Wonder Woman 1984, After Strong Bow on HBO Max, Gets Fast-Tracked Sequel
Wonder Woman is due for yet another spin, following the Gal Gadot-led film sequel’s solid performance both at the traditional (yet not) box office and with its simultaneous release on HBO Max.
Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Sunday that it has fast-tracked development on a follow-up to Wonder Woman 1984, which will be written by franchise vet Patty Jenkins, who is again attached to direct.
Amid mixed reviews, Wonder Woman 1984 lassoed the top pandemic-era domestic opening weekend for any feature film this year (with $16.7 million in box office), and to date worldwide has cumed $85 million. What’s more, its simultaneous release on HBO Max — the first franchise blockbuster to also get a day-and-date release on a streaming service — saw “nearly half of the first-year platform’s retail subscribers” (how ever many that may be, we do not know) cue up the film upon its Christmas Day arrival, reads a press release.
In addition, “millions of wholesale subscribers who have access to HBO Max via a cable, wireless or other partner services” tuned in for the sequel, in which Gadot’s Amazon princess battled two villains: wannabe oil tycoon Max Lord (The Mandalorian‘s Pedro Pascal) and Dr. Barbara Minerva aka Cheetah (SNL vet Kristen Wiig).
“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,” WarnerMedia Direct-to-Consumer EVP Andy Forssell said in a statement. “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.”
Not long after it slotted Wonder Woman 1984 for a simultaneous theatrical/streaming release, Warner Media boldly announced that its entire 2021 film slate (The Matrix 4 and The Suicide Squad included) would do same.
Were you among the millions who watched Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max this weekend? If so, what are your wishes and hopes for the threequel?
This was a let down compared to the first one not sure if a third one is warranted unless they change writers, directors or something
I felt was better than original
Didn’t realize this had a different director than the first one.
I hope it is better than WW84. It felt recycled, and the opening scene with young Diana was the best part of the movie. Major letdown from the first movie.
Yes! I love anything when they are on the island. I hope the next one is the old story of the jealous Amazon following Wonder Woman to the world that was from either the Cathy Lee Crosby movie or the series. This one was hard to watch.
I really liked the first one, even it’s oft-derided third act. I had really high hopes for this one after that awesome trailer. But…oof. Save for a few brief moments like the fireworks or clothes montage, I didn’t care much for this slog of a sequel.
They had three years from the last one, not sure I have much faith in them trying to fast track it before Patty Jenkins goes off to Star Wars.
Loved part one and I’m excited about part three but 84 was terrible. Terrible.
One of the worst movies I’ve ever saw. Over two hours wasted of my life. Poor story, stupid gimmicks, even the special effects looked pedestrian. By the end, they even managed to make Gal Gadot look bad and ugly in that horrible winged and golden suit. BTW, the mid-credits bonus scene? Didn’t work.
One of the worst movies you ever saw? Man, If that’s the case, I could show you some turkeys that would blow your mind.
Did you watch Thor: the dark world? That’s the worst movie hahaha. But I enjoyed WW84 it not the best movie but it was worth a watch
Oh I loved Thor. All of them.
Gal Gadot is ugly by herself, she shouldn’t be even in Hollywood
These movies are meant to be seen on the big screen,, but I watched WW84 on Christmas day in my home via hbomax.
It was not nearly as good as the original WW. I’d give it a b/b+ at best, while the original was a first class a/a+ movie.
Maxwell Lord was a weak silly antagonist. The way Wonder Woman gained the upper hand to defeat him felt like a tv episode if Supergirl without Melissa Benoist’s better facial expressions and earnest delivery.
The highlight was the extra scene in the closing credits… delightful, but no spoilers.
Still it was one of the better DCEU films, on par with Shazam!
I am glad we are getting a third film with Gadot and Jenkins both on board.
I agree with all of your statements except that I think of Shazam as an A-. I think the Max Lord/Dreamstone focus was just a big step. Focusing just on Cheetah would have been a stronger movie I think
This!!! Waiting for someone to mention that. It felt like the First season finale of Supergirl. This is a mega budget movie and they couldn’t do it better than a show on CW ( which mind you I love)
Had such big hopes… that climax was a letdown. The whole story was.
Please do exceptionally better if you’re getting a chance to do another.
