Rachel Weisz. That’s who I’d like to see playing Diana.
She’s got the acting chops, she’s a hard body (as anyone who saw her in “The Mummy Returns” will attest) and she’s got a knack for carrying herself well in crazy movie situations that would serve her well in the role.
Is she especially tall? Not at 5′ 7″. But anyone who thinks that’s a major problem simply doesn’t have a clue as to “movie magic.” Camera angles, apple boxes, trenches, stunt doubles…guys, if the six-foot-plus Hugh Jackman could play that runt, Wolverine, and Peter Jackson could knock about two feet of height off John Rhys-Davies, I don’t think it’s that much of a trick to add four inches of height to an actress.
Plus I think she’d look good visually with Lynda Carter as her mom.
So that’s my vote.
PAD
• 
Thomas E. Reed wrote: >
::waves:: We’re out here. Maybe not on most of the boards you read, but we are here and buying comics… and no, I am not Gloria Steinem. Just a woman who got into comics when she was in college. 🙂
Back to the topic onhand… I still agree that Rachel Weisz would be one of the best choices out there. Particularly if the movie makers want to pull in female viewers.
I know the “eye-candy” factor is important to the studios, I just hope that isn’t all they base their decision on.
On a side note, I saw Lynda Carter in a commercial a year or so ago. She may be older than most prefer, but she has aged well.
I gotta say, this is one of the reasons fans break me up.
I see people rejecting Lynda Carter as Hippolyta by contesting that since she’s an immortal character, she couldn’t be more than twenty or so.
I have to ask: How many immortals does anyone know? Ðìçk Clark aside.
Where did this notion come from, that someone who is immortal locks in at age twenty? Who says you can’t look like you’re twenty for a thousand years, then thirty for a thousand years, then forty for a thousand years, and so on.
Honestly, when people start making arbitrary decisions on behalf of fictional concepts–this much and no more–I just start laughing. I’m reminded of the book “A Martian Wouldn’t Say That,” a collection of truly idiotic and wholly real notes from TV execs on various television shows.
Might I point out that Odin the Almighty was depicted in the pages of “Thor” for decades as an old man. He’s a freakin’ GOD. I don’t recall fans crabbing about it. Or can male immortals look old, but female immortals have to look gorgeous?
Sheesh.
PAD
Please not Angelina Jolie. Am I the only guy in the world who thinks she is freaking ugly?!?
So if rachel Weisz would be Diana, Brendan Fraser should be Steve Trevor?
I have zero problem with Brendan Fraser as Trevor.
PAD
>>
Probably not the only one, but percentage wise you’re in the minority. You could have issues with her off screen antics, claim over exposure both literally and figuratively, don’t see how you could criticize her figure for the role, her face is unique but I see that as a plus because the character is unique. She does have an oscar to her credit and has done some great acting including believable action roles (as believable as say Jackie Chan, all three Charlie’s Angels or Arnold).
“Please not Angelina Jolie. Am I the only guy in the world who thinks she is freaking ugly?!?”
Yes, dejauu, you are.
Heck, I know a lot of straight women who wouldn’t mind spending a night on the Isle of Lesbos with Angelina Jolie… 😉
“Where did this notion come from, that someone who is immortal locks in at age twenty? Who says you can’t look like you’re twenty for a thousand years, then thirty for a thousand years, then forty for a thousand years, and so on.”
Or to provide an example from your own work of immortal appearances not being what they seem, an immortal could present himself in holographic form as an old man, but in actuality be a young- looking Bucky… er, buck.
Rick
“Peter Jackson could knock about two feet of height off John Rhys-Davies”
Mostly by using a two-foot-shorter scale double wearing the same (proportionate) costume and facial prosthetics as Rhys-Davies wore.
No, no, no — Brendan Frasier needs to play Captain Marvel. The “Shazam!” one, not the Kree one (ordinarily I wouldn’t feel the need to qualify that, but given PAD’s resume…).
Or maybe not. Maybe Fred Savage could do it. But I digress…
I think they need to go with a relative unknown for Wonder Woman. Anyone else would probably throw me right out of the movie for at least a second or two. But Lynda Carter does have to be Hippolyta. Maybe they can get Debra Winger for Antiope, Polly’s sister.
