Wednesday, 14 December 2022

Hollywood Reporter; Patty Jenkins Breaks Silence on ‘Wonder Woman 3’: “There Was Nothing I Could Do to Move Anything Forward”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Patty Jenkins has broken her silence on Wonder Woman 3.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news Dec. 7 that Jenkins iteration of Wonder Woman 3 was not moving forward after she submitted a treatment to Warners leadership.

A day later, The Wrap reported that Jenkins walked away from the project after a dispute over notes with the studio.

In a statement shared on her Twitter, Jenkins began by writing, “Sigh…I’m not one to take about private career matters, but I will not allow inaccuracies to continue. Here are the facts.”

“When there started being backlash about WW3 not happening, the attractive clickbait false story that it was me that killed it or walked away started to spread,” Jenkins wrote. “This is simply not true. I never walked away. I was open to considering anything asked of me. It was my understanding that there was nothing I could do to move anything forward at this time. DC is obviously buried in changes they are having to make, so I understand these decisions are difficult right now.”

She continued, “I do not want what has been a beautiful journey with WW to land on negative note. I have loved and been so honored to be the person who got to make these last two Wonder Woman films. She is an incredible character. Living in and around her values makes one a better person every day. I wish her and her legacy an amazing future ahead, with or without me.”

Jenkins went on to praise “absolute legend” Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman who appeared briefly in Wonder Woman 1984, and franchise Gal Gadot, whom she called “the greatest gift I have received in this whole journey. A cherished friend, inspiration, and sister.

Continued Jenkins: “There are no words I can use to convey how magical she is. She is the walking embodiment of Wonder Woman in real life and a better person than the world can imagine. Never once in the millions of moments I have spent with her did I see anything less. She is a gift to this world, and even more so, to me.”

Jenkins came to prominence with 2003’s Monster, which earned Charlize Theron a best actress Oscar. After spending years in the world of television, she became a top director with Wonder Woman, the groundbreaking 2017 film that was the first studio superhero movie directed by a woman. The film earned acclaim and $822.8 million globally. She went on to direct Wonder Woman 1984, which in 2020 was released day-and-date on HBO Max amid the pandemic and received tepid views.

Jenkins also addressed another project, the Star Wars feature Rogue Squadron, which presumably was dead after Lucasfilm indefinitely delayed it last year. However, she noted it is still in active development and that after delaying the project to focus on Wonder Woman 3, Lucasfilm offered her a new contract and she is still working on it, though she is unclear if it will get made or not.

The move comes weeks into the tenure of new DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran, who are soon expected to present a DC plan to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

Gunn backed up Jenkins, tweeting Tuesday, “I can attest that all of Peter and my interactions with you were only pleasant and professional.”

© 2022 The Hollywood Reporter.