DC Comics is dominating the small screen with Arrow, Flash, Gotham and Constantine. But its efforts on the big screen have lagged far behind rival Marvel Studios. That looks like it's about to change, though.
For its part, DC — through parent company Warner Bros. — has a long list of films coming based on its A-list superheroes. It starts in 2016 with Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and goes on to include (at least) two Justice League movies and solo outings for the likes of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Cyborg, Aquaman and more.
The Hollywood Reporter casually dropped a very interesting little nugget of info regarding the behind-the-scenes workings at DC/WB. THR says Warners is looking for a female director to take the reins on the Wonder Woman film, set to start Gal Gadot.
This is huge, even more than you might realize. Not only is it the logical move for a film centered around a female protagonist, it will also mark the first time ever that a woman has directed a big-budget, tentpole superhero flick. That's right: despite the long, long history of superheroes at the movies, going way back to Richard Donner's Superman (arguably the first superhero blockbuster), no female director has ever been given the helm of a major superhero film.
So who will Warner Bros. pick? There's one obvious name that tops the list, a director who's arguably the best known and most successful female director of all time: Kathryn Bigelow. Her high-profile status, her knowledge of how to handle both action and drama, not to mention the fact that she's the only woman to ever have won Best Director at the Oscars, add up to make Bigelow a no-brainer. But there's every chance she simply won't be interested.
Forbes shortlists a handful of others who WB might call upon. Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Red Riding Hood) has an existing working relationship with WB and has made a career out of making movies with female protagonists. Acclaimed TV director Mimi Leder had a couple of big-screen successes in Deep Impact and The Peacemaker, and most of Hollywood seems to love her.
Forbes also likes Karyn Kusama of Jennifer's Body and Girlfight, Julie Taymor of The Tempest and Across the Universe (she certainly knows plenty about visual effects and action), TV director Michelle MacLaren of Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, and TV helmer Tricia Brock of The Walking Dead and Person of Interest.
Tech Times would like to nominate a few others for Warner Bros. to consider. Patty Jenkins is remembered for 2003's Charlize Theron drama Monster, though she has also worked on TV's Entourage and The Killing. And Andrea Arnold is best known for the successful, provocative British drama Fish Tank. Both have fascinating insights into the female psyche and could be very interesting choices.
Or what about Sofia Coppola? That would certainly grab some headlines, though Wonder Woman doesn't seem like her kind of thing.
If WB really wants to grab a high-profile director, why not ask Angelina Jolie? She's certainly starred in enough big-budget films to know how they work, and her directorial career is definitely on the rise.