I repeat my question. Who cares?
Some of you are dedicated to Wonder Woman. I don’t know why. I can easily name half a dozen more interesting females in comics – Deena Pilgrim, Lois Lane, Oracle, Fallen Angel, Talia Al Ghul and (despite her movie) Catwoman.
I have seen no evidence that Wonder Woman can, in JamesLynch’s words, “kick butt and do it successfully and intelligently.” No more than any other of the above females, when given the proper plot support. And when I say “evidence,” I mean any of her appearances in comics in the last dozen years.
One of the worst jobs at DC is trying to write an interesting Wonder Woman story. It’s worse than trying to write a novel and intriguing Superman story; the Themyscarian doesn’t have anything to work with, even with the numerous backstories and soap opera thrown into her history. Now you expect to take such a compromised character and throw her on a screen, and you think the great unwashed audience will flock to her film?
The audience for the next Jenna Jameson pørņ video will be greater than for any general-audience Wonder Woman film. Unfortunate but true.
Peter David is right, after all.
Hippolyta can be as old as she has to be to get a warm fanboy fuzzy at the expense of the story.
That’s why I suggest Jessica Tandy or Bette Davis for Hippolyta.
Writers crack me up. They are funny books after all.
Thomas E. Reed,
Who cares? Obviously, a lot of people, judging by this thread alone. Read Dini and Ross’s “Spirit of Truth” for a cool Wonder Woman story.
You don’t like the character? Fine. But a lot of people were snide about a TV series based on a forgotten-by-most movie (“Buffy”) and a spinoff from “Hecules” (“Xena”). Both of those worked out very well.
And if you don’t think ANY girls/women are interested in comics check out a convention and the sales charts these days. Books like “Birds of Prey”, “Spider-Girl”, “Batgirl”, “Witchblade” and “Catwoman” have all been around at least five years. And a book by the name of “Wonder Woman” has been steadily climbing the charts due to good word of mouth over Rucka’s storyline.
And the movie stunk, but the original “Tomb Raider” movie made $158 million domestically.
Comments on a couple of the suggestions, and a couple new ones, since we don’t have enough already:):
Angelina Jolie is gorgeous, and an extremely talented actress with action experience. The more I think about it, the more she seems like a viable choice (aside from the “too recognizable” problem).
Good call, Richard Howe: get Debra Winger (Wonder Girl, for those who may not know or have forgotten [as I had, actually]) in there as Lynda Carter’s sister!
Gina Torres would be an excellent Wonder Woman. Firefly (among other roles) showed her action ability, Angel her “goddess-ability”, both her great acting ability. (Hey, if they can change the skin color of the Kingpin – and change the color of Harvey Dent for the first Batman movie, and then switch it again for the third ….)
And speaking of Whedonverse actresses, I really like the suggestions of Morena Baccarin. A certain exotic beauty, regality …. Haven’t seen her be physically formidable, but if Boss Joss is mentioning her, “jokingly”….
Now, to throw more names in:
If we’re concerned about height for Wonder Woman, what about the tallest actress I know of, Uma Thurman? She’s 6 feet tall (give or take an inch, I can’t recall _exactly_), and has both incredible acting and action chops. She would have the “big star” factor against her, if you see that as a problem, but I am surprised that I’m the first to mention her.
Or … if you want a Wonder Woman with some height – not hugely tall; certainly long-limbed – youth, a “wide-eyed innocent” look some have mentioned, a very good and experienced, but not hugely famous, actress with at least some action history, plus experience with our director … why not Michelle Trachtenberg? 🙂
Can’t see Uma in the role, even though I love her…and after BATMAN AND ROBIN she probably doesn’t want to be anywhere near a superhero film.
Michelle Trachtenberg…hmmmm…..
“The audience for the next Jenna Jameson pørņ video will be greater than for any general-audience Wonder Woman film. Unfortunate but true.”
balderdash. Obviously, you’re joking, but the “problems” you cite with the character will have little to any effect on the box office; if they cut out all the Amazon stuff most viewers will not know it. Basically all the public really knows is her name and costume. Which gives a talented writer like Whedon pretty much an easy opportunity to go in any direction he wants. If the story is good and the special effects are bright and shiny, people will come. Jerome’s observation is correct–if a video game character like Lara Croft can pull in over 100 million in a pretty average film, a good one with WW can clean up.
