Warner Bros. has fast-tracked development on another installment in DC Comic’s Wonder Woman franchise.
Gal Gadot will return to star as the titular heroine and Patty Jenkins again writing and directing the concluding entry in the superhero trilogy.
The announcement comes on the heels of the release of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ the studio’s superhero sequel that debuted on the company’s streaming service and in select movie theaters on Christmas Day.
Warner Bros. said the third ‘Wonder Woman’ movie will have a traditional theatrical release.
“As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of ‘Wonder Woman 1984,’ we are excited to be able to continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy,” said Warner Bros. chief Toby Emmerich.
Though many opted to watch ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ at home, the film still generated surprisingly robust ticket sales — at least for pandemic times. It collected $16.7 million from 2,100 North American theaters, the best opening weekend to date in the coronavirus era.
In terms of HBO Max viewers, the studio said nearly half of the platform’s retail subscribers watched the film on Friday, with millions more viewing through cable or wireless access. HBO Max, which launched in May, currently has 12.6 million active users.
“‘Wonder Woman 1984’ broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the service, and the interest and momentum we’re seeing indicates this will likely continue well beyond the weekend,” said Andy Forssell, head of
WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer business. “During these very difficult times, it was nice to give
families the option of enjoying this uplifting film at home, where theater viewing wasn’t an option.”
Nothing is known yet about the final chapter in the Wonder Woman trilogy. The sequel, which had been delayed numerous times amid the pandemic, starred Kristen Wiig as the villainous Cheetah,
Pedro Pascal as the over-the-top businessman Max Lord and Chris Pine as Diana’s love interest, Steve Trevor.
Gadot’s Wonder Woman will be seen next in Zack Snyder’s four-part cut of ‘Justice League,’ due on HBO Max in 2021.