Yeah – I liked it. I got that it was a homage to the tv show, even down to the use of just her lasso and “no kill” policy. I could’ve used a little more resolution regarding Barbara, and the whole idea that no one knew about her – or metahumans – before Superman is starting to wear thin, but hopefully they’ll explain this plot hole in a movie soon.
Just because a lot of people watched it on HBO Max, doesn’t mean that it was any good. I was one of those people and thought it was awful. My guess is that, if it had been released in theaters, it would have had a great opening weekend and then tanked as word of mouth and social media let people know how bad it was.
Exactly…well said.
I really don’t understand all the negativity. My family and I straight up cheered on our couch about an hour in. Iconic WW moment that felt like it could never credibly be done on the big screen, and yet, it was. We had fun watching it on Christmas afternoon, and that’s all we were looking for. WB’s CGI issues are not new. There are issues in the Harry Potter franchise as well as the previous DC flicks. (Every big jump looks like the computer-drawn cartoon it is). The more I think about it, the more I like it. There’s something Superman 2 about it. Loneliness and emotional yearning for connection lead to physical weakness and an arse whooping. Both had to give up love, albeit reluctantly, for the greater good. There’s a certain jealousy that drives some of the villainy in both Cheetah and Lex. No one complained about a generic president in Superman 2, but I see tons of people upset that the WW president wasn’t Reagan. Claims that the ending doesn’t make sense, except it does because the comics have explained Diana has some telepathic skills and how she can use the lasso as an instrument of her will. It’s just incredibly ridiculous nitpicking, as if people don’t have anything better to do than complain.
I enjoyed it.
I agree!
The movie was so terrible I actually turned it off about 1 hour into the movie. The CGI was abyssmal, you could regularly see green screen reflected in Kristen’s glasses and she was badly edited into scenes with Gal that you could tell she wasn’t present for based on the lighting and the way they’d play off each other only looking at weird side angles. This movie was awful and I can’t believe it was the finished product.
A sequel was pretty much a given, but I don’t know how they quantify it’s success in a monetary sense. We’re talking about a movie that probably cost close to 200 million to produce, so what’s the number of eyeballs required to pay that bill?
Yes, my family watched via HBO Max script. I enjoyed this one more than any other DC item previously released, with exception of Wonder Woman. I would definitely watch the next one.
I agree with everyone that said it was a let down. It missed the mark of what made the first one so great. I hope the third go around is more like the first. At the least put it in present day and/or after the events of Justice League.
The handsome guys wasn’t that handsome. Find a better leading guy or bring Steve Trevor back. Write a storyline that includes more of her origin story.
You didn’t actually watch it, did you?
You would be correct.
WW84 could have been better, but it was entertaining… The guy playing the villain was way over the top and off-putting, and the plot was weak. I hope they bring Lynda Carter into the cast as Asteria for the third one!
My opinion:
1. It’s better than the first one
2. Kristen wiig’s acting is a lot better than Gal gadot’s
3. Gal gadot is so pretty
4. Chris pine is too ugly for a lead actor
5. The ending is too sweet, the bad guy never got repercussion for what he did
6. The stone/god logic makes no sense.
I thought we already knew that about Wiig after Bridesmaids? Gal is pretty but I have always thought Chris Pine was hot.
Gal Gadot is ugly af, lmaooo. Ugly af to be in Hollywood.
“Gal Gadot is too pretty” brainwashed by the first movie and Hollywood. She’s ugly af, Hollywood standards are low af now
I enjoyed it overall. I would like to see a third film :-)
I liked the movie, I am surprised so many didn’t
How can a Wonder Woman movie spend so much time on the other characters and not give Gal more screen time to do what she does best. Not enough of her in her own movie.
Story way too far out even for DC.
What is it with Warner Brothers & DC? The WW84 trailer was fantastic, but the actual movie was a total letdown. How hard is it to hire writers who can actually craft a quality script?
First it’s easy to be box office success when there isn’t anything else out…
This was a terrible movie all around! After the tragedy that was Justice league, It would think DC would try to make things better unless this movie was their way to Retcon JL! In JL Bruce Wayne was like she was hiding for a century after the event from WW and her Boyfriend dying! I am pretty sure people would have remember her from
1984 to 2017 after all she did in public in there movie in DC of all place and all over the world! also since she could fly why didn’t she fly in JL! the flash had to slow
Down time to get her her sword during the battle with steppenwolf! Also why didn’t she make their plane invisible! That’s just one of the Few things I noticed and I don’t dive deep into dc movies since I’ve given up getting a good movie out of them! The best part Of the movie was the Amazon Olympics that’s about it!