Thomas E. Reed – Who cares? Every female old enough to remember when Wonder Woman was the only really well-known female superhero. Anyone who was a kid when the tv show came out and spun herself silly when pretending to be WW while playing in the backyard. I know *I’ll* be seeing the movie with those memories in mind.
—
PAD wrote “Might I point out that Odin the Almighty was depicted in the pages of “Thor” for decades as an old man. He’s a freakin’ GOD. I don’t recall fans crabbing about it. Or can male immortals look old, but female immortals have to look gorgeous?”
Excellent point. Unfortunately, I think a large portion of society has fallen into the Hollywood frame of mind – males can have a variety of looks, but women must be young and beautiful. Hopefully nostaglia will reign and LC will be cast as Hippolyta.
I just one (more) thing to say on WW casting. If Sarah Michelle Gellar gets any closer to this movie than just buying a ticket at the theater, It likely won’t get my moviegoing dollars.
-Rex Hondo-
“Heck, I know a lot of straight women who wouldn’t mind spending a night on the Isle of Lesbos with Angelina Jolie… ;-)”
Yeah, it’s weird. For some reason, straight women and gay men seem to find her more attractive than straight men do. I’m not sure what it is about her.
uh….hello!?!?!?
JENNIFER CONNELLY
I say again
JENNIFER FREAKIN CONNELLY!!!
I mean, come on! This woman was BORN to play WW. She is the right choice in every way possible! she is the right height, the right build (in every sense) and has the commanding screen prescense to play diana, not to mention she can be extremely feminine when she tries.
She’s not too young, and not too old.
She would look great next to lynda carter as a mother/daughter duo, and her name has JUST enough star power that it would add something to the movie, but not so much star-power it would muffle the role (i.e. zeta jones, jolie, bullock etc.) This woman has all pros and no cons!
I mean, come on! Jennifer connelly! AM I the ONLY one who sees this potential?
Bill,
Thanks for supporting my argument, although, as much as I LOVE Angelina Jolie (and I’m one of many straight guys who do, Robert Fuller:) ) I would have to say the first “Tomb Raider” movie was pretty awful, not average. That’s the reason I think the sequel had such a disappointing opening weekend, despite being at least decent.
But I DO have to say I feel Wonder Woman SHOULD be tall. She should also be exotic-looking. That is why as much as I love Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter and many of the others bandied about, I feel they simply do not fit the bill. She is SUPPOSED to look like an ideal warrior-woman goddess. Is it really that difficult to find a stunning woman over 6 feet tall who can decently act.
Christine,
Count me as one of those who do not have a knee-jerk reaction to an “older” woman being sexy. Heck, I still think – besides Lynda Carter – Pam Grier and StevieNicks are both ÐÃMN HOT, to name just two. And playing an immortal goddess? She would be a perfect choice.
I would be insulted by all the remarks thrown at me, as I have pointed out that a Wonder Woman movie is going to be less popular than that forthcoming crappy “Bewitched” movie. I would be insulted, that is, if I didn’t remember that you guys are comic book fans. As such, you are less than a tenth of a percent of the box office needed to make the film work.
Joe Sixpack and his wife Joleen are not going to bathe and go to this movie. It can’t be the sleaze Joe wants, and it can’t be the romantic fantasy Joleen wants. They are the people you need to make the film successful – people who never did and never will read a comic book.
And I stand by my judgment that Wonder Woman is too compromised and confused a character to be the basis of a decent feature film. AOL-TW couldn’t make a decent film with Catwoman, whose image is a lot clearer (ex-prostitiute and present-day burgler). If they screwed up such a clear and obvious character, what will they do with an all-over-the-map character like Wonder Woman?
Thomas E. Reed,
If they do go with all the twists and turns of the comic, then you could be right about WW being “too compromised and confused a character to be the basis of a decent feature film”
However, my guess is that they will simplify things like they did with the tv show to make it “non-comic” fan friendly.
