I was reading recently, most likely on DC Women Kicking Ass, that Warner Bros. once again has plans for a Wonder Woman movie. Now I've never been a big fan of Wonder Woman, but she's one of the great heroes that should be a no brainer to make a movie based upon. However Wonder Woman continues to elude, filmmakers. Part of it is the sexism of the industry, with people still believing that female led action movies don't sell. But recently I read another reason, in a quote from writer director Joss Whedon, who was once connected as a writer to an aborted Wonder Woman movie. He also Knows a thing or two about the Superheroes. In this interview Whedon had to say this to add....
"She has no city,'' Whedon says, ticking off a list of problems he had with the character when Silver hired him to write and direct a Wonder Woman film five years ago. ''She has no great rogues' gallery [of returning villains]. And she's distant from people in a way that makes it hard to create identification. Spider-Man is a nerd. Batman is in pain. But Wonder Woman is from an era where superheroes were supposed to be like Greek gods. She's above us and different from us. That makes it hard to make her emotionally relevant. I tried, and some people think I succeeded, but none of them were the people I worked for.''
Now that is interesting, as a reader who grew up with Wonder Woman, I never gave this much thought. but her lore is missing a lot of the "stuff" of the common superhero movie. This is a big problem, as audiences of super hero movies do crave definitely two of the things Whedon Mentioned. The relatabileness and the villain. But this, I don't think matters as much now because last year the answer came.
THOR.
The Character of Thor has many if not all of the problems (albeit Loki is semi Iconic amongst the Marvel Zombies) that Whedon points out exist for a Wonder Woman movie, save of course the sexism thing. And it did wonderfully. Director Kenneth Branagh took care of this by basically making it a warring gods movie. I believe that the same can be done with Wonder Woman, using the Mythology of the character. I'm no screenwriter but here's my attempt at a mini treatment for a Wonder Woman Movie.*
Prologue: In the ancient world a group of trans dimensional beings came to be worshipped on earth as gods. The god Ares in a bid for the hearts of man attempts to send the ancient world into the abyss of endless war. But there are those who resist the Amazons, led by the goddess Athena. they rise up against Ares, but are defeated, through trickery and retreat to the island of Themeschyra. Man falls to Ares (the middle ages). But in the age of enlightenment, the world of man begins to free it's self from Ares' pull. Until the twentieth, century. Meanwhile on Themeschyra, the Amazon queen Hippolyte under the guidance of Athena, creates from clay a future champion for the worlds of Amazon and Man, Diana.
Act I: Diana is now a young adult. We see her train, and her life in general. Being the only child for millennia Diana is a bit a spoilt brat (the charming type) and a trouble maker. She is especially troublesome to her retainer, trainer and friend Artemis. This is where we get to see Diana as a human she endears herself to the audience. Meanwhile Air force captain Steve Trevor, crashes on Themescyra. Trevor finds the city of the Amazons and is taken prisoner,Diana after griping that she gets no "real duties" is assigned to guard him. Diana befriends him, and eventually the Amazons give him more liberty. Meanwhile, the amazons see the armourment of Trevor's F-16 and deduct that man is once again at war. We then find out that ares is making deals with millitary leaders. At Themeschyra the Amazon's oracle, discovers that Ares is on the move. Hyppolite decides that the Amazons, need to send an Emissary to man's world. They hold a competition to choose the hero. Diana is banned from participating, but does so anyway in disguise. Diana wins, and much to Hyppolite's dismay Diana is sent out into mans world as Wonder Woman.
Act II: Here we have Diana getting used to man's world, in the guise of Diana Prince. Steve Trevor would be her guide through the world. this is where we can get some good humour from culture shock. As well as some genuine horror of how harsh Man's World Can be. Upon seeing crime, Diana uses her abilities to stop it, and begins a career as a sort of Wonder Woman. As Diana of Themescyra she tries to convince the powers that be that Ares is trying to send the world back into war again. The General under Arers' sway. Diana is saddened by her failure, and will not go back to Themescyria in shame. So she continues as Wonder Woman, in which she discovers Ares' influence on military policy, thus she begins working her way up the food chain, with the aide of Trevor and his friend officer Etta Candy. They eventually uncover the general's plot to take over the US for Ares.
Act: III The General enacts his coup. And Ares immediately betrays him taking mind control over the general's soldiers, and sets them on a path of destruction. Wonder Woman takes them on, and sends Trevor to attempt to get the help of the Amazons. We Get much Super human action as Wonder Woman Single handedly takes on an army. Using the lasso of truth to take the soldiers out of mind control, she gradually gets a fighting force of men and women. Meanwhile Trevor, arrives at Themescyra and compels the Amazons to join the battle. They are resistant to get into the affairs of man, but Hypollite cannot bear to see her daughter stand alone. Thus she calls upon the aid of Athena, who makes a portal to man's world in which the Amazons can join the battle. Back in DC Diana and her reclaimed army have turned the tide, when Ares opens a portal in which supernatural reinforcements come. The tide is turning once again in Ares' favour when the portal from Themescyra opens, and an army of Amazons come forth. Diana takes command of the Amazons and the fighting is fierce, until the Amazon's and reclaimed forces prevail. Ares' begins to escape but Diana stops him and takes him on in single combat. Diana fights well and Ares is a felled. At this point Athena intercedes, proud of man, and Amazon rising up against Ares. She banishes Ares. The Amazons Return to Themescyra, leaving Diana as their ambassador. In the final scene. Diana meets Trevor and Candy outside of the UN socially, until a police chase happens by, provoking Wonder Woman into Action.
The end.
Now that wasn't necessarily great, and it has a few holes and lacks characterization. But I think you can see what I'm saying, if me, a low level indie comic creator can come up with this a good screenwriter should have no problem at all.
* More of an outline but "mini Treatment" sounds cooler.
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