Wonder woman 84 was one of the worst movies I’ve seen in a long time. The storyline was stupid, the villain was cheesy, and the movie was too long. Cant compare to the first
The Mandelorian should of kept his mask on in WW84. 1984 was a great year! But this movie sucked big time!!
This movie was as bad as the last two Christopher Reeve Superman movies, and they’re making another one!!?? Wow, that’s amazing!
Enjoyed the movie very much, hoping for the next movie, to reintroduce wonder woman to get way to justice league. In which the first movie, opened the door, where Bruce Wayne found the picture.
This film was an abortion. Terrible CGI. Plot points that would never happen (WW brought back Steve and essentially killed a guy to do it and instead of feeling guilt, she jumps in the sack!?!). Etc, etc. other than Suicide Squad, easily the worst DC movie (and I HATE Zack Snyder).
“…(WW brought back Steve and essentially killed a guy to do it…”
The means of Steve Trevor’s “return” were not made clear to Diana from that standpoint. For example, I don’t know if Diana saw “Heaven Can Wait” in 1978. But from her perspective, it could have happened that way (soul enters the body of a guy who just died and whose soul wasn’t coming back to that body). There was no way to know what exactly happened in that regard. And even if at some point she decided that the uncertainty presented a moral problem, she did ultimately renounce the wish of her own free will, probably no more than a few days after it was initially granted. In the epilogue set a few months later, the guy seemed not to have been adversely affected.
She certainly doesn’t care either. Also, why would you assume it worked like “Heaven Can Wait”, even if it just came out? Furthermore, she seems to imply she doesn’t watch TV. Finally, would we be having the same discussion if the body was a woman’s? The guy is basically raped and put in extremely dangerous situations against his will. There’s no excuse for WW to ignore these facts.
A few points:
First, how do you know she doesn’t care?
Second, where do you read that I’m assuming Steve’s resurrection worked like “Heaven Can Wait”? I clearly stated that, from Diana’s perspective, it may have been a considered possibility, but also that there was no way to know exactly what happened.
Third, what does Diana not watching TV have to do with anything? (A) “Heaven Can Wait” (1978) was a movie, not a TV show. (B) Then, as now, it isn’t necessary to have seen a movie to have heard of it or to become familiar with general plot points. Additionally, whether Diana actually saw the movie or not isn’t the point. The point was that the exact mechanic of Steve’s persona inhabiting that other guy’s body wasn’t made known to her, such that the “Heaven Can Wait” scenario (or any other) must have been excluded from possibility.
Fourth, I can’t speak for anyone else on the gender aspect of this. But for me, it’s immaterial. Further, when Diana and Steve have sex, there’s no evidence that it’s rape, because there’s no evidence that someone’s consciousness other than Steve’s is in that body, such that that other consciousness either denies consent or is incapable of giving consent. Steve consents. And Diana only saw Steve. Additionally, during the time when Steve had control of that body, there was no evidence that anything (sexual or life-endangering) was being done against that other guy’s will, because there was no evidence at that time that that other guy’s will still existed. All of this emanated from deity-created wish magic. As an aside, if you’re familiar with the TV show “Quantum Leap”, do any of Sam Beckett’s sexual or life-endangering exploits in that show present to you the same moral dilemmas? If so, are they or would they be deal-breakers for you from a viewership standpoint?
Fifth, the main plot of this movie seems to take place only over a few days. In that time, the bigger priority for Diana than the greater implications of Steve Trevor’s return quickly became the developing imminent implosion of human civilization worldwide.
Annnd despite all you wrote it was still Rape… Imagine if the roles were reversed and this film was made by Joss Whedon.
Aaaaaand, no it wasn’t. And the genders are irrelevant (as is Joss Whedon to this discussion). If you think it was rape, make the case. Define rape, and offer facts supporting the claim. State the evidence that anyone relevant didn’t consent to sex between Steve and Diana. Here’s a hint: there has to be a party which either doesn’t consent or is incapable of giving consent (both of which imply the actual or constructive presence of such party). The entire circumstance was magical, so whatever you think happened to the other guy’s consciousness for the duration of Steve’s consciousness in that guy’s body is speculation. You may think I’m off base here, but you’re the one alleging that Warner Brothers either inadvertently or intentionally made a Wonder Woman movie in 2020 in which Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor commit the act of rape.