who debuted in 1941, is by far the most iconic superhero who has yet to reach theaters. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Hulk and the Fantastic Four have all had multiple bites at the Hollywood apple and Captain America and Captain Marvel, both of whom were featured in 1940s serials, have adaptations now in the pipeline, as do Thor, Flash and Green Lantern.

"Catwoman" and "Elektra" both fizzled at the box office, which certainly didn't help the cause of female costumed characters as properties. In 2005, Warner Bros. announced with some fanfare that Joss Whedon of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame would bring the pride of Paradise Island to the screen but even his considerable affinity for strong female characters didn't help him deliver a script that stirred studio chiefs. Still, earlier this year Warner president Jeff Robinov said that a solo Wonder Woman project remains one of the studio's future plans as it mines the DC library.

If not Wonder Woman, what other character, either Marvel or DC, could Beyoncé want to portray? With a laugh, she said: "I'm open to suggestions!"

Well, anyone?

Beyonce Dreams Of Wonder Woman



That Wonder Woman movie keeps popping up occasionally, subject to fanboy ruminations of who should be handling the film (put it back in Joss Whedon’s hands!) and who should be wearing the costume (Megan Fox would be fine by me). A new actress would like fans to add her name to their wish list - musician Beyonce Knowles told the L.A. Times she’s very interested in playing the amazing amazon.

Through an interview, Beyonce said she’s actually met with representatives from both DC Comics and Warner Brothers to discuss an interest in putting on spandex of some sort. With lots of different comic book adaptations on the horizon, that sounds pretty reasonable, but Wonder Woman is setting awfully lofty aspirations, isn’t it? Especially for an actress who has barely cut her teeth in filmmaking, and very little of that being as demanding physically as a role like Wonder Woman would be.

My skepticism isn’t just due to the notion of the musician turned actress taking such a hefty role. Let’s be honest - female superheroes haven’t exactly done well in movies anyway. Catwoman? Elektra? Hell, X-Men 3 managed to take solid characters and ruin them rather effectively, so anyone stepping into Wonder Woman’s costume would be fighting an uphill battle.

Still, Beyonce sounds excited about the possibilities, even if they are only in her own head right now: ”I love Wonder Woman and it'd be a dream come true to be that character. It sure would be handy to have that lasso. To make everybody tell the truth? I need that. It would come in very handy."

McG for Wonder?



The big news of the day is, of course, that JURASSIC PARK III and THE WOLFMAN director Joe Johnston has signed on to direct the patriotic adventures of Steve Rogers in FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, but word also comes today, via the cool peeps at the IESB, that the long gestating WONDER WOMAN adaptation may have also found a director and it's none other than the ridiculously named McG. McG is currently knee deep in robots with the upcoming TERMINATOR SALVATION but apparently, the guy's been jonesing to take on a superhero project and, seeing as how SALVATION is garnering some surprisingly good early buzz, DC may just be inclined to let him have the golden lasso wielding Amazonian princess. Thoughts?

Extra Tidbit: If McG does sign on to direct, Megan Fox as Wonder Woman just became a very real possibility.

#WW84



Can't wait! For me, Wonder Woman (2017) is the best DCEU film to date.