In addition, please remember that the tv show – and the subsequent DVD release – makes Wonder Woman a more household name than Catwoman. More people remember the show, and Lynda Carter as WW, then the comic book. That should pull in more non-comic fans for the movie.
Oh, I firmly believe the movie will be horrible, but it will do quite well on name recognition alone. I doubt it will become a franchise, but you never know.
And, y’know, if Jennifer Connelly played WW, I’d be there in a heartbeat. I doubt she’d do it, but I like that lady (though, how did she go from the Rocketeer buxom babe to the svelt Hulk babe? Was it surgery, herbal therapy, exersize or just age????)
Two Spider-Man and X-Men movies later, and it seems that comic-based movies that, interestingly enough, lack elements of “sleaze” or “romantic fantasy,” yet manage to not only pull in huge and respectable profits, but also positive critical review. And all without the elements that Joe Sixpack and Joleen seem to demand from their movies.
Well, based on those numbers, I’d say that appealing to a comic-based audience can indeed provide a movie with successful numbers. In fact, I’d say Catwoman, where it’s pretty obvious the studio had way too much influence over the creation of the film, is a prime example of what happens when you divert too much from the comic origins of the character…the comic fans, the ones that will pay to see a good adaptation multiple times, can almost single-handedly make a movie a success. Does it really matter how you get to your $100 million in box-office receipts? Assuming $10 a ticket, you could either get 10 million people in to see it once, or 5 million people seeing it twice….
Charisma Carpenter. There’s a Mammazon if there ever was one.
Thomas Reed,
You are the worst kind of poster. You ask “who cares”? Then when your question gets a response you play victim.
I, and others, have responded in an intelligent, thoughtful, non-insulting manner.
Our opinion is simply different from yours. If you cannot handle that, perhaps you should go to a site of your liking, where everybody thinks alike.
What, is Sean Young not available?
Two Spider-Man and X-Men movies later, and it seems that comic-based movies that, interestingly enough, lack elements of “sleaze” or “romantic fantasy,” yet manage to not only pull in huge and respectable profits, but also positive critical review.
And yet, for every Spider-Man, there is a Catwoman.
We can hope that FF and Batman Begins are done right.
But I have to wonder what a WW movie offers any more than the Elektra movie did.
Which is to say, for me, nothing – I saw Daredevil, enjoyed it, and had no real desire to see Elektra.
Craig:
>But I have to wonder what a WW movie offers any more than the Elektra movie did.
Ya know, I used to have the same initial reaction when people kept telling me that I needed to watch Buffy the Vampire television series. I’d seen the film, why bother with the show? I shake my head at the difference. The difference? Well, to only begin with a basic list of differences… Joss Whedon, a man with vision and who had creative control over the show, behind the stories, solid charactization, great comedic and tragic moments and a cast and crew that took the material they were given seriously in putting together the series.
One can certainly wonder what WW has to offer over Elektra…… Whedon to begin with. That alone has my interest and the belief that this could be a dámņ good flick.
>Which is to say, for me, nothing – I saw Daredevil, enjoyed it, and had no real desire to see Elektra.
Wow…. DD was somewhat of a disappointment to me. Saw Elektra on DVD when a buddy lent it to me and was sorry to see that what they were shooting for in the first half of the film didn’t quite make it to the screen.
Fred
Craig Ries,
“And yet, for every Spider-Man, there is a Catwoman.”
And for every “Gladiator” there is a “First Knight”. What’s your point?
“But I have to wonder what a WW movie offers any more than the Elektra movie did.”
I believe you meant to say ‘What a WW offers that the Elektra movie didn’t.’
To which, I can only say…Are you serious?
Let’s start with characters. Elektra is a somewhat popular character to comics fans who, in the Daredevil movie, played one of the lamest “heroines” to ever grace the screen. She had that nonsensical fight on the playground, sees her dad die, hits some bags for five minutes and is then impaled by the main villain.
Plus, the majority of people probably still don’t know or care who the character is.
Wonder Woman is one of the three most recognizable comic book characters in the world, with Superman and Batman being the other two. She has been continuously published for over SIXTY YEARS! That is quite amazing. Few characters are even around 60 years after their creation, let alone on a continual basis.
She is THE female superhero. A Greek goddess. Compare that to an anti-hero/assassin and…well, there IS NO COMPARISON.
RECOGNIZABILITY – As stated above, few people know who Elektra is. But between the comics, numerous animated series, and the Lynda Carter TV show, virtually everyone knows who Wonder Woman is.
DIRECTORS – Mark Johnson directed Daredevil. Why Marvel expected better results with him doing Elektra is beyond me.
Wonder Woman will be directed by JOSS WHEDON who has a vast knowledge of and strong love for the character. He also seems to be able to write strong women well, and is perfect for this project.
Wonder Woman will be directed by JOSS WHEDON who has a vast knowledge of and strong love for the character.
I like Whedon, but I don’t care for Wonder Woman.
I like Singer, but I don’t care for Superman.
So, regardless of director, since I don’t care for the characters, I probably won’t see these movies.
But, imo, Singer is at least directing his efforts into something that can be successful. I don’t see how a WW movie could be very successful.
So, the whole thing is summed up this way for me: I fail to see how the character of WW appeals to enough people to make a movie worthwhile.
A Wonder Woman film is almost a given in the current climate of comic book films. A film trades on mental real estate and Wonder Woman has it that in spades. I have no doubt the movie will open (even a modest publicity effort will bring them in; an immodest costume will bring even more in — remember the ratings spike in the television show when Lynda went to the high cut bikini bottoms?)
My concern is that the concept of Wonder Woman isn’t exactly filmic (beyond the costume and cheesecake) without leaving the source material behind – which might betray the mental real estate.
Who would be the villian? WW doesn’t have the most visible rogues gallery. I’d say Cheetah would be good, but the cat thing was just done (and done badly). Mars during WWII would be good maybe. If they hired me to write it, that’s where I’d go. Not sure about how well the bondage thing would go today…
I don’t understand why there are people saying you can’t have a good Wonder Woman movie. She lassos you and you have to do everything she tells you. You’d think the US had no working dominatrixes.
You can criticise the premise for any movie before seeing it. Without “Getcher stinking paws off me you dámņ dirty ape” and the buried Statue of Liberty, Planet of the Apes was just Charlton Heston talking with monkeys — it’s a wonder anyone bothers to make movies at all.
Craig Ries,
“I like Whedon, but I don’t care for Wonder Woman.”
“I like Singer, but I don’t care for Superman.”
Ouch! You don’t like Wonder Woman OR Superman? Not that you have to, of course. But could you at least state some reasons why, so we know where you’re coming from?
“So, regardless of the director, since I don’t care for the characters, I probably won’t see these movies.”
I think you are only cheating yourself with this argument. I was never a big Blade fan, but the movies were a different experience. If the directors have a good track record, why not just forget they are comic book characters and judge each movie on it’s own merits?
“So the whole thing is summed up this way for me: I fail to see how the character of WW appeals to enough people to make a movie worthwhile.”
Putting aside for the moment you seem to think because YOU don’t like the character and therefore everyone must think like you and a movie will fail – I’ll ask you a question.
By worthwhile, do you mean commercially or creatively? Because creatively, I don’t think you could have someone better at the helm than Joss Whedon, who loves the character, turned what was an almost-joke character into a character known worldwide and – most importantly – has talent.
Commercially, the movie stars a character that has been in comics (and on mugs, t-shirts, etc.) for over sixty years. She has been part of numerous cartoon shows and had a memorable live-action TV series.
Are you showing a sexist side here? Do you feel no female comic character can have a successful film?
I remember Joseph Campbell devoting, like, a chapter or something on sleeping gods detached from the material world.
The movie could be based on a threat to the world calling Wonder Woman to return to it, like women with killer-bods and kitten faces walking around naked except for leopard spots, seducing men and — not as strange as you may think — women, too.
This could be played as a threat to marriage, which would prompt all the poor people who voted to reelect George Bush to go see it. With the right kind of lasso action, you can title it “The Passion of the Wonder Woman.” Dude, who wouldn’t go see that?